Do you use GFO?

[Myka]

I'm actually wondering more who doesn't use GFO. For those who don't know, GFO is granular ferric oxide used to absorb phosphates. Brand names such as RowaPhos, PuraPhos, PhosBan, etc. I'm referring only to the RUST RED stuff, not the white stuff.

Multiple choice if needed...somehow.

Dangit, I screwed up...meant to have the YES options asking how you run it, REACTOR, in a FILTER (like an HOB power filter), or PASSIVELY (in a bag in the sump say). Please comment. :)

I run mine 24/7 in a reactor.

[christyf5]

yes, 24/7, I run it in a phosban reactor, change it out every 3 months :biggrin:

[BC564]

yes....I run a phosban reactor......change it out every 2 months approx.

[fkshiu]

24/7 in a reactor; change approx. every 2 months.

[banditpowdercoat]

Yes, In a Reactor. But I usually lack in changing it. Maybe every 3-4 mos. Thx for reminding me, I should change it tonight.

[robzilla]

in a reactor, mine needs changing too. in the process of ordering some up from bulk reef.

[Lance]

24/7 in a reactor. Changed every 6 weeks.

[TVR]

Used after 2 month of starting the system but not anymore. So where should I vote? - No or Yes?

[Myka]

^ No, you choose not to. :)

[whatcaneyedo]

In a reactor, changed once a month.

[workn2hard2day]

RowaPhos 24/7 in a reactor; change approx. every 2 months

[hillegom]

I am getting a reactor, will use it when my 120 comes on line. Built the stand 2 mos ago. Everything else is comming along slow

[MikeP]

I run two reactors, one with carbon and one with GFO. I ran out of GFO a little while ago and haven't got around to getting more. I was thinking of putting zeovit rocks in one of my reactors. Is anyone else doing that? I asked a LFS what the zeo rocks take out of the water and his answer was - everything.

[Trigger Man]

I use it 24/7 in a bag in the sump

[Aquattro]

I have the red stuff, it's in a reactor, but I turned off the pump feeding it. Guess I chose not to
It's not recomended with Zeo, I'm told...

[andestang]

I'm the same, running Zeovit so not anymore.I'm surprised to see people go more than 2 months before changing.

I have the red stuff, it's in a reactor, but I turned off the pump feeding it. Guess I chose not to
It's not recomended with Zeo, I'm told...

[Myka]

Oh, I didn't know that about Zeo otherwise I would have made a post option for that. Darn.

[pterfloth]

I used to but now that I am running FM Ultralith I no longer need to. I used to use RowaPhos 24/7 in a reactor changed every 6 weeks but could not keep my phosphates below 0.06 ppm. Now I get 0.00 ppm phosphate. It's one of the things that I'm really happy about with the FM program. The reduction in algae of all kinds has been great.

So I am "No, I choose not to"

[RuGlu6]

used to run in 24/7 in reactor, changed religiously every month, for 3 years.
Did not have any algae, ZERO.

9 month ago tried Zeo, it did not work out lost too many corals mostly SPS obviously.Tank grown full of Red Hair Algae !

But continued to run GFO for 24/7 and changed every month. I could not even make a dent in the RHA even though i had sea hare and abalone chomping the staff lake there is no tomorrow.

Any how now i DO NOT run any GFO at all just carbon.
For phosphates control i use CaribSea "PhosBusterPro (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=cs-phos08)" and Ultra AlgeaX (http://oceanaquatics.com/store/product/3321/Ultra-Algae-X-250-mL/),now i got no hair Algea of any kind.
Interesting side effect for those who wants fight Hair Algea and has flat worms....when i used CaribSea PhosBuster at recommended dose in my 6 Gal Nano it wiped out almost all flat worms !!! i repeated this and now have no flat worm at all.
I don't know if this Is a coincidence or what but nothing was changed in the 6 Gal Nano, not even water change.

So after that i decided to get it a "GO" for my 60 gal reef. it only helped a little with Hair Algea, i did Not have flat worms in the reef so cant say that it worked twice in terms of flat worms elimination, BUT it wiped almost all of the pods in my sump :cry: i can hardly see one copipod and two amphipods there and have to look for a few minutes to see one.

"UltraAlgeaX" works for Hair Algea control too and i can say a little better then anything else, the only thing is that it make skimmer foam like crazy.


having said all that i no longer run GFO.

So No i choose not to.
thx.

[Chaloupa]

OOOOOPS...I clicked the last option by mistake instead of the first option. I run it on 2 tanks 24/7 in a reactor...I also change the media every 6 weeks

[untamed]

I run it in a phosban reactor and change it out every 4 weeks. In testing phosphate, I'm of the opinion that the GFO seems to be measurably effective for not much more than a few days, but I'm not willing to change it that often.

I'm estimating the effectiveness by measuring phosphate in the system vs. the outflow from the reactor. If there is a difference, then I assume the GFO is working. That difference seems to exist for only a very short time.

I think my algae is exporting phosphate much more efficiently than my GFO does.

[Myka]

I'm estimating the effectiveness by measuring phosphate in the system vs. the outflow from the reactor. If there is a difference, then I assume the GFO is working. That difference seems to exist for only a very short time.

I think my algae is exporting phosphate much more efficiently than my GFO does.

This is interesting.

[RuGlu6]

I think my algae is exporting phosphate much more efficiently than my GFO does.

x2
i second that.

[danny zubot]

I run it in a phosban reactor and change it out every 4 weeks. In testing phosphate, I'm of the opinion that the GFO seems to be measurably effective for not much more than a few days, but I'm not willing to change it that often.

I'm estimating the effectiveness by measuring phosphate in the system vs. the outflow from the reactor. If there is a difference, then I assume the GFO is working. That difference seems to exist for only a very short time.

I think my algae is exporting phosphate much more efficiently than my GFO does.

Visually I found that my tank looks cleaner when I added the GFO, then slowly returns to its natural dirty state.:lol: Your testing sort of backs up my observations.

[michika]

I don't use it, I find it has negative effects on the different tanks I've tried it on. Poor SPS colour, and when used at full strength I found it almost always immediately triggered RTN or STN.

[banditpowdercoat]

Yes, The GFO consumption rate is dependant on water flow through the reactor. For my 45g, I fill the TLF reactor 1/3 with GFO, Rowa, whatever, and 1/3rd Carbon. seems to last 4-6 weeks for me. But then, no SPS in this tank so not sure on the SPS effects.

[whatcaneyedo]

Many of my SPS seemed to improve in color once i began running it, blue coloring emerged from acropora that looked mostly brown before. I went from a phosphate reading of .75 to .01 (Elos test kit) with rowaphos, 40gal weekly water changes, a skimmer rated for nearly twice my system volume, and straining frozen food of packing juice.

[fiorano]

i run rowa in one reactor then follow that up with carbon in the 2nd reactor. change every 6 weeks appx

[freddy]

just started using it in my filter