How do you keep your GFO from becoming solid

LOTUS50GOD · 10/17/2008, 11:51 AM

I know many of your change your GFO once a month or once every 6 weeks.

I have the TLF reactor, filled about 1/2 way with Phosban.
When I set it up its perkulating nicely.
Within 2 weeks the water is no longer perkulating. and its barely a dribble coming out.

Please advise.

Amoore311 · 10/17/2008, 12:05 PM

Your pump is either getting clogged with crud, or the tubing is. That would be my guess.

I have to clean my maxijet 400 out maybe once every 2 months or the flow rate gets get by crud getting caught in the impeller.

psteeleb · 10/17/2008, 12:12 PM

I recall a post on this a while back. I think it dealt with calcification. I'll see if I can search and find it.

here are a couple threads that may discuss whats happening

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ight=GFO+solid

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...d&pagenumber=1

LOTUS50GOD · 10/17/2008, 12:44 PM

Its not the pump as the GFO reactor is powered off the main return line.

Thanks Psteeleb for finding those threads.. I'll start there.

I do run my Ca around 480.. so that my be the issue.

psteeleb · 10/17/2008, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LOTUS50GOD
Its not the pump as the GFO reactor is powered off the main return line.

Thanks Psteeleb for finding those threads.. I'll start there.

I do run my Ca around 480.. so that my be the issue.

your welcome - I just read Randy's article on it, sounds like it's what's happening. Basically as the water goes through the GFO and phosphates drop you can improve precipitation of calcium as phosphates are a calcification inhibitor. I guess even a small drop can do this if CA and ALK are high enough.

GFO can also slightly increase PH as the water passes over it, from what I'm reading this can also push calcium to precipitate.

AZDesertRat · 10/17/2008, 01:40 PM

Do you have it plumbed correctly? I have seen them plumbed backwards as in water down through the outside and returning out the tube in the ceneter. Backwards tends to make the material pack down while forward makes it lift. Also I think 1/2 full is too much media, they recommend 150 grams maximum per reactor so it can get the proper fluidization.

mborn · 10/17/2008, 01:48 PM

I run a phosban reactor with a bulk GFO and as the media starts to cake, the flow through drops. All I do to fix this is briefly increase the flow through the reactor to break up the caking, and then turn the flow back down to my normal set point. This only takes a few seconds and has been very effective for me. Obviously you donâ€™t want to increase the flow too much and possibly blow any of the GFO out into your tank. If the caking is really severe and wonâ€™t easily break up, I would try running less GFO in your reactor and changing it out more frequently.

OneReef · 10/18/2008, 07:32 AM

Yes, as mborn said, about once a week you may want to crank up the flow for a few seconds just to turn it over and break it up........

FishNFun · 10/18/2008, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OneReef
Yes, as mborn said, about once a week you may want to crank up the flow for a few seconds just to turn it over and break it up........

+1

Playa-1 · 10/18/2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mborn
I run a phosban reactor with a bulk GFO and as the media starts to cake, the flow through drops. All I do to fix this is briefly increase the flow through the reactor to break up the caking, and then turn the flow back down to my normal set point. This only takes a few seconds and has been very effective for me. Obviously you donâ€™t want to increase the flow too much and possibly blow any of the GFO out into your tank. If the caking is really severe and wonâ€™t easily break up, I would try running less GFO in your reactor and changing it out more frequently.

+2

LOTUS50GOD · 10/18/2008, 08:18 AM

Its plumbed correctly.... I will try to increase flow 1x a week..

Thanks for all the suggestions.. This forum rocks!

chucksta1 · 10/18/2008, 02:02 PM

I've found it to be a fine line between the media fluidizing properly, and tumbling it to the point that it starts to break up . I've had it happen where it has started to break up, and since there is now less in the chamber it tumbles more violently and breaks up even more.

If caking and channeling are the problem, maybe the answer is GFO in a pellet form instead of granular.

Now if someone could just make it so that it changed colour when it wa full ...

10/17/2008, 11:51 AM	#1
LOTUS50GOD Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,210	How do you keep your GFO from becoming solid I know many of your change your GFO once a month or once every 6 weeks. I have the TLF reactor, filled about 1/2 way with Phosban. When I set it up its perkulating nicely. Within 2 weeks the water is no longer perkulating. and its barely a dribble coming out. Please advise. __________________ Vertex Alpha 300 Skimmer, AI SOL Blue, Neptune Apex Controlled 360 gallon Reef Current Tank Info: born 6/26/2008- 340 reef + 100 fuge, 300lbs of figi LR

10/17/2008, 12:05 PM	#2
Amoore311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ulster County, NY Posts: 2,521	Your pump is either getting clogged with crud, or the tubing is. That would be my guess. I have to clean my maxijet 400 out maybe once every 2 months or the flow rate gets get by crud getting caught in the impeller. __________________ 30 Gallon FOWLR 2004-2006 90 Gallon LPS Reef 2006-2008 180 Gallon SPS Reef 2008-20012 100 Gallon Custom Rimless Mixed Reef 2012-2014 29 Gallon Biocube Reef! Current Current Tank Info: 29 Gallon Biocube, StevesLED Upgrade, Neptune Apex

10/17/2008, 12:12 PM	#3
psteeleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 5,249	I recall a post on this a while back. I think it dealt with calcification. I'll see if I can search and find it. here are a couple threads that may discuss whats happening http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ight=GFO+solid http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...d&pagenumber=1 __________________ A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's Last edited by psteeleb; 10/17/2008 at 12:19 PM.

10/17/2008, 12:44 PM	#4
LOTUS50GOD Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,210	Its not the pump as the GFO reactor is powered off the main return line. Thanks Psteeleb for finding those threads.. I'll start there. I do run my Ca around 480.. so that my be the issue. __________________ Vertex Alpha 300 Skimmer, AI SOL Blue, Neptune Apex Controlled 360 gallon Reef Current Tank Info: born 6/26/2008- 340 reef + 100 fuge, 300lbs of figi LR

10/18/2008, 08:18 AM	#11
LOTUS50GOD Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,210	Its plumbed correctly.... I will try to increase flow 1x a week.. Thanks for all the suggestions.. This forum rocks! __________________ Vertex Alpha 300 Skimmer, AI SOL Blue, Neptune Apex Controlled 360 gallon Reef Current Tank Info: born 6/26/2008- 340 reef + 100 fuge, 300lbs of figi LR

10/17/2008, 01:40 PM	#6
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Do you have it plumbed correctly? I have seen them plumbed backwards as in water down through the outside and returning out the tube in the ceneter. Backwards tends to make the material pack down while forward makes it lift. Also I think 1/2 full is too much media, they recommend 150 grams maximum per reactor so it can get the proper fluidization.

10/17/2008, 01:48 PM	#7
mborn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Escondido, CA Posts: 346	I run a phosban reactor with a bulk GFO and as the media starts to cake, the flow through drops. All I do to fix this is briefly increase the flow through the reactor to break up the caking, and then turn the flow back down to my normal set point. This only takes a few seconds and has been very effective for me. Obviously you donâ€™t want to increase the flow too much and possibly blow any of the GFO out into your tank. If the caking is really severe and wonâ€™t easily break up, I would try running less GFO in your reactor and changing it out more frequently.

10/18/2008, 07:32 AM	#8
OneReef Reef Guru Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: the great South Posts: 3,218	Yes, as mborn said, about once a week you may want to crank up the flow for a few seconds just to turn it over and break it up........

10/18/2008, 02:02 PM	#12
chucksta1 Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: mississauga ont. Posts: 490	I've found it to be a fine line between the media fluidizing properly, and tumbling it to the point that it starts to break up . I've had it happen where it has started to break up, and since there is now less in the chamber it tumbles more violently and breaks up even more. If caking and channeling are the problem, maybe the answer is GFO in a pellet form instead of granular. Now if someone could just make it so that it changed colour when it wa full ...