Zeovit vs Biopellets vs GFO

[Ryan2002]

i have a biocube 29 mixed reef and i want to know the most cost effective to results in lps soft and sps solution.

 

cal: 450 ppm

alk: 8 dkh

mag: 1350

nutrients: medium to high

[jservedio]

Any of them can work and only you can decide what will be best for your tank. Research, research, and research some more. GFO is by far the cheapest and easiest route since all you need is some media and a bag.

 

I ran GFO in a reactor for almost 2 years and finally took it offline completely - corals need nutrients and regular water changes, vacuumng the sand, cleaning the rocks, and a big skimmer on a mature system are incredibly effective at removing nutrients so anything else was just overkill and stripped too much out of the water. Corals need nutrients - you don't want to remove everything. Whatever you choose, go slowly.

 

Corals in tanks with nutrients always look better than corals in tanks with extremely low nutrients - so go slow.

[Ryan2002]

Any of them can work and only you can decide what will be best for your tank. Research, research, and research some more. GFO is by far the cheapest and easiest route since all you need is some media and a bag.

 

I ran GFO in a reactor for almost 2 years and finally took it offline completely - corals need nutrients and regular water changes, vacuumng the sand, cleaning the rocks, and a big skimmer on a mature system are incredibly effective at removing nutrients so anything else was just overkill and stripped too much out of the water. Corals need nutrients - you don't want to remove everything. Whatever you choose, go slowly.

 

Corals in tanks with nutrients always look better than corals in tanks with extremely low nutrients - so go slow.

will gfo be too much for my lps and softies in the system? i also have sps

[jservedio]

will gfo be too much for my lps and softies in the system? i also have sps

I can't possibly tell you that - you need to research exactly what products you are considering and at what dose and compare that to your nutrient levels, coral nutrient requirements, feeding habits, number/type of fish, etc. and decide how much of what you are going to use.

 

If you have a ton of phosphates, feed heavily, and don't have a lot of uptake or export, GFO would probably be perfect. If you have no need for it and just "want to do something" to make it "better", you probably don't need it.

[Formula462]

Bio pellets are a fluidized filter media (they are friable) that encourage nitrifying bacteria growth in a reactor by breaking down and feeding the bacteria carbon molecules. Gfo is a synthetic media that binds and absorbs phosphates. Zeovit is a foundational dosing system that cost way too much money for unnoticed (IME) results. Three different things for three different things.

 

This is a generalized summary btw.

[Arkayology]

It's not as simple as "which is the best?" Do more reading and come back with specific questions.

[CrazyEyes]

For biopellets or any sort of carbon dosing i.e vodka, vinegar or nopox you WILL need quite a large skimmer, not sure about zeo but I think you need a fairly large skimmer for zeo also. Are you currently skimming the tank? If not it might be a good idea to start skimming, or step up with your water changes. GFO in a media basket probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Just with everything though, start off slow. I know you said your levels are high but any idea what your no3 and po4 are currently at? Is there algae in the tank? How do the corals look?

[TJ_Burton]

If you want to reduce phosphates in a simple way that is less likely to cause other issues, just use GFO. Don't overdue it either.

[ChouDawg]

For a small tank, a simple bag of Purigen and/or Chemi-Pure in a media rack, as well as regular water changes.