How do you quit GFO?

[rk4435]

I'm now at .02-.03 PO4 so the GFO has seeved it's purpose. Should I put the reactor on a timer and run it part time or simply leave it off until I catch the level rising?

 

[Reefplumber13]

Tagging along

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[rdnelson]

There is a free clinic in Midtown. Hehehehehe


I know you all think I have no heart but now I have an ultrasound to prove it.

 

[rk4435]

Yup, I told the wife I would hear about various recovery centers with this one.

 

[heathlindner25]

keep it running... you have the desired results because it online.

 

[dawgface]

Have you solved and corrected the problem that required the GFO in the first place? Sure? If so, take it offline. If not, slowly reduce until its stable.

 

[rk4435]

I don't want it to drop to zero because a bit is beneficial as I understand it.

 

[heathlindner25]

rk4435;951404 wrote: I don't want it to drop to zero because a bit is beneficial as I understand it.

I don't know about you but I add coral food everyday.... so I use gfo everyday.

 

[ralph atl]

heathlindner25;951413 wrote: I don't know about you but I add coral food everyday.... so I use gfo everyday.

I feed heavily every day, so similar to what stated...

 

[acroholic]

I took my GFO offline about 2 weeks ago for the same reason, very low PO4. I bought a Hanna ULR Phosphorus Checker and just test weekly now. I just stopped using it without any special procedure or anything. Corals seem OK. Plan is to test PO4 weekly and when/if levels get to higher than .05 or so, I'll use GFO again and repeat. I have never monitored phosphates before, just always used GFO and replaced it about every 3 weeks.

Want to see what effect, if any, a higher PO4 level might have on the corals color and growth. I hope I don't see any cyano or HA from this, though.

 

[kirkwood]

If you are already at .02 then I would think that it wouldn't take too long for that number to start creeping up to an undesirable level. I would reduce the amount of GFO until you find the right amount to maintain your desired level.

 

[mikesmith34]

When your levels get very low and you take ur gfo reactor offline for a couple of weeks is the gfo still good to go in the reactor to bring it back online without changing it out??

 

[rk4435]

When your levels get very low and you take ur gfo reactor offline for a couple of weeks is the gfo still good to go in the reactor to bring it back online without changing it out??
[/QUOTI'm wondering about that too Mike.

I only feed reef supplements a couple of times a week and I cut way back on frozen foods when I had the slime outbreak and started GFO.

I'm going to test every other day and see what happens with the level. I'm trying really hard to make sure I know all the possibilities before I spend half of the summer away.

 

[acroholic]

Mikesmith34;951440 wrote: When your levels get very low and you take ur gfo reactor offline for a couple of weeks is the gfo still good to go in the reactor to bring it back online without changing it out??

I'd probably drain the water out of the reactor if you are not gonna use it for a while.

 

[ralph atl]

Acroholic;951425 wrote: I took my GFO offline about 2 weeks ago for the same reason, very low PO4. I bought a Hanna ULR Phosphorus Checker and just test weekly now. I just stopped using it without any special procedure or anything. Corals seem OK. Plan is to test PO4 weekly and when/if levels get to higher than .05 or so, I'll use GFO again and repeat. I have never monitored phosphates before, just always used GFO and replaced it about every 3 weeks.

Want to see what effect, if any, a higher PO4 level might have on the corals color and growth. I hope I don't see any cyano or HA from this, though.

Calcification Inhibition by Phosphate
One important issue relating to elevated phosphate in reef aquaria has to do with the http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/chem.htm">inhibition of calcification</a> by phosphate and phosphate-containing organics. Phosphate is known to inhibit the precipitation of calcium carbonate from seawater.2-4 The presence of phosphate in the water also decreases calcification in corals, such as [I]Pocillopora damicornis</em>5 and entire patch reefs.6 This inhibition is likely related to the presence of phosphate in the extracytoplasmic calcifying fluid (ECF), where calcification takes place in corals7, and on the growing crystal's surface. Exactly how the phosphate gets into the ECF isn't well understood.
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/images/Figure-3.jpg alt="" /> <p style="text-align:center">Figure 3. The chemical structure of the organophosphate "etidronate," shown in a fully protonated form.

This inhibition of calcification takes place at concentrations frequently attained in reef aquaria, and may begin at levels below those detectable by hobby test kits. For example, one research group found that long-term enrichment of phosphate (0.19 ppm; maintained for three hours per day) on a natural patch reef on the Great Barrier Reef inhibited overall coral calcification by 43%.6 A second team found effects in several Acropora</em> species at similar concentrations.8
Organic phosphate and phosphonate inhibitors of calcification have also been studied and probably work by a similar mechanism. http://www.medicinenet.com/etidronate/article.htm">Etidronate</a>, a bisphosphonate that is used to treat osteoporosis (Figure 3), caused a 36% inhibition of calcification in [I]Stylophora pistillata</em> at 2 ppm, and stopped it completely (99%) at 100 ppm, while photosynthesis was not impacted at these, and higher, concentrations (indicating it is not a general toxin).9


<span style="font-size: 14px"><span style="font-size: 13px">no new studies have proven this wrong...albeit if you have a lab grade test kit (or ultra lowrange) and find you phates below 0.024...feed more high phosphate food such as nutramar-Ova, etc...</span></span>

 

[rk4435]

I'm not scientific type. Does the study mean I should desire a PO4 level of zero?

I've been below 5 for the last few weeks. When I got home yesterday my Zinia looked bad so I tested parameters. With everything else being normal I guessed that the PO4 level was the issue since Zinia tends to like dirtier water.

 

[silver surfer]

Why take it offline? If your tank is doing well, I would keep the GFO and feed your fish and coral more. I keep my po4 at 0 (Hanna) and I have no issues. I feed heavy.

 

[declanisadog]

Silver Surfer;951506 wrote: Why take it offline? If your tank is doing well, I would keep the GFO and feed your fish and coral more. I keep my po4 at 0 (Hanna) and I have no issues. I feed heavy.

+1. I run GFO and dose carbon to keep my N/P levels as low as possible allowing me to feed super heavy without worrying about pesky algae. Growth on all of my corals has never been better!

 

[rk4435]

I never thought of the heavy feeding aspect. I'm still trying to get Nitrates under controland I've only been running Carbon for ten days.

 

[declanisadog]

I started dosing vodka a few months back and have been VERY happy with the results.