Starting GFO

[Mrramsey]

Hey all I am setting up gfo on my system. According to the calculator on the BRS site I should add 2 cups. My question is this... My algae problem is not bad should I start with half that amount?

 

[ReefKeep66]

I would. Too much gfo is not good. Better off with less than more.

 

[Sk8r]

Half is ok. If it gets worse instead of better due to more phosphate leaching from the rock, you might need more, but probably half is ok. May take as long as 3 months, probablly on same load of gfo, IF it stays real light.

 

[Mrramsey]

Half is ok. If it gets worse instead of better due to more phosphate leaching from the rock, you might need more, but probably half is ok. May take as long as 3 months, probablly on same load of gfo, IF it stays real light.

Thanks sk8r... I don't think I will have to run too much. I tested for phosphates again today and as I suspected got a big fat zero as usual lol. But using my eyes I can see it, I have to scrape the glass daily in some areas and there are some patches on the sand but mainly on rocks.

I also feed lightly. I do not remove the new era grazing rings that I feed every other day and let them fall to the sand bed for the cuc to feast on. That's about it.

 

[JammyBirch]

The only watch out with this one is to make sure you run some salt water through the GFO reactor into a bucket, there is a bunch of "dust", brown stuff that you don't want in your system. I run mine until it goes clear plus another gallon or so. It usually costs me about two gallons of water...

 

[wcarterh]

Use half. if you have any corals, they will not like the sudden full amount. They will probably show some reaction for a few days on a half dose, but not as shocking.

If you have growth, you have phosphates. Though depending on the test set you are using, you may not see it. The algae will uptake phosphates, giving a false low. Also organic phosphates do not show up with most test kits. You'd have to have something such as Phosphorus Ultra Low Range Colorimeter HI736 Hanna Checker HC. Though this is not guaranteed due to the algae uptake mentioned earlier.

 

[droog]

Thanks sk8r... I don't think I will have to run too much. I tested for phosphates again today and as I suspected got a big fat zero as usual lol. But using my eyes I can see it, I have to scrape the glass daily in some areas and there are some patches on the sand but mainly on rocks.

I also feed lightly. I do not remove the new era grazing rings that I feed every other day and let them fall to the sand bed for the cuc to feast on. That's about it.

I used to have to scrape my glass every couple of days too. At one point it became every day, and I didn't think I was feeding heavily. A few weeks later, algae problems started to grow on the rock work. Phosphate tests read very low, because they are being consumed by the algae on the rocks

The same tank I now only have to scrape every 6 days or so.

My feeling is the frequency of glass scraping is indicative of the nutrient levels in your water, which in this case would indicate that a problem is coming your way soon. I could be wrong with this "feeling" though. Others here (with much more experience than me) seem to thinking that algae on the glass is more a function of Photo period than nutrients. Maybe its both.

Anyway, what is your lighting and how long do they run?

Scraping algae of glass is a WALK IN THE PARK compared to manual removal of nusianse algae once it takes root. My vote is to run GFO and maybe tune photo period until your glass scraping is down to once in 5 days at most

-droog

 

[Mrramsey]

I do scrape the glass every other day.

I run a reefbreeder photon 48 LED for lighting. I did readjust the lighting schedule a few days ago. Down to a 10 hr sunrise sunset mode. Shortened by 2 hours and lowered the whites and increased the blues. Still maxes at about 39% for 2 hours.

 

[wcarterh]

Both will affect the growth. Plants require both nutrients and light for photosynthesis (growth). Might need to bump down lighting to 8 hours a day (seems to be the general concensus from what I've seen on here).

 

[coralsnaked]

GFO for diatomic algae in a reef tank could starve off your coral. Be careful to slow or stop GFO when you get to cleaning glass only once a week., or you may see no growth in corals.

 

[Mrramsey]

OK Started running GFO and GAC today in my BRS Dual Reactor. I started at 1/2 of the recommended amounts on the BRS calculator.

I have the flow adjusted to where the GFO is barely tumbling at the surface. My guess is roughly ~1GPM. I am running it off of a manifold from my return pump. I am running about 3/4 cup of BRS large particle Lignite carbon and 1-1/8 cup of granular BRS GFO. Ill make another post with the current pics of algae areas.

 

[Knots]

ya, I would start low and work your way up... can always add more. It's a pain to try to take it back/near impossible.

 

[Mrramsey]

Pics

 

[Mrramsey]

More...

 

[wcarterh]

Mike, in the first set of pics you posted with the new reactor, last photo, is that cyano or diatoms? From the color, it looks closer to your coralline algae, but I've never seen any on substrate like that.

 

[Mrramsey]

Mike, in the first set of pics you posted with the new reactor, last photo, is that cyano or diatoms? From the color, it looks closer to your coralline algae, but I've never seen any on substrate like that.

Yeah I have a couple small spots of cyano starting on the sand where I am not getting enough flow I think. I am going to vac out those spots this weekend.

 

[wcarterh]

Ok. Is it the lights, or is it actually that color?

 

[Mrramsey]

Ok. Is it the lights, or is it actually that color?

Lights and my cell phone. My coraline is a deep purple. This is more reddish.

 

[wcarterh]

Normal color, gotcha. Thanks.