Northstar24
The Tang Herder
In early November, I purchased a GFO reactor and some of the high capacity GFO from BRS. I got it online, and after about 48 hours, I stopped getting the film algae build up on my glass, and the little bit of Cyano that I had on two of my rocks finally dissapeared. Approximately 3 weeks after setting this reactor up, I started noticing the film algae coming back, and the cyano has appeared on the same two rocks again.
After seeing this, I replaced the GFO in the reactor, I figured the first few changes would exhaust the media quickly because of the rocks holding phosphate and leeching it out. With the second round of GFO, I have not seen any decrease in algae, and it actually appears that the cyano has gotten worse
Is it normal to see rapid improvements when first starting GFO and then nothing after? I'm going to go broke if I have to change out this high capactiy GFO every two weeks, that stuff is not cheap. If that is the case, would I be better off using standard GFO for a while until all the stuff leeches out of my rock? Any idea on how long that would take?
I'm sure you'll all ask for feeding regimen and current water tests. I feed about a half cube of frozen every third day, and on one of the off days in between the tangs get some nori
As far as water parameters go:
Alk 9
Cal 400
Nitrates 0 (Obviously i have some nitrates or I wouldnt have algae, I get film growth on the glass, some cyano, and growth of caulerpa / chaeto in the fuge)
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
Water changes are 10% weekly
I have a brain coral and a duncan that were added about a month ago, and both are doing well, which is progress for me. Something in my well water was making it through my filters and into the tank (iron and phosphates I suspect) and it was causing a LOT of issues for me
After seeing this, I replaced the GFO in the reactor, I figured the first few changes would exhaust the media quickly because of the rocks holding phosphate and leeching it out. With the second round of GFO, I have not seen any decrease in algae, and it actually appears that the cyano has gotten worse
Is it normal to see rapid improvements when first starting GFO and then nothing after? I'm going to go broke if I have to change out this high capactiy GFO every two weeks, that stuff is not cheap. If that is the case, would I be better off using standard GFO for a while until all the stuff leeches out of my rock? Any idea on how long that would take?
I'm sure you'll all ask for feeding regimen and current water tests. I feed about a half cube of frozen every third day, and on one of the off days in between the tangs get some nori
As far as water parameters go:
Alk 9
Cal 400
Nitrates 0 (Obviously i have some nitrates or I wouldnt have algae, I get film growth on the glass, some cyano, and growth of caulerpa / chaeto in the fuge)
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
Water changes are 10% weekly
I have a brain coral and a duncan that were added about a month ago, and both are doing well, which is progress for me. Something in my well water was making it through my filters and into the tank (iron and phosphates I suspect) and it was causing a LOT of issues for me