GFO/Carbon Reactor questions

[Brieninsac]

I ordered a BRS GFO/Carbon Reactor last night.

Does a 2:1 ratio of Carbon to GFO sound about right?

Should I turn the Reactor off after I dose Seachem Reef Builder for Alkalinity? I only needing to dose a couple times a week and wasn't sure if the reactor would filter out what I'm dosing.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

BRS has a calculator on their site which will determine how much to use based on your system capacity, what type of media you're using, etc. I'd recommend starting with about 1/2 their recommendation.

Carbon/GFO won't remove anything you're dosing (unless you're dosing Phosphates).

 

[A.Astore]

Their GFO and Carbon also have how much to use on the containers themselves. Unless you are having major issues with phosphates though I would not use as much GFO as it says on the container.

 

[Brieninsac]

I did look at their online calculator but it was saying I use twice as much GFO as Carbon. Yet on their videos they say use about a 1/3 cup of GFO to 2/3 cup of carbon and thoroughly mix. They don't have a calculator for the two together.

I think I'll start with a 2:1 ratio and not max it out. I have a very low bio-low and no algae issues. This is really more of a preemptive measure to maintain good water quality.

 

[jraker]

I would run them separately if I were you. Carbon does not last as long as gfo, and some people argue that carbon only lasts a few days. Gfo lasts almost a month. That's just how I would run it, but if you want to do a 2:1 ratio, that is fine also.

 

[billdogg]

I would suggest running them separately as well. Because they require different flow rates for optimal usage, and as mentioned above, need replacing at different times, running them together will waste one or the other, or both!

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I did look at their online calculator but it was saying I use twice as much GFO as Carbon. Yet on their videos they say use about a 1/3 cup of GFO to 2/3 cup of carbon and thoroughly mix. They don't have a calculator for the two together.

I think I'll start with a 2:1 ratio and not max it out. I have a very low bio-low and no algae issues. This is really more of a preemptive measure to maintain good water quality.

Not sure about that ratio, but as an example, I run 5T Rox Carbon and 11T HC GFO in my 89g system. I change them out every 2-4 weeks depending on test results. If your water looks clear and your Phosphates test low, I wouldn't run either to be honest. It is easily possible to have TOO clean a tank. I didn't start using either until my tank was about 6-8 months old.