Carbon and GFO flow rates

[ddaddy2420]

I finally got around to setting up a small header off my return line and have run 2 separate lines to 2 media reactors with carbon and gfo. My question is what should the flow rates be on each? Should i see tumbling action on them? Any help here would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dale
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[elfloyd]

You need to see a tumbling action on the GFO. The carbon can take a higher flow, but I can't help here. I am running a dual BRS GFO / Carbon reactor with a single feed, so the tumble of the GFO set my flow limitation.

 

[ddaddy2420]

One thing I can't understand is since I put the gfo on my system my phosphates have gone up? They were at .07 and now are at .21. They had been hovering around a .15 to .20 and then right before i put phosban in my reactor and put it on they had dropped to 0 and then to .07, but today they are at .21? It makes no sense.

I tested my nitrates and they are 0.

Anyone else see a spike in phosphates when first putting on gfo?

Other parameters:
Salinity: 1.025
ph: 8.20
Temp: 79
Calcium: 400
Magnesium: 1400
Phosphates: .21
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0
Iodine: .1

I feed my tank once a day, every morning and then give them a little bit of flakes in the evening. I have lots of chaeto in my refugium. I run my lights in my fuge opposite of my tank light. I have been feeding my homemade phyto every morning and every night as well, could this be a potential cause? I have noticed my sand has been turning brown here recently and I think my cleaner wrasse is dead, can't seem to find him.

 

[ralph atl]

elFloyd;856369 wrote: You need to see a tumbling action on the GFO. The carbon can take a higher flow, but I can't help here. I am running a dual BRS GFO / Carbon reactor with a single feed, so the tumble of the GFO set my flow limitation.

Yes, GFO top portion should appear to be "percolating" or "simmering" and the carbon should be slightly compressed to avoid movement.

(And if phospates went up after use, no one would be buying it!)

 

[k3nnyp]

I apparently starve my fish, although they seem healthy. I feed 1 frozen cube every other day and a 2"x3" piece of marine algae in between. Phosphates on my Colorimeter reads 0.0 although sometimes I question the reading.

Running a blend of BRS gfo and carbon in a single reactor.

I have a flame angel ( feeding probably the reason he nips at some corals), yellow tang, two damsels and a clown fish. All relatively small in my 75.

Watch the BRS video on gfo and carbon. That's where I got the idea of the mix and made sense. The reason for chasing the tumbling is so gfo doesn't clump but with the mix you don't have to worry about it.

 

[ddaddy2420]

I dunno i think maybe i am overfeeding. I do small water changes daily, generally around 2 gallons per day. Or maybe I am putting too much phyto in, would phyto cause my phosphates to increase like that. Obviously it was just a coincidence that my phosphates went up 2 days after i put phosban in, just seemed weird to me.