Importance of GFO and Carbon reactor

I am placing a order for some supplies today and was wondering if I should order a couple reactors. I have flipped and flopped on whether or not I need them and to be honest I am not sure myself so i thought I would get some recommendations.

I have:
125 tank
40 gallon sump (little over half full)
~160lb live rock
2 tunzie ph's with controller
reef octopus protein skimmer
DIY carbon reactor made from gatorade bottle with adjustable flow from main return of 0-300gph capabilities
RODI with spectrapure filters and membrane (0 TDS)
Instant ocean salt with reef crystals

2 Tangs (yellow and regal)
2 fire gobies
watchman goby
lawnmower blenny
flame angel
2 cleaner shrimp
2 clown fish
3 chromis
reefkeepers recommended clean up crew which includes lots of various snails hermits and etc.

several LPS, sun coral, softies and monti
eventually will get into more sps

I occasionally show low nitrates and have seen ammonia (low amounts).

My last tank readings:
Temp 78.4
Salinity 1.025
Nitrates 0
Ammonia 0
PH 8.0
Calcium 480
Alk 6.9
Nitrites 0

Water is clear and looks great but sometimes have odor. Have been doing weekly water changes of 26 gallons but thinking of going to biweekly or 13 gallon weekly

Questions:
1. Would carbon reactor be beneficial
2. Would GFO reactor be beneficial
3. If I go with one of each would it be ok to daisy chain seachem activated charcoal in the first and phosban in the 2nd
4. Is there a specific type of phosban and do I run it 24/7, same ? with charcoal
5. Is there something else to consider adding or running?



If posted under wrong section I am sorry.. Not sure if needed in water chemistry or here...

Thanks in advance

 

Are you showing phosphates? GFO is for removing phosphates. Any idea why you occasionally show ammonia? That is what would concern me the most. You shouldn't be testing ammonia on a fully cycled tank.

 

I have shown phosphates in the past but its been a while.. I believe they mostly came from the old ro system I had as it wasnt working good... I have seen some but its been a few weeks ago.

The ammonia, I am not sure but I had thought they may have came from a fish or snail dying. I also lost a big elegance coral and thought maybe the ammonia was from the die off of those as well as all the live rock I have with possible die off.. MAybe I have been a litle to ignorant??? I have not ruled out the possibility of me not being able to read the test accurately as the times I have seen them they have been really low..

 

Jay,

Wouldn't your DIY carbon reactor work well? YOu asked about a carbon reactor.

I'm about to build a similar DIY out of a 32 oz gatorade bottle (actually, may go with a 64oz grape juice bottlek has a similar spoked tract bottom)
and run Phosguard in it. I'm looking forward to seeing a redcuction in the slight amount of cyano I have currently.

I've also seen a DIY reactor with carbon and phosguard in it at the same time that seemed to work well.