Reports - GFO not working?

[Megaloptera]

Just curious of a situation where GFO wouldn't clear up Green Hair Algae. Does anyone have a story.

Seems like my "SeaChem Phosguard" slows the growth or stops the growth but then I'll look at it the next day and its a deep green and a little thicker.

Just ordered GFO yesterday.

 

[footballcs12]

Only situations I can think of where gfo wouldn't work would be if youre not using it properly, or there's WAY too much phosphate in the water and the gfo is spent too fast

 

[Fishmommy]

if your rocks are leaching phosphate the algae can get to it before it hits the water column. in that situation, GFO will certainly work over time but you'll just have to manually remove algae for up to a year until the rocks are exhausted.

 

[Indymann99]

FWIW, I had to change out GFO (1cup) EVERY week! for about 4 months to gain the upper hand on a GHA problem... I now change out GFO (1 cup) every month for maint. All total it took about 12mo to clean up the tank from the GHA explosion... I swear it happened overnight.... but I am sure it was over a 3-4 month period of neglect.... :sad2:

Also make sure you are NOT importing Nitrates or Phosphates in with WC (i.e. not using RODI).

 

[Megaloptera]

Thanks for the replies. My GHA problem got the upper hand when we had our second daughter and the tank took a back burner. I think it looks bad but it still isn't bad enough for my corals to close up. Sometimes the Green Star polyps will close and I'll clean them off and they will open up in a day or two.

I'm wondering if I should siphon out my sand bed to help with the process. Any thoughts?

 

[Dan_P]

Thanks for the replies. My GHA problem got the upper hand when we had our second daughter and the tank took a back burner. I think it looks bad but it still isn't bad enough for my corals to close up. Sometimes the Green Star polyps will close and I'll clean them off and they will open up in a day or two.

I'm wondering if I should siphon out my sand bed to help with the process. Any thoughts?

What is your current phosphate level?

 

[avijay23]

I've heard of phosphates leaching from live rocks and if you search you can find use of Lanthanum Chloride to decrease PO4. My phosphates were 0.36 before GFO and 0.02 after. GHA is slowly decreasing after rapid decline in the first 2 weeks after GFO. I need to get back to weekly water changes again. Good luck.

 

[Sk8r]

Leaching takes time, and it means you have to continue GFO, is all. GFO doesn't change colors to tell you it's kaput and saturated. This is why I urge anybody with a bad problem or one they think is due to their rock to change it out monthly, and run about 1 reactor per 50 gallon of Dt , or a double reactor for a 100.