GFO Time. Reefers please Share your knowledge

[jmichaelh7]

So I’ve been in the hobby 1.5 years. I’ve been great at my weekly water changes, diligent at feeding frozen food at minimal, and changing my filter socks every other day. I’ve never looked into this parameter like i should have...

Parameters are as follows;

ORP 423
Temp 78.1
Ph 8.23
Salinity 35.2
DkH 8.69
Ca 429
Mag 1386
Po4 0.113 ppm
No3 10


I recently purchased a Hanna Phosphate checker and for once got my actual readings in digital number. After several tests I dialed in at 0.175ppm. 2 Weeks go by and after 20% water changes it has been at 0.113 .

to summarize my point I’ve always had the red and brown film to scrape off the back of my tank and glass daily. Now I have sand beds that need to be vacuumed. (This is another story on my method to remove). I DECIDED to try GFO to get the po4 numbers down

For those out there who have utilized GFO to get those great parameters <.05ppm po4 and <5 no3 , does it really help out with Coral Growth , eliminating Algae growth?

Thanks Reefers for your Replies and Input. Your pictures on your setup and Recommendations are appreciated!

 

[carmodpg]

I have used GFO because I tend to over feed. There are those out there who have a strong feelings either way. I would recommend starting with a small amount. The key is to ensure that it slowly tumbles in the reactor. I would also make sure that you change it every couple weeks. When it is no longer good, it can have a negative effect on the PO4. Further, I don’t think your numbers are too high. I try to keep my PO3 at .1.
all this being said, I test my PO3 almost everyday to ensure I am not stripping it with the GFO. If it gets a little lower, I know I can feed some reef roids.

 

[guylaga]

GFO will not do anything for No3, only PO4. Also .113ppm really is not that high, and neither is 10ppm No3.

Are you having other algae issues other than having to scrape the glass every day?

In my experience GFO will not get your Po4 down to that low level of .03 or .05, even the high capacity GFO from BRS. Now that could be because I only use a 1/3 to 1/4 cup, but stripping Phosphate down to 0 is much worse than having it elevated.

I tested last twice last night and I'm running at .14 Po4. I see daily growth on my Acros, and only clean the glass once a week.

Sounds like that red flim might by cyano, have you tried increasing flow, that always seems to help me out.

 

[jmichaelh7]

So I’ve been in the hobby 1.5 years. I’ve been great at my weekly water changes, diligent at feeding frozen food at minimal, and changing my filter socks every other day. I’ve never looked into this parameter like i should have...

Parameters are as follows;

ORP 423
Temp 78.1
Ph 8.23
Salinity 35.2
DkH 8.69
Ca 429
Mag 1386
Po4 0.113 ppm
No3 10


I recently purchased a Hanna Phosphate checker and for once got my actual readings in digital number. After several tests I dialed in at 0.175ppm. 2 Weeks go by and after 20% water changes it has been at 0.113 .

to summarize my point I’ve always had the red and brown film to scrape off the back of my tank and glass daily. Now I have sand beds that need to be vacuumed. (This is another story on my method to remove). I DECIDED to try GFO to get the po4 numbers down

For those out there who have utilized GFO to get those great parameters <.05ppm po4 and <5 no3 , does it really help out with Coral Growth , eliminating Algae growth?

Thanks Reefers for your Replies and Input. Your pictures on your setup and Recommendations are appreciated!

So I texte

I have used GFO because I tend to over feed. There are those out there who have a strong feelings either way. I would recommend starting with a small amount. The key is to ensure that it slowly tumbles in the reactor. I would also make sure that you change it every couple weeks. When it is no longer good, it can have a negative effect on the PO4. Further, I don’t think your numbers are too high. I try to keep my PO3 at .1.
all this being said, I test my PO3 almost everyday to ensure I am not stripping it with the GFO. If it gets a little lower, I know I can feed some reef roid

I tested this morning and my po4 was at 0.046 !

this stuff works that fast ??

if I wouldn’t have retested this in the morning and came home after work I would have been bottomed out

 

[tehmadreefer]

So I texte

I tested this morning and my po4 was at 0.046 !

this stuff works that fast ??

if I wouldn’t have retested this in the morning and came home after work I would have been bottomed out

Yes and usually comes with additional undesirable effects. Good luck!

 

[Speaker]

So I texte

I tested this morning and my po4 was at 0.046 !

this stuff works that fast ??

if I wouldn’t have retested this in the morning and came home after work I would have been bottomed out

You have to keep am eye on it. The recommended amount for my tank was 2 cups of brs high capacity. I used 1/4 of a cup. Brought my PO4 from .1 to .03-.05 consistantly for over a month. Just changed it and went up to 1/3cup because I am feeding more heavily.

 

[jmichaelh7]

You use it regularly ?
Gfo isn’t like a type of emergency last resort thing ?

 

[schuby]

I think that good biodiversity and a decent CUC (snails/hermit-crabs and fish) are the path to algae-control. I don't believe that we can starve-out algae. It is too efficient and we end up killing things we want to keep such as fish, corals, and inverts. We need to have adequate competition for nutrients. I've recently had my PO4 at 0.5 ppm and NO3 at 30-40 ppm without algae being a problem on my rockwork or my sand bed: no GHA and white sand. I fear bottoming out nutrients, PO4 or NO3 going to zero, far more than high nutrients.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I think that good biodiversity and a decent CUC (snails/hermit-crabs and fish) are the path to algae-control. I don't believe that we can starve-out algae. It is too efficient and we end up killing things we want to keep such as fish, corals, and inverts. We need to have adequate competition for nutrients. I've recently had my PO4 at 0.5 ppm and NO3 at 30-40 ppm without algae being a problem on my rockwork or my sand bed: no GHA and white sand. I fear bottoming out nutrients, PO4 or NO3 going to zero, far more than high nutrients.

I really want the feedback on how it increased SPS growth or coral growth ?

I have a big CUC coming Sunday for the red cyano but that’s another story I suppose