Nitrate Testing

[stanleo]

Ok So I did it again and its definitely 10dKH and my pH is 8.0. So I am going in the right direction. Thank you so much!!

 

[stanleo]

I just saw a fascinating video on reef keeping from TComas's group, Arizona Fishkeeping. it was about chemical filtration and was talking a product called GFO? Its takes out phosphates from the water and sounds like a great idea.
 
Do you use GFO?
 
Do you use it in a BRS reactor (which until that video I had never heard of)?
 
Or do you use it in an external filter which is what I have on the tank? 2 of them one fluval 304 and on fluval 305. I can't afford one of those reactors right now so I would have to use it in the external filters.
 
The video said I should mix 2/3 carbon together and 1/3 GFO? This sounds like a great idea but I wanted your opinion before I did it. The vid said that the GFO isn't as effective in filter bags because it will clump together. Could I avoid this by shacking it up every couple days?
 
And Tcomas please feel free to chime in to since it was your video LOL

 

[Donya]

I've never used GFO. I can't help much on the subject of reactors since I don't have any and never have, partly because I don't do sumps either. I use phosphate removing pads in one tank (the Al-based ones), but it's a kind of minimal effort at phosphate removal compared to something like GFO. I mainly rely on biological exporting for nitrate and phosphate. Tcamos is definitely the better one to go to for the topic of GFO and reactors.