so i just got a phosphate reactor for a pretty good price ($45)…now im trying to decide which media to run in it…
i use to run phosguard in a bag that i had near my pump…after talking with LFS and others i have come to believe that fluidization is far more effective at helping the media work.
now, i have found that there are either two choices…GFO or AO based…
my concern is with the AO based products (this is what seachem is)…
after reading around i found some people saying AO based phosphate removers can release aluminum or some kind of metal…even on seachems website they acknowledge the ‘rumor’ and they did a study. the results found that at normal pH levels…the aluminum was undetectable i believe…the same wasnt said for lower pH, and this is where wording became gray and you had to download a big .pdf to read the study…
anyway, would i be ok using this AO based product in my reactor, should i be concerned about the flow through the chamber?
are the grains boucning off eachother going to be an issue w/ AO based phosphate removers?
is GFO just better? (seachem claims nothings better than AO based?!?)
Here is the link to seachem’s site for the product just to give you guys an idea of what they are talking about…it begins at the third bullet down…
i think for gfo it goes, white is right, black take it back. but not completely sure.
i run white all the time, phosguard in a bag, no ill effects, nobody sez that’s wrong.
ok, so should i turn the flow down in the reactor to the point where the media almost doesnt move to eliminate grinding, or is some movement of the media in there ok?
some movement is good, as it “cleans” the media, but u dont want it tumbling around like sand in a crashing wave at the beach. also when u put it in the reactor, leave some rooms between the media, and the top sponge, as if they are tight like a sandwich, gunk will build up in the media. i have a via aqua ran by a mj900 and i run it full throttle, since junk builds up on the intake strainer of my pump. i have carbon and gfo in my reactor
how is that working out for you? how often do you change the media?
ive heard of people doing this but im not sure how it would work. GFO typically lasts about 3 times longer than carbon does and IME needs a much higher flow rate than does GFO. Im not as worried about the flow rate since i think the whole GFO griding thing is overhyped but i know first hand that leaving carbon in the reactor too long can give you a nasty surprise!
Thanks for your questions. PhosGuard does not leach aluminum into the aquarium. We do not recommend using PhosGuard in a reactor mainly because it can grind against itself and create a dust that I suspect could irritate some more-sensitive corals. The best way to use this media is in a media bag in an area with high flow. A couple of years ago, we performed a study to determine whether or not release of aluminum from aluminum oxide was of concern. If you are interested in reading this article, I have provided a link below:
I will second and third the support of GFO over AO. It is much more efficient and has higher capacity to absorb phos over AO. which means a little GFO goes an lot longer way than the same weight of AO. plus if the GFO disolves at all, it leaves a trace of iron in the water to grow your fuge. Which removes even more Phos and nitrates to boot.
I vote for GFO. Hey, you know, Chris and Barb set up a group buy of high quality GFO a year or so ago. perhaps we should do another club buy again. like a five gallon bucket full or two or something, like last time.
Otherwise. lots of sites carry it for a pound or two at higher prices, but it does last a while. Lots of brands to choose from if we want to make a group buy.
I’ve always used GFO. A little bit goes a long way. If you get close to filling your reactor you have probably used way too much and are just wasting it. The other thing about it is if you use a lot then it get areas where water does not properly flow through or areas that grind way too much. I have to agree with Shawn that it seems kind of silly to mix carbon and GFO in the same reactor for the reasons he stated. Carbon needs to be removed fairly quickly while GFO could be left in for long periods without the risk of it releasing back.
the carbon and gfo is working out fine. the gfo mainly sits on the top of the reactor as the flow pushes its way up through the cracks. i use pelletized carbon which “they say” should last longer than granular bitimunious(sp). newayz i replace both after about 2 weeks and havent had any trouble. in my 75 i only use about 1/2 a tsp. po4 is not a problem. bassically running the gfo as a backup to my vodka dosing, which i may be going full blown zeo