Jump to content
Innovative Marine Aquariums

GFO or Carbon in a 6G


imfsub12

Recommended Posts

Hello

 

I have a nice 6G nano setup for almost 10 months now..

 

and i'm just getting now a small algee bloom (green yukie stuff) and then some hard brown stuff growing on my rocks

 

I'm just wondering if I look at getting GFO or Carbon to help reduce the phosphate issue in my tank..

 

I'm just using a small aqua 10 filer - I do have a media bag in there for some carbon i put in a while back but ran out and now looking at some other options

 

1. GFO

2. Carbon

3. Other?

 

Thanks for help

Link to comment

Hello

 

I have a nice 6G nano setup for almost 10 months now..

 

and i'm just getting now a small algee bloom (green yukie stuff) and then some hard brown stuff growing on my rocks

 

I'm just wondering if I look at getting GFO or Carbon to help reduce the phosphate issue in my tank..

 

I'm just using a small aqua 10 filer - I do have a media bag in there for some carbon i put in a while back but ran out and now looking at some other options

 

1. GFO

2. Carbon

3. Other?

 

Thanks for help

For you application I would think you can run both- GFO works better in a reactor type of setting- it can clump and become hard in a media bag. I would look at something like phosguard in a media bag- keep it separate from the carbon and you could still run the carbon in another bag. You won't need to run the phosguard as much as the carbon- if possible test for phosphates and run the phosguard according to your readings- phosphate removes can work fast in a small aquarium so just be careful not to strip your water much. A larger waterchanges will work just as good if you have a reliable water source- that's my two cents

Link to comment

In my pico I run both Carbon and GFO passively in a mesh bag immediately behind my filter floss and these have been my only filtration for a little over a year now. For 2g, I run 1.5-2 tbsp of the mix (about 3:1 GFO to Carbon) in the mesh bag and change it once every couple of months when I remember and it does a great job - yes this is a TON of chemical media and would easily strip a nano if you scaled this up and/or ran it in a reactor.

 

Since picos are much more susceptible to getting horrid outbreaks out algae very, very quickly due to their small volume and less filtration, it is a great tool and has saved me many times when I couldn't do a WC (my tank is at work and if I forget to fill my ASW jug).

 

Since it is being run passively and I have never seen a pico that suffered from too little nutrients, there is really no possible harm. It definitely allows me to feed my corals a little more without having to go crazy with the water changes. I would never run a pico without using it heavily - even though I hate using it on my SPS nano and avoid using it as much as possible.

Link to comment

For you application I would think you can run both- GFO works better in a reactor type of setting- it can clump and become hard in a media bag. I would look at something like phosguard in a media bag- keep it separate from the carbon and you could still run the carbon in another bag. You won't need to run the phosguard as much as the carbon- if possible test for phosphates and run the phosguard according to your readings- phosphate removes can work fast in a small aquarium so just be careful not to strip your water much. A larger waterchanges will work just as good if you have a reliable water source- that's my two cents

Thanks for the info, but i have no room for a reactor.

 

I had a reactor for for my 30G with my sump but on my 6G i have no sump only running a stock Aquaclear 10 on it.

 

what is the best tool to test for phosphates? I have seen an electronic pen but is there a test you can get?

 

yes this is a TON of chemical media and would easily strip a nano if you scaled this up and/or ran it in a reactor.

what do you mean STRIP?

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Thanks for the info, but i have no room for a reactor.

 

I had a reactor for for my 30G with my sump but on my 6G i have no sump only running a stock Aquaclear 10 on it.

 

what is the best tool to test for phosphates? I have seen an electronic pen but is there a test you can get?

what do you mean STRIP?

Sorry- I wasn't suggesting a reactor for that tank- just that GFO works better in a reactor and phosguard would probably work better for your application. There are many phosphate test kits- just make sure it has a low reading scale- I have the Hanna checker- it's not great but works pretty good .

Link to comment

Sorry- I wasn't suggesting a reactor for that tank- just that GFO works better in a reactor and phosguard would probably work better for your application. There are many phosphate test kits- just make sure it has a low reading scale- I have the Hanna checker- it's not great but works pretty good .

rodger on that

 

But thanks for the advice..

Link to comment

Thanks for the info, but i have no room for a reactor.

 

I had a reactor for for my 30G with my sump but on my 6G i have no sump only running a stock Aquaclear 10 on it.

 

what is the best tool to test for phosphates? I have seen an electronic pen but is there a test you can get?

 

what do you mean STRIP?

I mean remove every last bit of phosphate in the water column. Low phosphate is great, but absolutely no phosphate is really bad since every living creature in your tank needs it. It might manifest itself as very slow growth in a softie and LPS tank, but in an SPS tank zero phosphate means washed out acros with almost no color - with eventual STN.

 

You can literally go from 0.15ppm of phosphate down to 0.001ppm of phosphate within 24 hours in a nano if you put too much GFO in a reactor and don't monitor things. Besides just the shock of a huge parameter swing, the corals won't have the nutrients they need, zooxanthelle levels will crash stressing the coral, and if you had elevated nitrates, their normal consumption via bacteria deep within your LR and DSB (if you have one) will slow and eventually halt.

Link to comment

Overreact much?

 

If youre worried about ultra low phosphate levels, dont. And if you still do, add it.

 

Feed more.

 

 

 

If you have algae growing anywhere in your tank, you have enough. The algae growing on your glass is the best phosphate checker/test kit there is. By the look of the algae on your rocks, you have ENOUGH phosphate. Strip Away!

 

I started using GFO in a bag. Thought it was a hassle. I put it in reactor. Worse, it cakes up. Use the bag.

 

Always run carbon, if nothing else it adsorbs coral warfare toxins.

Link to comment

I use chemi pure elite in my 8 gallon. Seems to keep everything in check.

There you go. CPE is GAC with GFO, already in a bag. Convenient, and no reactor.

 

Premium Aquatics sells the Boyds CPE bags only, like $3 for two 11" bags.

 

Just give the bag a little jiggle, shake, or poke each day to keep it from caking or channeling inside.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Fishsticks2187
Overreact much?If youre worried about ultra low phosphate levels, dont. And if you still do, add it. Feed more.If you have algae growing anywhere in your tank, you have enough. The algae growing on your glass is the best phosphate checker/test kit there is. By the look of the algae on your rocks, you have ENOUGH phosphate. Strip Away!I started using GFO in a bag. Thought it was a hassle. I put it in reactor. Worse, it cakes up. Use the bag.Always run carbon, if nothing else it adsorbs coral warfare toxins.
So your saying that if your getting algae like in your glass the. You have enough phosphates for your corals?

 

Overreact much?If youre worried about ultra low phosphate levels, dont. And if you still do, add it. Feed more.If you have algae growing anywhere in your tank, you have enough. The algae growing on your glass is the best phosphate checker/test kit there is. By the look of the algae on your rocks, you have ENOUGH phosphate. Strip Away!I started using GFO in a bag. Thought it was a hassle. I put it in reactor. Worse, it cakes up. Use the bag.Always run carbon, if nothing else it adsorbs coral warfare toxins.
So your saying that if your getting algae like in your glass the. You have enough phosphates for your corals?
Link to comment
  • 5 years later...
On 11/10/2014 at 11:11 PM, jservedio said:

In my pico I run both Carbon and GFO passively in a mesh bag immediately behind my filter floss and these have been my only filtration for a little over a year now. For 2g, I run 1.5-2 tbsp of the mix (about 3:1 GFO to Carbon) in the mesh bag and change it once every couple of months when I remember and it does a great job - yes this is a TON of chemical media and would easily strip a nano if you scaled this up and/or ran it in a reactor.

 

Since picos are much more susceptible to getting horrid outbreaks out algae very, very quickly due to their small volume and less filtration, it is a great tool and has saved me many times when I couldn't do a WC (my tank is at work and if I forget to fill my ASW jug).

 

Since it is being run passively and I have never seen a pico that suffered from too little nutrients, there is really no possible harm. It definitely allows me to feed my corals a little more without having to go crazy with the water changes. I would never run a pico without using it heavily - even though I hate using it on my SPS nano and avoid using it as much as possible.

Hey man, I realise this is an old thread but I came across it searching for info on whether or not I should run GFO in my ~4.4gal pico (I am having some minor algae problems at the moment that I want to nip in the bud). I had concerns about stripping my water of all nutrients and getting it too clean (especially because my tank is all softie at the moment) but from what you've said I think I should be good to go ahead with it?

 

One thing I didn't really understand, and would really appreciate if you could elaborate, is why this can work in a pico but not in a nano? Surely if you scaled up the amount of chemical media you use to the correct proportions, the effect would be the same?

Link to comment
36 minutes ago, burtbollinger said:

don't do it.  use water changes.  GFO is playing with fire in a tank that small.

Agreed. GFO was a huge mistake in my nano tanks. I am dealing with dinos now.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
15 hours ago, CC26 said:

Hey man, I realise this is an old thread but I came across it searching for info on whether or not I should run GFO in my ~4.4gal pico (I am having some minor algae problems at the moment that I want to nip in the bud). I had concerns about stripping my water of all nutrients and getting it too clean (especially because my tank is all softie at the moment) but from what you've said I think I should be good to go ahead with it?

 

One thing I didn't really understand, and would really appreciate if you could elaborate, is why this can work in a pico but not in a nano? Surely if you scaled up the amount of chemical media you use to the correct proportions, the effect would be the same?

Woah, 6 year resurrection with answers immediately. That's fantastic. Exactly what Burt said. Just use water changes.

 

My Pico was in my office, so I wasn't there for longer stretches of time, so I used a little GFO passively when I wasn't there to di water changes. I prefer to just never use it at all. Also, 6 years ago thinking on optimal nutrient levels was very different - back in the days when people thought ULN systems were the best. They weren't and they were starving corals.

 

FWIW, six years later my nano is still running and I have no filtration whatsoever and it looks better than it ever has. Just did water changes!

Link to comment
19 hours ago, bruinhd said:

Agreed. GFO was a huge mistake in my nano tanks. I am dealing with dinos now.

I think I'll do it then, I've always wanted to keep dinosaurs! 😂😂😂

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
4 hours ago, jservedio said:

Woah, 6 year resurrection with answers immediately. That's fantastic. Exactly what Burt said. Just use water changes.

 

My Pico was in my office, so I wasn't there for longer stretches of time, so I used a little GFO passively when I wasn't there to di water changes. I prefer to just never use it at all. Also, 6 years ago thinking on optimal nutrient levels was very different - back in the days when people thought ULN systems were the best. They weren't and they were starving corals.

 

FWIW, six years later my nano is still running and I have no filtration whatsoever and it looks better than it ever has. Just did water changes!

Thanks for the reply. My tank currently has no filtration except for biological, actually. I'm considering adding a HOB filter to deal with detritus but I'm not sure if it's necessary.

Link to comment

If possible, detritus should be a signal to increase flow.  Once it's afloat detritus (eventually) becomes coral food.  Make sure you aren't creating the problem by overfeeding or by using food that otherwise doesn't get 100% eaten.  If I were in your shoes, a filter to remove it would be considered, but would be my last resort.  👍

Link to comment
2 hours ago, mcarroll said:

If possible, detritus should be a signal to increase flow.  Once it's afloat detritus (eventually) becomes coral food.  Make sure you aren't creating the problem by overfeeding or by using food that otherwise doesn't get 100% eaten.  If I were in your shoes, a filter to remove it would be considered, but would be my last resort.  👍

I currently have a 20× turnover (400LPH in a 20L tank) but as I've recently added some SPS to my system, I'm going to upgrade to a Hydor Koralia Nano 900. We'll see if that helps with the detritus. I only feed Reef-Roids once a week, in very small amounts, but for now I've stopped feeding.

Link to comment

Flow from so many of the popular pumps is so soft that the GPH "requirements" keep going up and up.  70X isn't at all unheard of.

 

Can't say that YOU need to have 70X, just that it's hard to judge that way anymore.  

Link to comment

Chemipure elite has GFO? I am running that and purigen with filter floss in my pico. Tank has been going really well. Feed coral mysis three times a week and reef roids once. Phosphate was like .03 I think last time I checked it. Not registering any nitrates though

Link to comment
2 hours ago, aclman88 said:

Chemipure elite has GFO? I am running that and purigen with filter floss in my pico. Tank has been going really well. Feed coral mysis three times a week and reef roids once. Phosphate was like .03 I think last time I checked it. Not registering any nitrates though

How long have you been running it? And do you run it all the time or only sometimes?

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...