GHA driving me NUTS!!!

Sounds like I am basically "doing it right", I'll spend some time this weekend "mowing the grass" in my tank by hand.

As far as "PO4 reactor and a NO3 coil" goes, is there any difference between running GFO in a Dual BRS GFO and Carbon Reactor and a PO4 reactor?

I'll have to research a NO3 coil. That's a new one for me.

Thanks everyone,
Mark

 

I would not mix the carbon with the PO4 media as one will be harder then the other and the softer of the two will be broken up, As for the no3 coils not much to research I have built and employed them for over 40 yrs on any type tank F/W or salt they simply work I had some info on our dealer page here along with what ours look like.

 

Thanks Tangster, I'll checkout your page.

In the BRS Unit, there is one reactor for GFO and a separate reactor for the GAC. They aren't mixed.

M

 

I think I figured out my problem. I had a ton of Live Rock stacked along the back wall of the DT. I had flow behind the LR, but apparently not enough. I thook the LR out of the tank to catch the two damsels that were in there and you wouldn't believe the amount of junk that had deposited in there. The algae was probably feeding off of the massive nutrient source.

So, I clean all that up, re-aquascaped and am going to improve flow back there.

Hopefully, this will improve the situation.

Mark

 

Hey Tangster... Do you think running NO3 ciols is better than letting the rock and sand build up the bacteria. I mean it is all the same bacteria, just where they live. I know you run coils.... just curious since those that don't seem to get it taken care of with LR.

 

I havent read the whole thread but have you tried Turbos?


luna

 

LOL sooner or later the rock and sand will not be able to keep up . Actually I find no sand and good cultured rock to work better then ocean cultured rock and any sand . I feed really heavy Like I blast through some coral food the fish I throw in some flakes every few days but I dose coral food nightly I have no sand in the tank and the fuge is a tad large for the 90 it was designed for a 200 But I run 4 " of sand in the fuge and a coil I never have seen any sign of NO3 . I started to build and run my coils in the mid 70s with f/o systems to keep NO3 out and I never had algae issues with them and on all my old discus and angel tanks I ran the coils , algae has never been a problem other then the Bryposis we had to come in.

I Run a coil and figure why not ? they cost nothing to oiperate . Unlike a DSB abd vodka dosing and no3 zeovite medias .

 

not to jack his thread, but what the heck is a NO3 coil. you stated you build and run your coils since 1970's.... id love a DIY NO3 reducer.

 

Good find! hows it going as of now?

 

I got 95% of the GHA out manually, re-did the LR, etc. It has only been a few days but looks good so far. I am going to go in tomorrow and remove some more by hand. I did notice a spike in Ammonia and Nitrite... not bad Ammonia to 0.125 and Nitrite to 0.1. Not zero, as I would prefer but I figure stirring up all that junk didn't help.

The other thing I did was pump in a "water jet" for cleaning the rocks. My return pump from my sump goes into a 5 valve manifold. 2 valve return to the DT. 1 feeds my GFO/GAC reactor, 1 goes to a 10 gal tank I have slaved off this one. I used the 5th valve and just hooked up a long tube to it. I turn off one of the DT valves and turn on the tube valve and use it to water blast the rock to clean the rock and force water in between and in hard to reach places.

SO far so good, we shall see how it goes. I received my first fish and coral today!!! SPent the evening admiring the new members of the family.

M