GFO in canister...is it working ?

[LeLutinBanni]

I am trying to reduce my PO4 to 0,05 or less.

My skimmer is HUGE for my tank

I am dosing NOPOX

I have an Hanna checker Phophorus HI-736

I am testing my PO4 every 2 days.

I don't have many fishes

I am feeding everyday with less food as possible.

I am not dosing any product (Vitamine, amino acid etc)

_____________________________________________

I am changing my GFO every 2 or 3 days because trying to drop my PO4 and i can't get lower than 0,09.

My canister filter is not very strong. Do you think the GFO need more flow to be effective at 100 % ?

Thank

[jerpa]

GFO performs best when tumbled in a reactor because it doesn't allow the media to solidify. Mixing the GFO with carbon can prevent this as well if a reactor isn't feasible. You may have a fair amount of phosphates bound to your substrates. You may want to look at Lanthanum Chloride dosing. It's a rather complex process in a running reef but it is far cheaper than GFO. It seems to work best at reducing high phosphate levels so it may not be that effective in your situation. Otherwise keep running GFO until you've removed the bound phosphates. It can take quite awhile though.

I would also ensure the rocks are free of detritus. If you haven't cleaned your rockwork in the past you can simply blast them with a powerhead to remove the buildup.

[LeLutinBanni]

GFO performs best when tumbled in a reactor because it doesn't allow the media to solidify. Mixing the GFO with carbon can prevent this as well if a reactor isn't feasible. You may have a fair amount of phosphates bound to your substrates. You may want to look at Lanthanum Chloride dosing. It's a rather complex process in a running reef but it is far cheaper than GFO. It seems to work best at reducing high phosphate levels so it may not be that effective in your situation. Otherwise keep running GFO until you've removed the bound phosphates. It can take quite awhile though.

I would also ensure the rocks are free of detritus. If you haven't cleaned your rockwork in the past you can simply blast them with a powerhead to remove the buildup.

Hi,

Ok thank !

[spinsonic]

Carbon dosing! i ran BRS GFO for a month, changing media every week and couldnt get PO4 below .06, and nitrate ever below 2.

Started dosing 6ml vodka two weeks ago and P04 is holding steady at .00-.04. Nitrates for the first time ever at 0.

[blanden.adam]

jerpa is correct about how to handle the GFO media, either tumbling or mixed with carbon (2:1 ratio seems to work well for me, but make sure if you run them together they are not tumbling, this would grind the softer carbon to dust) to prevent your GFO from turning into a solid block. However, I doubt that's your problem here as you are changing it every couple of days, and as long as you are getting reasonable flow through it you should be fine. (I would recommend you start running it as jerpa recommends though, as replacing your media every couple of days can get very expensive when you should only have to replace it once a month or so). You are dosing carbon and have a powerful skimmer, so that should help. To offer further help, it's important to know some other things about your tank.

How old is your tank? What kind of rock and substrate are you using? What are the nitrogen levels? What other forms of filtration do you use (macroalgae, DSB, filter socks etc.)

Also, I would caution you going the lanthanum chloride route. Although it is undoubtedly an excellent method for phosphate precipitation, it's kind of a pain to do safely in a tank with livestock already in it.

[bertoni]

How big is the tank, and how much GFO is in the canister? GFO can be exhausted in a few hours if the phosphate level in the tank is high enough. I'd try measuring the output of the reactor. If the level isn't significantly lower than the tank, the media is shot. I'd be wary about trusting the meter, too, although that model has a reasonable reputation. There have been bad reagent batches, though.

[LeLutinBanni]

How big is the tank, and how much GFO is in the canister? GFO can be exhausted in a few hours if the phosphate level in the tank is high enough. I'd try measuring the output of the reactor. If the level isn't significantly lower than the tank, the media is shot. I'd be wary about trusting the meter, too, although that model has a reasonable reputation. There have been bad reagent batches, though.

32 gallons and i put the recommended dosage for my tank. 8 table spoon.

I ordered a media reactor. I hope that will help.

My tank is 2 yo.

My sand is 3 months old.

[bertoni]

You might need to increase the amount of phosphate in the reactor. What is the current reading for phosphate?

[LeLutinBanni]

I am around 0,10.

I want to drop to 0,06 and less

[bertoni]

Okay, I would check the phosphate level of the reactor output. When it matches the tank, the media is shot. That could take only a few hours.

[LeLutinBanni]

Okay, I would check the phosphate level of the reactor output. When it matches the tank, the media is shot. That could take only a few hours.

Thank you sir !

I'll try this.

[bertoni]

You're welcome! Good luck!

[LeLutinBanni]

The problem was the canister filter.

I can see a MAJOR difference.

My PO4 are finally dropping.

Actually i am at 0,06.

I will change my GFO tomorrow and reach my goal !