GFO vs. Carbon

[dragonfisher33]

i'm new to this and can't tell if they're the same or different. can someone clarify them out for me?

i'm getting a Phosban 150 for my reef and woud like it to eliminate some of the nitrate/phosphate. i'm a bit confused on what the difference is between GFO and Carbon. maybe they're the same thing or maybe they perform the same function.

also, there's GFO and regular FO (non-granular). is there benefit for one over the other (other than the fact that with GFO you can see the tumbling of the media)

 

[Dary421]

They're both designed to do two different functions,... Carbon is usually used to remove any toxins in your water ,to clarify the water and also to eliminate any odors associated with the water itself,..some reefers do not use carbon on a regular basis but I personally run it in a reactor all the time.
Gfo is used to remove and at least control the phosphates from your tank ,it helps to control algae outbreaks by eliminating the " food" they need to use to propagate,... I think you'll find a need to run both thru a reactor IMO.
Brs has a high capacity gfo that I've found works nicely but it's also rather pricey.
I hope this helps alittle


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[Gregcoyote]

Carbon is good for filtering out coral produced toxins and some other substances. GFO is good at binding phosphates. Both work differently on different dissolved organics. Some bind nitrates as well. By binding, I mean it chemically attaches to the unwanted molecules so that substance is removed from the water.

Carbon doesn't chemically bind, it uses billions of porous holes to snag unwanted molecules.


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[dragonfisher33]

so can i combine both GFO and carbon in one reactor? due to limited space, i can't have two Phosban running.

will one media hinder the other from absorbing the respective toxin?

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

They usually need different amounts if flow, so I'd see which your system requires more and go that route.

 

[dragonfisher33]

I need more GFO than carbon but I suspect a bit of carbon inside the GFO wouldn't hurt, correct?

 

[Sniperhank]

I need more GFO than carbon but I suspect a bit of carbon inside the GFO wouldn't hurt, correct?

No. They require different flow rates to be at their most effective. Tried it, didn't work well at all. I have it all in a dual reactor and it just doesn't do it right. If I could do it again, two separate reactors on their own pumps to get everything JUST right.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Isn't that what Chemi-Pure is? Or something like that. Those pads are about half carbon and half GFO I had heard.


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[Sniperhank]

All wrapped together somehow. Tossing carbon and gfo together in a reactor just doesn't work out.


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[Gregcoyote]

No, but in mesh bags in a high flow area for a small tank it should work fine.


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[Sniperhank]

Chemipure elite is the carbon with gfo wrapped around it I thought?


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[Gregcoyote]

I think that's right.


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[Macscale]

CPE is carbon wrapped in a Ferric Oxide Coating, I believe. It's not granular, it's very jelly.

 

[dragonfisher33]

what about phosguard? i like the idea that it's rechargeable. not sure how it compares to GFO or carbon.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Phosgaurd isn't rechargeable but it works good. IMHO it's easier to run carbon in a hob or even a filter sock/high flow area than the phosphate reducing media, so I'd run the reactor with gfo and find a place for the carbon if it's needed.