FGO/Carbon/Bio-Pellets - Reactor Question

[Studjunior]

I'm currently running ROX .8 Activated Carbon and GFO high capacity from BRS in a dual chamber BRS reactor for my 150G mixed reef. My water clarity is pristine so the carbon is doing something but given the algae in my tank that creeps up here and there I'm not so sold on the GFO. I'm thinking of removing the GFO from one of the reactor chambers and replacing it with either ecoBAK ULNS Pellets or a phosphate remover like Rowaphos. I've never used either of these products of anything similar. Does this idea make sense?? Should I keep the GFO and rum he ecoBak in a separate reactor ( I would like ot minimize the amount of equipment where possible)??

Thanks,

 

[ReefMadScientist]

My tank is the same as yours. Around 125g, running dual reactors GFO (high granular)/ROX.8. My PO4 levels read 0 so I took out the GFO and just running the ROX.8

I still have yet to find out why my tank has algae all over the sand and some rocks. I beefed up my CuC so we shall see.

I don't know man...I quit dosing amino acids, I have undetectable PO4 in my tank, I do not feed large amounts...but I still have this issue.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-hypochondriac.211662/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My water clarity is pristine so the carbon is doing something but given the algae in my tank that creeps up here and there I'm not so sold on the GFO. I'm thinking of removing the GFO from one of the reactor chambers and replacing it with either ecoBAK ULNS Pellets or a phosphate remover like Rowaphos. I've never used either of these products of anything similar. Does this idea make sense?? Should I keep the GFO and rum he ecoBak in a separate reactor ( I would like ot minimize the amount of equipment where possible)??

Thanks,

I don't think switching to Rowaphos will make any difference as it is just a different brand of GFO.

To stop algae, you can drop N or P (or something else, like iron) below the limit where it cannot get enough to grow. You only need to drop one of them sufficiently, and reefers often find that phosphate is the easiest to accomplish without hurting corals. Using enough GFO replaced often enough can often do the job, unless it is a type of algae that is very good at getting enough nutrients at very low levels (such as bryopsis).

Adding biopellets or an organic carbon source will be a good way to reduce nitrate. Whether that is enough to control the algae depends, again, on how much you use.