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Blue Life Clear Fx Pro - Thoughts?
- Thread starter mfisher2112
- Start date
I've been meaning to ask the same question for a few days now. Just keep forgetting.
I've never used CPE, so I can't really compare results to that.
MSRP on Clear FX Pro is:
450ml, good for up to 50 gallons of saltwater, up to 4 months, MSRP is $21.99
225ml, good for up to 25 gallons of saltwater, up to 4 months, MSRP is $13.99
This is the link directly to the Blue Life Product specs, if you are interested in reading what the manufacturer has to say. (I usually take everything the manufacturer has to say about it's own product with a grain of salt, but this will at least give you an idea of what they claim the product can do).
http://www.bluelifeusa.com/CLEARFxPRO-225ml
MSRP on Clear FX Pro is:
450ml, good for up to 50 gallons of saltwater, up to 4 months, MSRP is $21.99
225ml, good for up to 25 gallons of saltwater, up to 4 months, MSRP is $13.99
This is the link directly to the Blue Life Product specs, if you are interested in reading what the manufacturer has to say. (I usually take everything the manufacturer has to say about it's own product with a grain of salt, but this will at least give you an idea of what they claim the product can do).
http://www.bluelifeusa.com/CLEARFxPRO-225ml
my only question is this, the absorbtive (is that even a word?) properties of g.a.c. become diminished much faster in an aquarium than g.f.o. from what i understand, so are you gonna remove g.f.o. that still has some use left in it, or keep depleted g.a.c. in your system? i thought that that was the reasoning behind dual reactors.
The manufacturer claims that the 4 month estimated life span of the product is averaged across all 3 components.
Do I think that's true? I have no idea, that's why I'm testing the product. Could it turn out to be complete snake oil? Yup. But only time will tell either way.
But to your point, many are actually beginning to combine GAC and GFO in the same reactor by calculating the appropriate amounts of each to average the lifespan of each. Especially now with the big upsurge in smaller footprint tanks. There just isn't the space there used to be in sumps to house multiple different pieces of equipment. If I were running a 210 gallon tank with a 50 gallon sump, I'd not even bother. I'd put reactors in for gac and gfo, and be done with it. Unfortunately, this is a 30 gallon long with a 15 gallon sump that is crammed full as it is.
Again, it's a relatively new concept as well, so who knows if that works or not over the long term. I know a lot of people are claiming it does. (But then again, a lot of people claim they were abducted by aliens too, and I don't know if I believe them either. That's why I am testing this one myself.)
It's important to note: I do not in any way, shape or form represent this company, or any of their products directly. This is simply me, with a problem in a tank that a relatively new product claims to be able to handle, testing those claims, and reporting my results.
Day 3: No noticeable decline in Hair Algae. Of course, it HAS only been 3 days.
Water appears much clearer than it has in a long time, and there is still no build up of "surface scum" in the corner like there used to be. I'm also not seeing any build up in the return section of the sump any more. (That section historically would get a little surface scum because the water is moving so slowly by the time it reaches that section)
I've noticed the skimmer settled down quite a bit from what it has been in the past, and I actually had to turn it up a bit to keep it skimming wet. Need to keep my eye on that so it doesn't go nutso on me and start spilling back into the sump.
One interesting note: After a tiny battle with Cyano a couple of months ago, which eventually ran it's course and vanished, I have noticed that a little bit of cyano has cropped up (about a dime sized section) on one of the zoa rocks that sits on the sand. This could be coincidence, I don't know. Too early to tell, as cyano has occasionally turned up in the past for a few days in spots, and then vanished again, multiple times. I will keep my eye on this, and report on it if it seems significant or related.
I have also noticed a significant increase in air bubbles across the back wall where strands of hair algae that I couldn't pluck off are still there. Again, I do not know if this is associated one way or another, but it was noted, so I'm reporting it.
Stay Tuned!
Water appears much clearer than it has in a long time, and there is still no build up of "surface scum" in the corner like there used to be. I'm also not seeing any build up in the return section of the sump any more. (That section historically would get a little surface scum because the water is moving so slowly by the time it reaches that section)
I've noticed the skimmer settled down quite a bit from what it has been in the past, and I actually had to turn it up a bit to keep it skimming wet. Need to keep my eye on that so it doesn't go nutso on me and start spilling back into the sump.
One interesting note: After a tiny battle with Cyano a couple of months ago, which eventually ran it's course and vanished, I have noticed that a little bit of cyano has cropped up (about a dime sized section) on one of the zoa rocks that sits on the sand. This could be coincidence, I don't know. Too early to tell, as cyano has occasionally turned up in the past for a few days in spots, and then vanished again, multiple times. I will keep my eye on this, and report on it if it seems significant or related.
I have also noticed a significant increase in air bubbles across the back wall where strands of hair algae that I couldn't pluck off are still there. Again, I do not know if this is associated one way or another, but it was noted, so I'm reporting it.
Stay Tuned!
Water change day tomorrow, so I was going to update then, but I gotta tell ya. So far, I'm not impressed. I've seen absolutely no signs of the hair algae receding. In fact, its actually growing back in places where I plucked it out last time. It doesn't seem to be coming back as fast, but still, no reduction at all.
In all fairness, it hasn't really been that long, but I've seen results from good quality gfo in a reactor in this time period in the past.
I'm going to ride it out about a month. If I don't see results to the positive by then, I'll call it at that point.
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In all fairness, it hasn't really been that long, but I've seen results from good quality gfo in a reactor in this time period in the past.
I'm going to ride it out about a month. If I don't see results to the positive by then, I'll call it at that point.
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Actually, yes.
So far, this stuff is nothing but expensive snake oil. The carbon in the pouch is high quality, I'll give it that, it cleared the water to crystal clarity, and absolutely eliminated the surface film that was appearing in the left back corner of the tank.
HOWEVER, not only is there NO reduction in hair algae, but it is GROWING. So much so, that I had to clear my overflow the other day because my tank was on the verge of spilling over the top because the hair algae had clumped and clogged the overflow box. AND, I'm now battling Cyano again, on TOP of the hair algae, which was non existent before adding the Clear FX Pro. Now, the appearance of cyano MAY be coincidence, but it did appear days after adding the Clear Fx Pro to the sump.
I have to say I have seen zero positive results with this stuff.
Next stop, RowaPhos.
So I finally had some time to make some adjustments on this tank. I took the filter sock out and turned the end of the return line in the sump so that the flow going in to the sump is directly hitting the bag of clear fx pro. Maybe by increasing the flow moving thu the media I will see some kind of result.
So far, I've not seen any result at all other than the water clarity increase. It has done nothing to the hair algae, and it has done nothing for the film that accumulates on the glass.
I am due for a water change soon, and have been harvesting the hair algae regularly. If this ldoesn't work, I'm going to have to figure out how to get a small reactor in the already tight sump and run some gfo.
Sorry for the long delays in updates.
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So far, I've not seen any result at all other than the water clarity increase. It has done nothing to the hair algae, and it has done nothing for the film that accumulates on the glass.
I am due for a water change soon, and have been harvesting the hair algae regularly. If this ldoesn't work, I'm going to have to figure out how to get a small reactor in the already tight sump and run some gfo.
Sorry for the long delays in updates.
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I find I must make an update to this thread.
The clear fx pro has been in the sump. Didn't seem to be doing anything, but I just never took it out.
Hadn't done it in a while, so I decided to run a full battery of tests. Imagine my surprise when nitrates tested at zero! I was so shocked, I did the nitrate test 3 times. And yep, tested at zero all 3 times. I've NEVER run a zero nitrate tank. More importantly, this tank, even with water changes, was running between 40 and 50.
Considering I've done nothing else, I can only attribute the nitrates to the clear fx pro.
The tank is still a hair algae farm, so evidently, it is doing nothing for phosphates, but it is keeping the nitrates down.
Since then, I pulled out a reactor out of storage, cleaned it, repaired the leaking fittings, and have poured the clear fx pro into the reactor along with some chemi pure elite.
I'm hoping the combination, in a reactor as opposed to passively in a filter bag, will increase its efficiency.
Go figure! Clear fx pro apparently actually does reduce nitrates significantly!
Now I just have to figure out why my alk is testing under 6 with a ph of 8.2 on average, mag at 1520, and calcium at 460.
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The clear fx pro has been in the sump. Didn't seem to be doing anything, but I just never took it out.
Hadn't done it in a while, so I decided to run a full battery of tests. Imagine my surprise when nitrates tested at zero! I was so shocked, I did the nitrate test 3 times. And yep, tested at zero all 3 times. I've NEVER run a zero nitrate tank. More importantly, this tank, even with water changes, was running between 40 and 50.
Considering I've done nothing else, I can only attribute the nitrates to the clear fx pro.
The tank is still a hair algae farm, so evidently, it is doing nothing for phosphates, but it is keeping the nitrates down.
Since then, I pulled out a reactor out of storage, cleaned it, repaired the leaking fittings, and have poured the clear fx pro into the reactor along with some chemi pure elite.
I'm hoping the combination, in a reactor as opposed to passively in a filter bag, will increase its efficiency.
Go figure! Clear fx pro apparently actually does reduce nitrates significantly!
Now I just have to figure out why my alk is testing under 6 with a ph of 8.2 on average, mag at 1520, and calcium at 460.
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Matt, are you sure it's not just a "false reading" and that the HA isn't just consuming it all?
I thought that too. But I've never had a situation where HA bound up so much that it tested zero. Even with the HA at its peak of growth, I was still testing nitrates between 40 and 50 with regular water changes. This drop off to zero is sudden, within the last 2 to 3 weeks or so.
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