Gfo - what brands are you using?

[cozart]

well i'm looking for a quality gfo for phosphate removal, never had an issue till now so i've never used a gfo. want to know what brands are working for you, best quality, value, over all performance. also when can you determine when the granules are exhausted or need to be replaced?

[woodycb]

bulk reef supply is where i get mine.

[pjf]

I've used PHOSaR HC and Bulk Reef Supply's high capacity GFO. Both require only about 2 gallons of RO/DI water to rinse out the GFO dust in a reactor.

Since using the GFO in my reactor, my tank water has undetectable phosphate levels (< 0.03 mg/L). I've no idea how the GFO that I use compare to other GFO brands and types. I hope that high-capacity GFO is better than regular GFO because of the higher price that I am paying for it.

Until I see more test results to compare GFO performance, my only criteria for purchase are: high-capacity, low dust and cost per quantity.

[tmz]

I use the Bulk Reef Supply high capacity gfo.

[Mike O'Brien]

Foster and Smith is cheaper when it's on sale.

[Reefer Brian]

RowaPhos....simply the best. Believe me, I have used them all.

[sjm817]

I'm currently using the Dr. F&S PhosPure. Best price on GFO I've seen (as Mike posted, when its on sale).

[Helter Skilter]

I just bought some Eco Phos, but haven't had a chance to throw it in my reactor yet. It's made at the same plant as Rowa, and looks the same, but has a much larger grain size.

[ssamick]

I use BRS's HC and it works like a charm. I have seen a post around here where someone was testing different brands. If I remember right Warner HC was at the top of the chart with BRS's in second. I think most of your brand name brands will do the job.

[sjm817]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14510829#post14510829 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ssamick
I use BRS's HC and it works like a charm. I have seen a post around here where someone was testing different brands. If I remember right Warner HC was at the top of the chart with BRS's in second. I think most of your brand name brands will do the job.
Got a link to that? I'd like to see some actual test results to show how the different brands perform.

[ssamick]

No I don't, I can't find it. There was no actual written test report. I think it was just a member that was dabbling with it. I think it was a friend of Billy Beau. He's always on the reef chemistry forum.

[ssamick]

Try doing a search on this topic there is a ton of stuff out there.

[pjf]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14511971#post14511971 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjm817
Got a link to that? I'd like to see some actual test results to show how the different brands perform.
Boomer posted an adsorption ranking for GFO here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=14334560#post14334560

Boomer also posted an adsorption ranking for GAC here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=14334536#post14334536

[sjm817]

I saw that. There is no data, and Boomer didn't do the test. Randy was questioning the test as being valid. Nothing there to draw any real conclusions from that I can see.

I'm looking for an actual test comparison with measurable results. If I recall, Randy was doing some testing awhile back, on various GFO's and didn't come up with any conclusive results.

[whatcaneyedo]

I've been asking myself this same question for a few months now... this stuff is too expensive to make a bad purchase. For me living in Canada and buying in bulk (spending $400-500 at a time) these are the per pound prices I've come up with.

$37.05/lbs BRS HC GFO
$29.80/lbs rowaphos
$22.92/lbs BRS GFO

I've been using rowaphos but considering that I can buy a 50 lbs bucket of salt that will produce 160gal of water for less than $50 I think I'm just going to concentrate on doing larger water changes.

[mysterybox]

bulk reef GFO pellets.

The hc version IMO didn't absorb enough to warrant the higher expense.

[mysterybox]

Bulk reef supply is more like 14 per pound when u buy a gallon bucket, since it contains 4 pounds.

[sjm817]

I know what you mean. The stuff is expensive. Does the delta in price = the delta in performance/capacity?

Not sure this helps you in Canada, but I was comparing GFO and GAC prices and came up with:

Dr F&S Black Diamond 68 oz = $17.59 = $4.14/lb
BRS 6 pounds Activated Lignite Carbon $27 = $4.50/lb
BRS 15 pounds Activated Lignite Carbon $60 = $4.00/lb

Dr F&S PhosPure 795G = 28.50 = $16.16/lb
BRS 2 LB GFO = $35 = $ $17.50/lb
BRS 4.5 LB GFO = $70 = $ $15.50/lb

The F&S (sale price) and BRS prices are pretty close.

[RGC]

BRS GFO

[gdm42001]

bulk reef supply

[felix morales]

+1 HERE..........:D

[Dejavu]

IME all GFO is pretty much equal. There are a few slight differences from one to another. The largest difference would be the form in which it comes in. There are three types: granulated, palletized, and HC. I have used all of them and prefer palletized. It is a hard form than the granulated so it doesn’t break down as easy. You could say that for HC but for pricing I choose to use palletized.

Between all the types chemically there is no different. So for someone to say that one can absorb more than another IMO I don’t think there’s a difference. The only difference is surface area. While HC has more surface area, because it a larger pellet. The palletized form is smaller so you add more ferric oxide per measured amount. IME one does not last longer than the other so I get the cheapest.

Now the question of which brand is better? Like I said above there is no difference chemically. If fact they most likely get it form the same source. Most ferric oxide products are by products of another process. Metal plating and metal refiners produce this as a side product. It then is sold and refine for use. In my line of work we use large amounts of ferric oxide. The only difference is that we use it in a liquid form. We have tried different sources but the only difference we have found there to be is in concentration and price. The more concentrated the higher the price too. Do to the fact that it can freeze at higher concentrations we buy it at 30% and test it at every shipment.

So to answer the question is there one brand better than another, I will leave that up to you to decide. The facts are that you might get a day or two more form one brand to another but months or weeks more… probley not. I use the cheapest.

To determine when the granules are exhausted or need to be replaced? The normal rule is to change it once a month. This largely depends on your PO4 before adding, bio-load, feeding and what you are feeding. To be exact you can measure you PO4 on the effluent side of the reactor. When you first replace it should read 0. Once exhausted it will give a reading higher than zero. I use a hanna do to the fact that most test kits don’t measure LR PO4 that accurately.

[cozart]

wow thanks for all the info, dejavu is a hanna a test kit? never heard of it. have to do some searching ...

[ReefDetective]

Bulk Reef Supply GFO for me too. It works great.

[Dejavu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14550158#post14550158 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cozart
wow thanks for all the info, dejavu is a hanna a test kit? never heard of it. have to do some searching ...

A hanna is photometer.
http://www.easymeters.com/cart/catalog/HI-93713-Phosphate-LR-Photometer-with-890-nm-LED-p-1792.html

[tmz]

use the hannah as well. It's agood tool.

I would not change the gfo when the effluent exceeds 0ppm. I would change it when the effluent phosphate level exceeds the level of phosphate in the tank. I would test them both at the same time periodically. BTW most test kits don't measure low phosphate with great accuracy, The Hannah colorimeter has a +or - .04 variation,so 0 may be .04ppm or vice versa.

[drparker]

+1 for BRS HC

[tmz]

The HC does seem to give less dust than even the brs pellets.