When to hook up the GFO reactor to reduce PO4

Charlie’s Frags

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Let me ask, why do you think gfo is bad
Because it is difficult to control for the average 50-120g hobbyist with minimal bio loads and a bunch of frags. But my main issue isn’t gfo, it’s the philosophy that po4 needs to be this or your sps will die. Drives me nuts. I was one of those hobbyists that listened to all of that advice from 2017 to 2018 that the harder I tried to chase n/p the more died. No more gfo and nopox= 95% success/thrive rate. So I’ll never use it again. I use skimmer, fuge and LC to keep po4 between 0.10-0.25
 

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It seems that Adam is warning against stripping out all of the PO4. I think we all would agree with that position. Bottoming it out with any of the control methods is detrimental to coral health.
Which is fine, but that doesn’t mean gfo is bad or should never be used. Also, Comparing regular Reefers to business that make their living selling corals is not apples to apples.
 

joseserrano

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Because it is difficult to control for the average 50-120g hobbyist with minimal bio loads and a bunch of frags. But my main issue isn’t gfo, it’s the philosophy that po4 needs to be this or your sps will die. Drives me nuts. I was one of those hobbyists that listened to all of that advice from 2017 to 2018 that the harder I tried to chase n/p the more died. No more gfo and nopox= 95% success/thrive rate. So I’ll never use it again. I use skimmer, fuge and LC to keep po4 between 0.10-0.25
Levels can be whatever you want. There are ppl that have success all over the spectrum. But if one is going to say no don’t do this, it’s should be explained why and or just blanket statement. That’s what makes it dangerous, saying things without explanation, someone buys into it without understanding, and quits due to a lack of success.
 

DMG Reef

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Which is fine, but that doesn’t mean gfo is bad or should never be used. Also, Comparing regular Reefers to business that make their living selling corals is not apples to apples.

For the record, I use GFO 24/7 on my acro-dominant reef. I definitely don't think GFO is bad.
 

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Which is fine, but that doesn’t mean gfo is bad or should never be used. Also, Comparing regular Reefers to business that make their living selling corals is not apples to apples.
It’s been apples to apples for me. They don’t use gfo and their corals are alive and so mine are too now. For anyone who cares the majority of them try to keep their po4 0.08-0.15. Not just detectable. They see better growth and color in that range.

Add SBB corals to the anti gfo list as well.
 

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At what point do you think it’s time to get the GFO reactor online? I don’t think I’m quite to that point yet but here are my numbers. Nitrate about 5 and alk 8.5 - 9.

8/25 my PO4 was 0.14 so I did a 20% water change and cut my feeding in half

9/5 my PO4 was 0.17 so I Increased my skimmer to skim a little wetter.

Before August 25th, I went a long time without testing PO4, it was on 6/4 and was 0.05.

I don’t think I’m in the red zone yet, but I need slow the upward trend.
I’ve been using GFO for a couple of years in a largely successful 60g mixed reef. I ran this tank skimmer + fuge until it couldn’t keep up with phosphates. At that point I started up my GFO reactor at about 25% the recommended dose. GFO is very, very effective and you certainly don’t want to quickly bottom out your phos. Incidentally, I made a mistake with my GFO media a couple of months ago, bottomed out my phos in less than a week and I’m now entrenched in a battle against Dinos. All of my corals are fine (thank god). So, my advice would be to just take it slow with the GFO and respect the Redfield Ratio. You can have a healthy, thriving reef with higher nitrate/phos. The key is always stability. Stability and making sure that your biological filter (specifically biodiversity) is robust and healthy.
 

joseserrano

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It’s been apples to apples for me. They don’t use gfo and their corals are alive and so mine are too now. For anyone who cares the majority of them try to keep their po4 0.08-0.15. Not just detectable. They see better growth and color in that range.

Add SBB corals to the anti gfo list as well.
K. Sounds like being/feeling right bid more important. I go back to what I said, fully understanding and explaining when one can is vital in these threads to assist those who don’t. Pretty much anything can crash a tank with user error/lack of understanding. Everyone enjoy the rest of the discussion.
 

Charlie’s Frags

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For the record, I use GFO 24/7 on my acro-dominant reef. I definitely don't think GFO is bad.
That’s great. Would love to see some pics of your acros. Then the OP can have a better comparison of acros with gfo and no gfo.
 

Charlie’s Frags

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K. Sounds like being/feeling right bid more important. I go back to what I said, fully understanding and explaining when one can is vital in these threads to assist those who don’t. Pretty much anything can crash a tank with user error/lack of understanding. Everyone enjoy the rest of the discussion.
You’re not wrong. If you you’re having great success with gfo than keep doing it. I myself had the opposite results when using it and have had great success since I stopped. We’re both right. It worked for you and it didn’t work for me. Would love to see your acros as well.
 

Charlie’s Frags

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Levels can be whatever you want. There are ppl that have success all over the spectrum. But if one is going to say no don’t do this, it’s should be explained why and or just blanket statement. That’s what makes it dangerous, saying things without explanation, someone buys into it without understanding, and quits due to a lack of success.
Does Law Office use gfo?? Just curious. I’ve never spoken with them
 

DMG Reef

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Here's a few pics of my acro growth using GFO:

This is the Cherry Bomb when I got it on 05/01:

7BDD8E54-CE4E-4A2C-B14C-A356BDB4487F.jpeg


This is it on 08/25:

2FC2AFBF-B3A0-4947-859F-AEF2D6759ADA.jpeg


Sad little BigR WD in July 2019:

F744D1FD-CE75-4EFA-8369-B4E51D72DD9E.jpeg


Same Walt Disney in April 2020:

773805E2-1B85-4977-8EDD-DECEF2DB92EA.jpeg


Vivid Confetti on 05/01:

7917137B-37DE-4B8A-8ECB-D9748AC99721.jpeg


Vivid Confetti on 09/01:

8180810D-2F8D-452E-A4D3-DF0C9730A5C0.jpeg


I've been very happy with color and growth while keeping nutrients at a reasonable level. And I haven't had any issues running GFO.
 

Charlie’s Frags

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I find GFO to be very expensive and I only run it on my 200g system. Cant imagine what it would cost a coral farm to use it.
True. I didn’t look at it from that angle since I don’t pay for it bc I don’t use it.
 

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Here's a few pics of my acro growth using GFO:

This is the Cherry Bomb when I got it on 05/01:

7BDD8E54-CE4E-4A2C-B14C-A356BDB4487F.jpeg


This is it on 08/25:

2FC2AFBF-B3A0-4947-859F-AEF2D6759ADA.jpeg


Sad little BigR WD in July 2019:

F744D1FD-CE75-4EFA-8369-B4E51D72DD9E.jpeg


Same Walt Disney in April 2020:

773805E2-1B85-4977-8EDD-DECEF2DB92EA.jpeg


Vivid Confetti on 05/01:

7917137B-37DE-4B8A-8ECB-D9748AC99721.jpeg


Vivid Confetti on 09/01:

8180810D-2F8D-452E-A4D3-DF0C9730A5C0.jpeg


I've been very happy with color and growth while keeping nutrients at a reasonable level. And I haven't had any issues running GFO.
Not bad. How’s the WD now?
Here’s a few I’ve been keeping track of.
Cherry bomb

6FD6D05A-4652-4740-84AF-699BA99ABF21.jpeg

97A1AE38-9010-4192-A5EB-CC6B72CC7077.jpeg

49FA6B16-89C8-420F-8C2E-0DB95A4A917B.jpeg


Big R WD
July 2019
478912B1-4600-4C95-8C2D-6F8223D6996E.jpeg

Just Now
A9E4753A-3248-454E-A3FD-24DB6A8B9B87.jpeg

(I don’t like blue pics but it’s sunset on the mini reef. Sorry)
B3FE77B2-F0FF-471A-96F8-7CA5F0B1FDC0.jpeg

0AB3CD8E-FB94-4DF6-BD6A-066B7E9F3B23.jpeg


Matt V Psycho Asylum
DFDBF57C-3B91-4AFE-9C98-C1AEB5FBCEC9.jpeg

25645A5D-4DE9-4F45-9D5C-8AEBD6E700DE.jpeg


Src Polyp Monster
060FFA13-B021-48D3-933B-E98448218BAC.jpeg

112F0133-8682-455E-BF17-2C4BF505B1E1.jpeg

24068454-F711-478C-9532-AED43A6F5A99.jpeg

181E1F9E-159D-45A2-B9C0-93AC77C1EF0E.jpeg

JF Sunday Driver
70D2CA89-61A1-493A-BC35-4D5AF1F16A87.jpeg

 
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