gfo, bio pellets, carbon

[kidkaos520]

So I was tossing the idea of adding a reactor or two to my 65g tank. It is going to be a mixed reef mainly zoas softies and lps. Will adding these strip all the good stuff zoas like? Or will not adding it become a pain for phosphates and nitrates later down the road....or is there another solution I am over looking.

 

[Tron_954]

I have lots of Zoas in an sps system, a buddy of mine runs biopellets on his Zoa tank...

 

[A. Grandis]

So I was tossing the idea of adding a reactor or two to my 65g tank. It is going to be a mixed reef mainly zoas softies and lps. Will adding these strip all the good stuff zoas like? Or will not adding it become a pain for phosphates and nitrates later down the road....or is there another solution I am over looking.

That's the book about nutrients. LOL!!
Or the billion dollar answer for the system you're planning. LOL!!

The balance is what you need to look for.
Also, the needs of the system will come on time.
I don't have GFO, GAC or reactors for any of my systems. Never did.
I don't think you really need reactors for those, and if you know how to control the input output of nutrients in the system GAC would be enough.
Also, I use and recommend GAC, but I don't recommend GFO. Many people have lost corals and zoas using GFO. Zoas aren't too happy with it most of the time.

Grandis.

 

[kidkaos520]

I dunno if I am reading that wrong....so you use carbon but not in a reactor?

 

[A. Grandis]

Yep. Not in a reactor.
I place the carbon in a mesh bag and leave it in the sump.
No problems doing that.

Grandis.

 

[kidkaos520]

what brand you use?

 

[JReefaddict]

Interesting. I'm looking into the dual reactor for carbon and gfo but I may be eliminating the gfo if the zoas don't like it. I may be opting for the single then.

 

[A. Grandis]

what brand you use?

Rox 0.8 from BulkReef and the ChemiPure.

Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

Interesting. I'm looking into the dual reactor for carbon and gfo but I may be eliminating the gfo if the zoas don't like it. I may be opting for the single then.

No need reactor for GAC.
Waste of money and space.
Place the carbon in a mesh bag, like the one that ChemiPure comes in, and put it in the sump after a fast rinse. I rinse in the sink to avoid excess fine carbon to be released from the bag into the system. When the water isn't that black anymore I turn off the water and wait to finish dripping. Place the bag into the sump and let it work.
I change every 2 weeks or so.
No need RO/DI water to rinse carbon too.
No big deal.

Grandis.

 

[kidkaos520]

how much do you use and do you put it in a high flow area or just between baffles

 

[A. Grandis]

how much do you use and do you put it in a high flow area or just between baffles

No high flow area. Let it sit there and do it's job.
The amount will depend on the need in that period of time, for that particular system.
Sometimes more than others.
You'll learn what your system needs after a while.
Every system is different.

GAC isn't a tool to primarily control nutrients.
It's part of the export system.
Skimmer, partial water changes are still in place and they all work together.
The less GAC you need to use, shows that your input/output of impurities and nutrients are doing well and under control.

GAC is a great helper, but...
Too much GAC could have some negative effects, removing too much of the organics from the water. Too much GAC also can lead to bleaching, depending on the system.

Grandis.

 

[aguila88psi]

Go with a reactor for all those, it'll be way more efficient then in a filter bag in the sump. Replacing filter bags is much easier then in a reactor so you have to way the options. Setup the reactors now and use little to no GFO/Rowaphos in the beginning, then when you need it it's already set up and ready to go. Same goes for biopellets, just use small amounts and add more as needed.

I use the BRS dual reactor, 5tablespoon Rowaphos replace once a month and 12tablespoon TLF carbon replace every 3-4 weeks and for Biopellets I use an avast marine works MR5 with biopellet nozzle, don't know the amount of pellets I have in there but it's 1/3 full with no flow on my 90g display with 20L frag tank and 25g sump. The output of the biopellets goes directly into my 250g rated recirculating skimmer. I keep mainly zoas, I have +80 different types and +40 different SPS and +20 different LPS and all are happy. Also have a huge bioload so all the fish poop feeds my corals . The trick is finding a balance or letting the tank find its own balance based on your filtration and bioload in the tank.

 

[A. Grandis]

I totally agree with finding a balance.
The problem I see with reactors is that it will probably be too efficient for some systems, focusing the removal to a spot. When you leave the bag the process is slower and the balance is reached in a longer period of time. That way the whole system is more stable, with is the priority when keeping zoas.

Most people don't need GFO. When you have a huge load of fishes and feed lots I can understand the need. Still using just a little, or sufficiently, is recommended.:thumbsup:

Cheers!
Grandis.