GFO stripped water too fast - brown-out

[Scotty1772]

So as it reads, I needed to replace my GFO and used that as a good time to swap into a new reactor and pump along with new media. I used the correct amount of GFO per the BRS calculator (wish I would have done half of that in retrospect). Guess the new reactor and pump was more efficient and long story short, I have a ****ed off tank with multiple faded or browned out SPS. My questions:

Should I:

• take the reactor offline or just turn the flow super low?
• Feed heavier to get some nutirients back into the tank?
• alter the lighting during this brown-out?
  
  Or just be patient and wait it out. Thank you in advance.

 

[jda]

The phosphate will likely quickly come back as it unbinds from some aragonite somewhere. I would let it be for a while, wait for it to level off and then slowly lower it.

 

[robs.mark]

Sure that's what's caused it? Seems unusual to get a brown out from low nutrients

 

[ajcanale]

Just my opinion (and experience) but I think "stripping phosphates too fast" is a common misconception with running GFO when in reality, or at least alternatively, it might be stripping ALK too fast.... When I change my GFO I boost ALK dosing for about 48 hours to prevent this, and never have any adverse effects.

 

[Scotty1772]

Alk remains pretty steady at 8.2 and is run on a Calcium Reactor and doesn't waiver much at all. The GFO was the only factor that changed and considering it was new media, new reactor and new pump, am fairly certain that was it. I can still see life in the corals although their color is faded/browned. I have developed some hair algae on the frag plugs ironically enough.

 

[JayVIP]

Just my opinion (and experience) but I think "stripping phosphates too fast" is a common misconception with running GFO when in reality, or at least alternatively, it might be stripping ALK too fast.... When I change my GFO I boost ALK dosing for about 48 hours to prevent this, and never have any adverse effects.

This is true however if you strip alk too fast, you would see either an RTN or a lighter shade on the corals. I also notice that the polyps do not come out when alk rapidly decreases. If you are browning, that sounds like a high nutrient or low light problem but I you didn't mention any changes there so I am curious as to what it could be.

 

[DSMpunk]

Sure that's what's caused it? Seems unusual to get a brown out from low nutrients

+1. Seen them pale from low nutrients but never brown.