Carbon and GFO Advice

Diazreeflife · May 6, 2014

I been running a BRS Dual Reactor for about 5 months and I change the carbon and gfo once a month.

My tank is 120 plus sump is 40 water volume is about 115.

Gfo i use about 1.5 cups in the reactor and and addition cup in a mesh media sack in the sump. I finally got my phosphate at zero by using this amount.

Now my main concern is carbon I keep getting coralline algae growth but everytime I change carbon it seems to disappear what should I do? Maybe I'm putting to much carbon I use 1.5 cups of carbon.

David

Los · May 6, 2014

Bump... curious as well, as I will be setting up the BRS dual reactor as well

Diazreeflife · May 6, 2014

Anyone??

Saltgator · May 6, 2014

What lights are you using and what is the height of them? Imo coraline doesn't like too bright of light and switching out carbon may be making the light too bright (water to clear). I don't run carbon nor am I a expert in this category. Hopefully someone will chime in for ya.

Diazreeflife · May 6, 2014

Saltgator said:
What lights are you using and what is the height of them? Imo coraline doesn't like too bright of light and switching out carbon may be making the light too bright (water to clear). I don't run carbon nor am I a expert in this category. Hopefully someone will chime in for ya.

2- 250 Mh and they are about 10 inches off the water.

Also running t5 for actinic

Saltgator · May 6, 2014

Yeah, not overkill. I'd just have to say it clearing the water up so much it's too bright for the coraline. Jmho

Diazreeflife · May 7, 2014

Anyone else want to chime in on their experience?

vlangel · May 7, 2014

Wow, I never heard about a correlation between running carbon and coraline algae! I've have had reef tanks for 7-8 years but have never had coraline algae. I dose 2 part and my CA is always 400. I thought maybe it was because my PO4 was high and that was inhibiting it. I am now using some GFO and controlling PO4. So far still no coraline which is alright because my LPS and clam are definitely growing. I just wondered, anyway I run carbon and change it weekly and never heard it could affect coraline algae.