Should i start running G.F.O.

[Dfrashid]

So I have a 36 gallon bowface tank with a 12 gallon sump my Parameters as followed salinity 35% temp 79.3°F P.H. 8.4 DKH° 157.168 PHOSPHATE 0.12 PPM Calcium 485ppm Nitrates 10.6 p.p.m. Magnesium 1475 p.p.m. all test are done with Hanna testers should I start running G.F.O. in a media bag? Or do I need a reactor? Also I have about 10 small corals and 5 fish plus a C.U.C.

 

[Spare time]

Do you have a sump, hob filter, etc.?

 

[doubleshot00]

Your hanna said 157.168 PHOSPHATE

Which hanna phosphate tester do you have?

Post a pic if you can.

 

[Mikedawg]

That .12 is on the high end depending on the species of corals you have, but not excessively high ime. As long as corals look healthy and you don't have uncontrollable algae, I wouldn't add gfo at this time.

 

[Waters]

If your phosphate is .12 than no, I would not run GFO and would leave it as is as long as you aren't having algae issues.

 

[Spare time]

Your hanna said 157.168 PHOSPHATE

Which hanna phosphate tester do you have?

Post a pic if you can.

That is the alk reading.

 

[doubleshot00]

That is the alk reading.

Oh well that really makes no sense to. At least to me

If its .12 do not add gfo imo.

 

[Dfrashid]

Your hanna said 157.168 PHOSPHATE

Which hanna phosphate tester do you have?

Post a pic if you can.

No that's my Alkalinity 157.168

 

[Dfrashid]

 

[Dfrashid]

Do you have a sump, hob filter, etc.?

Sump

 

[Spare time]

Sump

If you run carbon, you can add two spoonfulls or so of gfo. A reactor is best but that would be the route if you have chronic issues with high phosphate. A refugium is also something to consider if you have room

 

[Dfrashid]

If you run carbon, you can add two spoonfulls or so of gfo. A reactor is best but that would be the route if you have chronic issues with high phosphate. A refugium is also something to consider if you have room

The refugium is honestly what I want to do but I'm just worried about space how small can I go on the refugium?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

How old is your tank? The parameters you listed are nothing I would worry about. Just keep testing regularly and if things start trending too high or too low, then consider making changes SLOWLY!
No need to complicate things at this point.

 

[Dfrashid]

How old is your tank? The parameters you listed are nothing I would worry about. Just keep testing regularly and if things start trending too high or too low, then consider making changes SLOWLY!
No need to complicate things at this point.

It's 7 weeks old now not very old at all

 

[Lavey29]

You will mess things up on a brand new tank if you start trying to tweak everything. Don't add GFO.

 

[Scotts210g]

So I have a 36 gallon bowface tank with a 12 gallon sump my Parameters as followed salinity 35% temp 79.3°F P.H. 8.4 DKH° 157.168 PHOSPHATE 0.12 PPM Calcium 485ppm Nitrates 10.6 p.p.m. Magnesium 1475 p.p.m. all test are done with Hanna testers should I start running G.F.O. in a media bag? Or do I need a reactor? Also I have about 10 small corals and 5 fish plus a C.U.C.

I would not, I would try to get nitrates up, and Po4 slightly down. I would also lower temp at least another degree.

BTW, are you dosing Kalk? That will help with Po4, Ca & Alk. I would research this and dose appropriately.

 

[Dfrashid]

I would not, I would try to get nitrates up, and Po4 slightly down. I would also lower temp at least another degree.

How else do I lower po4 if not with GFO? I feed once a day, mysis (frozen food) also I did lower my temp to 78 now it goes 77-78°F thank you for the information

 

[Dfrashid]

I would not, I would try to get nitrates up, and Po4 slightly down. I would also lower temp at least another degree.

What is a good level of nitrates?also how else can I lower phosphate if not with gfo? Sorry im very new and dont know very much....I do have corals as well and I feed then phyto Fest every other day

 

[Scotts210g]

How else do I lower po4 if not with GFO? I feed once a day, mysis (frozen food) also I did lower my temp to 78 now it goes 77-78°F thank you for the information

Do you dose Kalk? that will help with Po4 better than you would think. It also is great for Ca & Alk and just makes your corals pop and your tank look really good. I would research this and dose appropriately!! Good luck!

 

[PatW]

Yes .12 ppm phosphates is high. If you are running a fish only, it is only an issue if you have algae blooms. I doubt that soft corals would care and maybe LPS corals wouldn’t either. However SPS corals probably would not like it.

You could run some GFO. Be really careful. A little GFO goes a long way. And it absorbs the phosphates really fast.

When I get high phosphates (not often), I run about a tablespoon or two of GFO on a 300 gallon and that knocks it right back. But what I consider ”high” is far lower than what you have. I rinse the GFO in RODI (It has all sorts of dust) and put it in a small filter sock and stick it into a high flow area in the sump but usually I just toss it into my big filter sock. A reactor is probably better but this works.