carbon/gfo good thing?

[AIR-FX]

is this a good thing for my corals? and how often do ya need to change the substrate in them. i'm hoping its not real expensive to run one on a monthly basis,because i would like to try it out. also how the heck to you tie it in to your sump?

 

[Neoz]

I use the BRS Dual Reactor. Has Carbon and GFO. Mine unit is hung inside the cabinet. All you do to tie it in with the sump is place each end of the tube in your sump. One of the tubes has to be hooked to a pump. I use a small Mj pump.

Not sure about other people but I try and change out my substrates between 4 and 5 weeks. Depending on the GFO you run that can get expensive. But some were on the forum recently Tom (tmz) posted about re-generating GFO. I haven't tried that yet but too plan too.

 

[pascal32]

I run both individually as I read they require different flow rates, with the GFO being rather low flow. I use two fishes phosban 150 reactors - seem to do a good job for the price. I swap both every month. Carbon is cheap, GFO can get pricey.

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

In my 49 tv I run 1/4 cup per month BRS pellets (they aren't really pellets), and a mix of ROX and Lignite gfo again changed monthly unless something dictates changing it sooner. Ideally I would be watching low range PO4 and changing gfo when output from the Rx wanes nearing tank measures. I'm banking gfo and plan to regenerate. Both chemical media have their own tlf Rx hob-ing my main tank and fed from the sump. If using a media bag, you would want it placed where it receives a good amount of flow.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

GFO and carbon can be a good thing as long as you don't overdo it

 

[pascal32]

GFO and carbon can be a good thing as long as you don't overdo it

I might be victim to this (with good intentions if it helps). What is a good amount? I'm not sure of the size of AIR-FX's tank and I don't want to hi-jack the thread !

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

with GFO I never use the whole amount recommended on the manufacturers instructions. Use 1/2 to 3/4 the recommended dosage.

A little bit of carbon goes a long way....... especially ROX carbon!
You're much better off using a small amount of carbon at any one time.

 

[Johnny C]

In my opinion, carbon is something that every reef tank should utilize. It keeps the water noticeably clearer and also helps to eliminate chemical warfare. GFO is also great to lower PO4 levels, but like Gary mentioned you should always use caution. Using too much at once (especially if you've never used it before) can do a lot more harm than good. If you really keep up on exporting nutrients (i.e. water changes, light feedings) you can successfully keep low levels of PO4 without using GFO, but that is easier said than done.

Kevin- as others have mentioned, typically both Carbon & GFO are used in a reactor. I personally prefer the BRS, easy to change and never leaky!

 

[tent boy]

I keep mine in two separate mesh bags in the sump near the flow. Probably not the most efficient but seems to work. I shake the bags once a week.

 

[tmz]

Granulated activated carbon(gac)removes some but not all organic materials and whatever is bound in them including ; metals, nitrogen, phosphorous, allelopathic compounds. I would not run a reef without out it ,personally. The recommended dose is 1/2 cup, ie 8ozs per 50 gallons of system water volume changed monthly.If rox8 gac is used only 1/3 cup per 50 gallons of system volume is recommended. Gac will not remove inorganic nitrogen(NO3) ,phosphate (PO4), and other things such a metals which may occur when the organics breakdown in the tank.


Granulated Ferric Oxide(gfo) , adsorbs inorganic phosphate(PO4), some silicate and a few other things of no cosnequence. It may add some soluble iron to the tank which is benign to beneficial in small amounts. It should be rinsed to prevent dust from entering the water. Some forms (granular vs pellet vs HC) require more rinsing than others.

Either gac or gfo can be used in a canister filter or just a fine mesh bag in the sump. The most effective application is in a reactor( a container where water is pushed through the media via a pump/powerhead ). I use the BRS dual reactor and and a couple of Two lLittle fiFshes reactors on my system. I prefer the Two Little Fishes reactor . In my experience : it's easier to change out , accomodates a bit more flow through it .It's clear plastic allows a good view of the media and water flow where the media is not observable to detect clogs. precipitation, bacterial buildup ,etc. in the BRS reactor.