When to start using Carbon and GFO

[AZG]

Hey Fam,

Sooooooo newbie here! 55 gallon tank, live sand, dry live rock and RO water...check! I left the lights (kessil LED) off through out most my cycle. I am now 8 weeks in. Week 6 I gradually used my lights for a few hours a day.Week 7 noticed some brown algae and diatoms in the high light areas. My water levels were spot on since week 6 so I got some hermits and snails. They are doing a great job cleaning. But I have a Carbon/GFO reactor and was wondering when is a good time to bring that into play. I was told to not run either during the cycle. Is 8 weeks too soon?

Hit me up some time cause I'm going off!!!

 

[Mr. Bill]

Nope, 8 weeks would be the perfect time.

Welcome to R2R.

 

[mcarroll]

Hey Fam,

Sooooooo newbie here! 55 gallon tank, live sand, dry live rock and RO water...check! I left the lights (kessil LED) off through out most my cycle. I am now 8 weeks in. Week 6 I gradually used my lights for a few hours a day.Week 7 noticed some brown algae and diatoms in the high light areas. My water levels were spot on since week 6 so I got some hermits and snails. They are doing a great job cleaning. But I have a Carbon/GFO reactor and was wondering when is a good time to bring that into play. I was told to not run either during the cycle. Is 8 weeks too soon?

Hit me up some time cause I'm going off!!!

There's no sense using that until you have some nutrients going into the tank – and even then I'd only consider using them AS NEEDED. In general neither should be required.

Right now you want your tank's microbes to grow in as healthy as possible, so don't interfere unless it's necessary.

I'd say keep the pace you have and start SLOWLY adding livestock.

Go slower with fish than with corals and inverts, and be careful not to overdo it with any of them at one time....that's how algae blooms happen.

 

[AZG]

There's no sense using that until you have some nutrients going into the tank – and even then I'd only consider using them AS NEEDED. In general neither should be required.

Right now you want your tank's microbes to grow in as healthy as possible, so don't interfere unless it's necessary.

I'd say keep the pace you have and start SLOWLY adding livestock.

Go slower with fish than with corals and inverts, and be careful not to overdo it with any of them at one time....that's how algae blooms happen.

Okay sounds good. Also I was feeding the tank with some mysis shrimp twice a week cause I didn't want to use any kick starters. Now that I have the clean up crew in there should I stop feeding the tank? I was just worried about my nitrates getting to high. They are at 5 on my red sea test kit now. Or should I keep feeding and do a 10% water change once a week?

P.S. I turned the skimmer on this week. It is brand new and wanted to break it in before I add anything else. I plan on adding a zoa or fungia week 10. If I feel comfortable doing so.

Thank you!

 

[AZG]

Nope, 8 weeks would be the perfect time.

Welcome to R2R.

Thank You

 

[landlubber]

this would be a perfect opportunity to start testing phosphate and nitrate and make it a habit. keeping phosphate at .04ppm and nitrate between 2-5ppm is your goal. if phosphates get high, slowly implement gfo but try not to drive everything down to zero or the corals you keep with suffer.
imo carbon can be used whenever you like and will help keep the smells down removes some impurities and keeps the water looking clean.