GFO Tumble/Fluidize. Too much or just right?

[2clowns1tank]

From what I have read online you want to simply fluidize the media however I don't want the GFO to harden up aka waste money by leaving the "tumble" too low or grind it to a pulp aka still wasting money. So check the video out, sorry I had to zip it because iPhone video is .mov and I am to lazy to convert it.

So simply should I turn the flow up, down or leave it as is?

 

[2clowns1tank]

Over 40 views and no reply? Come on guys I know someone runs GFO correctly haha :P

 

[2clowns1tank]

Bump again for lack of answer

 

[dlynch8802]

From my understanding, and how I run it, you may want to turn it up just a little more. GFO should be tumbled, but not to the point where it is being blown around. The tumbling is purely so it doesn't clump, which is why you may want to turn it up just slightly more so it all tumbles in multiple spots as opposed to a couple. Running GFO at higher rates does not increase its effectiveness. In fact, the more time the water has in contact with it, the more effective it is. You just have to find that sweet spot

 

[tthouston]

First, I think most of people don't know how to download your video clip to their computer before watching so they don't know how much tumble. I watched it and I can say your media tumble just a little, you need increase your pump current flow more, it should tumble 3x as it now. You can watch at youtube then you can feel how much tumble is right.
Tumble here you can imaging as a wave of the ocean, your media will go up then down then up then down but it is NOT blow as your sand flow everywhere by strong wavemaker.

 

[2clowns1tank]

From my understanding, and how I run it, you may want to turn it up just a little more. GFO should be tumbled, but not to the point where it is being blown around. The tumbling is purely so it doesn't clump, which is why you may want to turn it up just slightly more so it all tumbles in multiple spots as opposed to a couple. Running GFO at higher rates does not increase its effectiveness. In fact, the more time the water has in contact with it, the more effective it is. You just have to find that sweet spot

How is this?
I may have had it higher (or the same) than this before and the issue I had was gfo particles where blowing into my tank. Well my filter sock luckly which caught them, but you get what I am saying. Im running freaking 3 plastic sponges on top of it also, it still gets through.

 

[2clowns1tank]

First, I think most of people don't know how to download your video clip to their computer before watching so they don't know how much tumble. I watched it and I can say your media tumble just a little, you need increase your pump current flow more, it should tumble 3x as it now. You can watch at youtube then you can feel how much tumble is right.
Tumble here you can imaging as a wave of the ocean, your media will go up then down then up then down but it is NOT blow as your sand flow everywhere by strong wavemaker.

That was the issue i had with turning it "a bit" higher. I was getting gfo in my filter socks (past 3 freaking plastic filters). I uploaded a new video.

 

[tthouston]

Do you have any black filter under GFO media? Hopefully yes
I don't know why you just tune the valse open a little bit more and the media can flow up to the top????
You should have one THICK black filter or 2 regular filter on the top to strap all the media going up there.
Mine is double reactor, GFO reactor has go thru Carbon reactor before go back to the tank so the media hasn't pass all the way.

 

[tthouston]

I think the second video clip is alright.

 

[2clowns1tank]

Do you have any black filter under GFO media? Hopefully yes
I don't know why you just tune the valse open a little bit more and the media can flow up to the top????
You should have one THICK black filter or 2 regular filter on the top to strap all the media going up there.
Mine is double reactor, GFO reactor has go thru Carbon reactor before go back to the tank so the media hasn't pass all the way.

No Filter under because its not really needed with this reactor HOWEVER, I did have it there in my first round of GFO and it made a ton of it get stuck/harden inside of it and this was with a higher flow.
3 Filters overtop on the outflow and I still got GFO going through before.

Its a single reactor, I run carbon passive in a bag.