Can i run gfo and feed heavy to make sure it does not bottom out?

[Novicereefer]

Hey,

I got my phosphate down from 0.3 to 0.09 using the Hanna checker. I used Gfo mainly having the drain line from the overflow run directly through the gfo reactor. There are now bits and pieces of spilled over gfo pieces in the first chamber of the sump but won't make it passed that chamber. Should I turn off the gfo reactor and clean out that chamber and put the drain line back into the filter sock or can I keep running it this way and feed heavy?

I currently feed a cube of mysis daily with dosing 5ml Acropower daily and reef roids 2x a week to my 2 meat corals

 

[vetteguy53081]

Gfo will reduce phosphate and feeding heavy will increase phosphate and also potentially have impact on water quality

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, you can feed heavy if it is not already bottomed out. I'd measure it.

 

[Novicereefer]

Yes, you can feed heavy if it is not already bottomed out. I'd measure it.

Yea you're right. I was thinking of testing phosphate every other day or every 3 days. Once I get some chaeto I plan to stop using gfo and let my Refugium do the work

 

[exnisstech]

Reef roids will stimulate my meat coral but it really chows down on meaty food like pe mysis.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yea you're right. I was thinking of testing phosphate every other day or every 3 days. Once I get some chaeto I plan to stop using gfo and let my Refugium do the work

The effect of the spilled GFO will be short. It may already have fully equilbrated. Now is the risk, not 3 days from now.

 

[Novicereefer]

Reef roids will stimulate my meat coral but it really chows down on meaty food like pe mysis.

You think I should just feed the meaty foods and leave the reef roids alone?

 

[Novicereefer]

The effect of the spilled GFO will be short. It may already have fully equilbrated. Now is the risk, not 3 days from now.

Ok ok. Got it. Good to know. Checking phosphate with Hanna every few days have been rough. I'm running through reagents lol

 

[Uncle99]

0.09ppm phosphate seems like a good place to be.
I’d change nothing and balance that number.

I start to see a bit unhappiness in some corals around 0.05ppm. For a year now, running .3ppm and everything happy.

I’m not a believer in low phosphate numbers, unless it was all sticks, then maybe.

 

[exnisstech]

You think I should just feed the meaty foods and leave the reef roids alone?

To be honest I don't even feed mine any longer and it does fine but I feed fish heavily. When I did feed it did better on meaty foods. I think reef roids are too small for meaty corals with a mouth but that's just speculation on my part.

 

[Novicereefer]

0.09ppm phosphate seems like a good place to be.
I’d change nothing and balance that number.

I start to see a bit unhappiness in some corals around 0.05ppm. For a year now, running .3ppm and everything happy.

I’m not a believer in low phosphate numbers, unless it was all sticks, then maybe.

I get you. I'm trying to grow Acropora so I'm trying to find that right balance of phosphate and nitrate to get good color and growth but not algae. I'm trying to find somewhere that I can keep it stable since stability is key

 

[Novicereefer]

To be honest I don't even feed mine any longer and it does fine but I feed fish heavily. When I did feed it did better on meaty foods. I think reef roids are too small for meaty corals with a mouth but that's just speculation on my part.

Good point! I'll up my mysis and stop the roids. I was told that reef roids is phosphate in a bag

 

[Uncle99]

I get you. I'm trying to grow Acropora so I'm trying to find that right balance of phosphate and nitrate to get good color and growth but not algae. I'm trying to find somewhere that I can keep it stable since stability is key

Yup, the king stability is.
My thinking was if your at .1ppm which for many is an acceptable level to keep, maybe see if your current maintenance regime, holds the current levels right now.

You can change the levels but it’s likely months before any real change will be noticed.

I have this Acro 3 years from1” frag in nitrate 5ppm and phosphate .3ppm…..zero visible algae.

Now, week over week, if you see an increase/decease, react just to that, maybe use neo-phos which is faster available to corals than increase/decrease feedings which I use for long term balancing.

 

[exnisstech]

Good point! I'll up my mysis and stop the roids. I was told that reef roids is phosphate in a bag

I use it for that purpose lol

 

[Novicereefer]

Yup, the king stability is.
My thinking was if your at .1ppm which for many is an acceptable level to keep, maybe see if your current maintenance regime, holds the current levels right now.

You can change the levels but it’s likely months before any real change will be noticed.

I have this Acro 3 years from1” frag in nitrate 5ppm and phosphate .3ppm…..zero visible algae.

Now, week over week, if you see an increase/decease, react just to that, maybe use neo-phos which is faster available to corals than increase/decrease feedings which I use for long term balancing.

Good idea. Weekly instead of every few days should save on reagents too.

 

[Uncle99]

Seek the trend rather than the one or two.
This helps to lessen, testing errors or one offers.