[Robknoxous]

I want to clean up my water a little.. I like to think I have good husbandry as I do 10% water changes weekly, I don't over feed or dose anything. I have a 40 breeder with 40 breeder sump/refugium that has a good amount of chaeto and flame algae on top of a mangrove plant. I still see random spots with small amounts of green hair algae, green bubble algae and brown cyano or diatom. Running a reactor should definitely help with these problems. Any advice on which either carbon/gfo or bio pellet. I've heard pretty good things about both just want more advice on the issue.

 

[magicpenny75]

Following... having similar issues myself and curious what to do about it. I just read the other day about rinsing chaeto to remove built up detritus and tried that. What are your phosphates like? Mine are high enough to read on an API test, which is way too high...

 

[hypnoj]

Biopellets aren't very helpful at lowering phosphates, they work very well at lowering nitrates. GAC (for the most part) is only good at making your water look better, but won't lower nitrates/phosphates are any other parameters. If you're wanting to get rid of algae, GFO is what you're looking for. It works very good at keeping your phosphates down and your algae will slowly die out over time.

 

[Robknoxous]

Biopellets aren't very helpful at lowering phosphates, they work very well at lowering nitrates. GAC (for the most part) is only good at making your water look better, but won't lower nitrates/phosphates are any other parameters. If you're wanting to get rid of algae, GFO is what you're looking for. It works very good at keeping your phosphates down and your algae will slowly die out over time.

Thanks for the info., much appreciated.. what do you think on BRS dual reactor to run both GFO and Carbon? I've heard bad things MJ1200 pump, any suggestion on a good pump?

 

[Robknoxous]

I don't know how much your suppose to dose exactly but I'm looking at the media prices for GFO. Seem's like it could get very pricey over time. Is there any cheap alternative instead of buying high end GFO?

 

[hypnoj]

GFO is pricey, but it will last you a long time. You don't use much at a time. I recommend getting individual reactors, not the dual reactors. I also recommend eheim pumps. MJ1200 can be noisy and tend not to last very long in comparison.

 

[Robknoxous]

Following... having similar issues myself and curious what to do about it. I just read the other day about rinsing chaeto to remove built up detritus and tried that. What are your phosphates like? Mine are high enough to read on an API test, which is way too high...

pH: 8.0-8.2
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0.0-0.1>
phosphates:0.0-0.25> API test
calcium: 420
alkalinity: 147ppm 8.232 dKH

 

[Subaruguy]

I run seachem carbon in one and seachem phosgraud in other and my water is fine. I like the phosgraud better then gfo. Its not as messy to clean up and all. IMO. I also run two little fishes reactors off one pump and its a maxijet. Seems to be working fine.

 

[[email protected]]

Vodka.

 

[Robknoxous]

Vodka.

I've heard vodka before but never looked into it.. It just sounds sketch to me. Do you dose vodka? What are the benefits? Same as using GFO and Carbon?

 

[Robknoxous]

I run seachem carbon in one and seachem phosgraud in other and my water is fine. I like the phosgraud better then gfo. Its not as messy to clean up and all. IMO. I also run two little fishes reactors off one pump and its a maxijet. Seems to be working fine.

My water parm are good other than my slightly high phosphates. How often do you change the media? Seachem seems cheaper but I wonder of that's for a reason..

 

[[email protected]]

Actually I use Sodium Ascorbate (buffered vitamin C) for my carbon dosing. Look here:

The Puffer Forum • View topic - Dosing Vitamin C