Phosphate reactor - yes or no?

First of all, I'm sorry if this question had been asked before
I've been looking into something identical to the BRS dual phosphate and carbon reactor (BRS does not ship to my country) to my new 30g with sump (about 12g). Although most reefers agree about carbon I found out that there is big debate around GFO. Some say it's mandatory, some say that it just covers up a bigger nutrient problem and that I should be fine with regular water changes and siphoning.

I'm going to have chaeto refugium, Bubble Magus NAC 3.5 skimmer, about 35lb of rocks and a 2"-3" sand bed.

Should I get the reactor? if yes, should I run 24/7? Or should I just throw a bag of carbon in my sump and forget about GFO?

Thank you

 

You need to have your tank running to accurately say yes you need
It or no you don't. Is it possible to have no excess nutrients without running gfo? sure. The only true way is to measure your po4 levels when your tank has life in it. If it's high running some media would be beneficial.

However, it's only going to be high due to the way you feed and clean the tank, so with that being said, test your levels and if you notice they're promoting algae , look into the reactor. I've had success with reactor running gfo to bring down my phosphate levels. Good luck bud.

 

^^+1

 

Never required IMO.

That being said... if you are planning on SPS corals, then probably will want it in that small of a tank. ULNS are much easier to attain with the addition of GFO.

 

+1 to all the above.

Your skimmer removes dissolved organics before they can be broken down into nutrients in your system, and the chaeto will absorb the nutrients that do occur. As long as you keep up with routine maintenance and don't overstock or overfeed, you shouldn't need gfo.

 

GFO like GAC is cheap insurance and cannot do any harm if used as directed. Skimmers and refugiums are great and I use both but I also run minimal doses of GFO and carbon 24/7/365 as an extra insurance policy.

 

It really depends on the goals for your tank too. ..as in What type of corals.
It's believed that for many SPS corals the PO4 need to be very low for best color.
So many ways to skin a cat but I like to do Skimmer, Refugium and GFO. You may be able to run an algae scrubber and pull PO4 out just as easily, Or use lanthium chloride, Or you could have a giant refugium. For most people it seems using a few methods together is needed.
GFO is a pretty safe media. I haven't heard of anyone over doing it with GFO.
By the way I really like my BRS dual reactor.
Take a look through Reefkeepings tanks of the month. A few do not use GFO but the majority do:
Reefkeeping Blog

 

Thank you all for the answers. I am planning to (also) have SPS corals. Right now I'm thinking of getting the reactor and either run it only when needed or small doses 24/7. As already mentioned here, I guess I'll know best what to do when my tank is up and running but having an "insurance policy" ready to use is always good.

 

If you do decide to use one, running small amounts of gac 24/7/365 would be your best option. It's never a good idea to switch reactors, skimmers, etc. off and on unless you plan to thoroughly clean it each time. Standing water will stagnate and produce ammonia; that's not something you want to pump into your tank.

 

Can I just place the GAC in a place with high flow in my sump?