An honest poll … Carbon or GFO?

[jmichaelh7]

Just seeing how many of us reefers use carbon or gfo or maybe both on a daily basis.

 

[Clown2020]

Carbon and GFO always running plus 30% weekly water change.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

They perform different jobs and can be used together.

Carbon removes aerosol contaminants that find their way into the tank, dissolved organics, odors, yellow pigments in the water and toxins that corals can release to fight each other.

GFO only removes phosphates, and does an exceptional job at it.

 

[MaxTremors]

Are we talking activated carbon or organic carbon (as in carbon dosing)? I use activated carbon for water clarity and chemical warfare and carbon dosing for nitrate reduction, I don’t use GFO as my tank had always been phosphate limited, I am currently dosing phosphates (neophos).

 

[Clown2020]

Are we talking activated carbon or organic carbon (as in carbon dosing)? I use activated carbon for water clarity and chemical warfare and carbon dosing for nitrate reduction, I don’t use GFO as my tank had always been phosphate limited, I am currently dosing phosphates (neophos).

Good point, in this context I took it to mean activated carbon but there are potentially people out their doing both.

 

[Arego]

3 cups of carbon passively in a bag just before the return chamber changed monthly. After using single and dual reactors I'm sorry I didn't switch to bags sooner. The work to keep it clean and flowing didn't produce any significant results over just hanging it in a bag, for me anyway.

No gfo.

 

[rtparty]

I voted carbon but don't use it daily. I don't even use it monthly. Maybe 2-3x a year for couple days each time.

Water changes are over used at every turn in the hobby

 

[Arego]

Carbon, in a true mixed environment is pretty handy stuff. Gfo, that I don't care about there are easier ways to reduce it without using it.

By just feeding in exact or as close to as you can can portions can often fix it with a little time. Feeding inconsistent amounts day to day can very easily throw up test flags that really aren't all that big of a deal you just happen to catch it at that point and think it's very high.. Then too much gfo is used and you strip it, repeat..

I cleared up phosphate this exact same way and it holds hands with no3 to an extent.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

absolutley nothing

 

[Holst]

Control Input / Output instead..
I have used GFO once, it was too aggressive for me. Will never use it again.. Instead I try to manage my input and output equal.

 

[AJsReef]

I have a GFO reactor, in the box not installed and GFO incase I need it.

I do run automated water changes for parameters and ozone for water clarity

 

[design.maddie]

I run carbon once a month and do 1 litre water changes once a week. Bought one of those magnetic stirrers for All-for-Reef powder and loving it for mixing my small batches of saltwater.

 

[Willhersh34]

Carbon and GFO in one reactor, replaced every 2 weeks, sometimes more often. Plus Water Change Wednesday. I probably don't change enough out, do a 5 gallon bucket on a 40 breeder so I'm barely getting 10% but also end up doing 2 a week usually, so Wednesday and one of the weekend days. What's that end up being? 25%............so I guess I'm doing more than my maths gave me credit for. Lol.

 

[Jeffcb]

Carbon and water changes on FOWLR tank . Nothing on reef tank except dose.

I has been 3 or 4 months since water change on reef tank. I'm sure I will guilt trip myself into doing one soon. PO4 on reef tank topped .25 a while back so I did use some Chemi Pure Elite for about a week in a basket. Now 0.05. Moved the chemi to the fowlr.

 

[flagg37]

There’s not a none of the above option?

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

automated water changes, i still run ca reactor, kalkreactor, and dose but daily automated water changer make it less work and just easier all around.

 

[The_Skrimp]

I use carbon and phosguard. Similar to GFO but aluminum oxide based.

 

[FMF0331]

Chemi-Pure Elite - every 4 months

 

[Spare time]

They all do different things. It is like saying car, shoes, or submarine. It doesn't really make sense to pick one or the other.. You can't use carbon instead of gfo and vice versa, and water change are a poor comparison to the two.

 

[X-37B]

Small amount of Rox carbon in all systems.
Gfo only in 120 and soon to ne discontinued. My 30g remote fuge has kept po4 at .05.
I just changed out my carbon and only added 1/4 cup gfo to the reactor.
I just went 40 days at .05 and the gfo was exhaused in probably half that time.
I probably could have just stopped gfo but will see what po4 reads in a few days.
Next carbon change I plan to eliminate gfo for good.