Carbon and GFO reactors

[Gietz]

Hello all and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, your families and your fish   Ive decided to run a dual reactor from BRS, carbon and GFO. Just wonder how much to use and how much it should tumble? Also any other tips or helpful hints! (I'm planning on using BRS calculator)

 

[Zakk]

The GFO should just look like a liquid (fluidizing the media).  I had to muck about with it when I first got it, so that the carbon wasn't blasted to the top of the chamber, and the GFO stayed fluid, I think you'll have to do the same and it depends on your pump.  I use a little maxijet and it works well. 

I run carbon in front, then gfo behind, and when I swap out the media, I alternate it to gfo first, carbon behind. 

If you keep to a good program of changing the media once a month (or sooner when you start), you will be shocked at the improvement in the look of the tank.  I had no idea how yellow my water was until I started with the carbon. 

Feel free to ask any more questions, I've been running rox carbon and hi cap gfo for about 5 or 6 months now without a problem. 

 

[pulpfiction1]

i dont tumble the carbon when i run it,i pack it tight

 

[phi delt reefer]

carbon is only good for a week or two AT MOST. regardless of the quality of carbon. Better quality carbon just absorbs more and has greater surface area for quicker absorbtion.

use a tablespoon of carbon per ten gallons of TOTAL system volume. Swap it out weekly. You dont have to run carbon all the time - lot of excessive hype marketing for carbon. If u notice your water yellowing, need to absorb some medication out of your tank or feel the corals are having a toxin war then you should run it. Carbon does nothing for algae.

fill the gfo canister up to one third and swap that out monthly. Always run GFO for it keeps the algae at bay by keeping phosphate low. Remember to start slow then increase ur gfo usage - stripping the phosphates too quickly from water can sometimes affect corals.

 

[Zakk]

Right, I only run it for water clarity, once a month change is good, keeps water sparkling. 


When I would siphon out water, straight out of the tank, it would be yellow in the bucket, always.  Now it's got that clear-blue look to it even when it's coming out of the tank.  Gotta love carbon.  I actually wonder if clearer water helps the range of light getting to your corals, it sure helps with the 'wow look at your tank' factor.  ;D

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

when yu suck the water out of yur tank for water change...do yu do most at the bottoms  and run it on top of sand  or ...where ?... does it show yellow water in yur pail if yu do there and there?..  somtime i run my vaccum on the sand where its got like dirty  and ill use turkey baster and blast shit off the rock and vaccum right where i blasted it ....  does it make a differnce ?  i dont even run carbon  just gfo and i have not scrubbed my glass but i dont get any coraline

 

[Zakk]

I meant if I pulled it anywhere, but not vacuuming, if you pull up silt the water will definitely be yellow/brown.  I would have a yellow tint to the water in the bucket, even if I just skimmed it off the top our took it from the sump.  You could always tell the difference between the tank water and the new water if they were side by side.  Now, there is no difference at all. 

Good vid on the carbon.
Aquarium Carbon Demo - Bulk Reef Supply BRS

 

[pulpfiction1]

although i dont use carbon more than 3 or 4 times a year,i will probably have to evaluate on switching to the ROX,sure looks impressive,or one helluva sales pitch at the very least,good find  thanks

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

how do yu kno when to use carbon?...can yu actuaclly use carbon with yur gfo in same reactor?....or switch the gfo out and run carbon then back to gfo?....and how do yu kno?

 

[pulpfiction1]

ive read some do mix the 2 together,i dont use gfo as i use bio-pellets,i only use carbon if the water starts to yellow,i see it sooner or better in my cube but is starfire all 4 sides,maybe thats why i see it there first when it happens

 

[phi delt reefer]

ideally you want them in seperate reactors but i have run them both in one reactor. Supposidly GFO needs longer contact time to absorb phosphates.

I have run bags of chemi pure elite in a hob which contains gfo and carbon and di resin all together and its done a great job. only problem is its pretty expensive once you start swapping it out monthly.

 

[Zakk]

I run everything separate, and I even run bio pellets.  As long as my coral keeps growing the way it has been, I don't plan to change my setup at any time in the near future. 

 

[pulpfiction1]

its pretty much what works,if it aint broke,dont fix it

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

can yu use a phosban reactor for gfo and carbon?      IA has phosban reactors for  37 this week

 

[Zakk]

Yep, that's what I use, they work perfectly.

 

[El concistador]

Right, I only run it for water clarity, once a month change is good, keeps water sparkling. 


When I would siphon out water, straight out of the tank, it would be yellow in the bucket, always.  Now it's got that clear-blue look to it even when it's coming out of the tank.  Gotta love carbon.  I actually wonder if clearer water helps the range of light getting to your corals, it sure helps with the 'wow look at your tank' factor.  ;D

For sure, carbon gives you that "wow factor" and allows light to penetrate the water better, increasing the par, compared to yellowing water that throws your kelvin and par out of whack. imo

 

[El concistador]

how do yu kno when to use carbon?...can yu actuaclly use carbon with yur gfo in same reactor?....or switch the gfo out and run carbon then back to gfo?....and how do yu kno?

Can't answer regarding the gfo but the carbon.

imo I only use carbon when the water is noticeably yellow, a lot of times it's hard to tell just looking through the tank, so I gauge it by my pail's of water change, 1 old 5G vs 1 new 5G, and look through the water at the white pail of each. If the old display water looks too yellow compared to the newly mixed salt water, I change my carbon.

This is done with out vacuuming, just water from the water column and making sure the 2 pail's are a identical white.

Algae can leech a lot of green/yellow in your tank along with fish through ammonia/urine I think, so if you have a lot of fish or a hair algae problem or dieing cheato or just cut/squeezed your algae you might get leeching.

Not sure how good skimming is when it come to getting rid of yellowing/ammonia but I'm guessing not great, compared to algae and carbon.

But since buying in bulk and using 2 cups on my 29G/15Gsump, changed every month, I've never had to think about it.

 

[Gietz]

Hey been gone for a couple days and you guys killed this post and just about answered all my questions which is the good news!! Bad news is my nice red cyano still still there after 3 days lights out and since Christmas is over I don't need that much red lmao.  So I'm starting up the reactor Friday.  How do I know what a good tumble is for the GFO?

 

[Zakk]

Hey been gone for a couple days and you guys killed this post and just about answered all my questions which is the good news!! Bad news is my nice red cyano still still there after 3 days lights out and since Christmas is over I don't need that much red lmao.  So I'm starting up the reactor Friday.  How do I know what a good tumble is for the GFO?

Lights out never worked for me either.  GFO did though.

It should fluidize the media.  Meaning when you look at it, the whole thing should look like the surface of a lake.  It shouldn't be blasted up into the water, it should look really cool.  That's when it's exposing the most surface volume to the water. You may have to change it out fairly quickly at first, until your phosphates come down. 

 

[Gietz]

Ok I got a flow restrictor on the maxi pump and I'll turn it to half to start and see if that gives me a nice flow.  How long do you think it will take to clear it up?