What does it mean if my GFO

[Squidmotron]

.. hardens in the media reactor? Pump too slow? Too much calcification? Curious.

 

[JustinGr]

I too am interested . Happens to me in days of use.

 

[jrp1588]

Probably too little flow, make sure you are getting a decent tumble throughout the media.

 

[Kieth71]

Are you dosing in the chamber where the reactor pump is?Alot of times alkalinity will get pulled into the pump and over time it will cause hardening of the reactor media.Also if you are dosing to fast and it is not mixing properly before it ends up in your sump and in your reactor HTH-Kieth

 

[Squidmotron]

Are you dosing in the chamber where the reactor pump is?Alot of times alkalinity will get pulled into the pump and over time it will cause hardening of the reactor media.Also if you are dosing to fast and it is not mixing properly before it ends up in your sump and in your reactor HTH-Kieth

Yup. I am dosing 2-part in the same chamber.

Interesting.

I also noticed that my pump has slowed down, but I assumed it was the effect and not the cause of the hardening GFO. Possibly both caused by the proximity of 2-part. I'm not dosing a lot, though.

 

[Kieth71]

I have my pump for my media reactor in a separate chamber because of this.I still have the reactor itself sitting in the same chamber but the pump is in with the skimmer-Kieth

 

[ReefCoastie]

I've never had a problem with my 2 part caking it, but I do know if my reactor gets clogged with fine GFO dust the flow will slow and it will then cake. The GFO must must have a nice tumble. Too much flow and u end up with dust from grinding and then back to square one. Hope this helps

 

[bertoni]

You could try soaking a chunk in some vinegar. If that loosens it, the problem likely is calcium carbonate precipitation. Dosing the 2-part elsewhere should help, in that case. That'd be where I start.

 

[Chevelle5434]

My two little fish instructions say to open the valve all the way to allow enough flow to "airate" the gfo. I do this like every 4 or 5 days, don't know if you have that option or if that's the reason but that's what I do when mine gets hard.

 

[Squidmotron]

Thanks, guys. I was curious about that.

 

[skidrow52]

Make sure you are not overdosing your two part dose, it does precipitate quickly in the GFO reactors, I had similar issues and later realized that I was dosing more than the demand which was being precipated and not being consumed by the animals