Phosphate Control

[jnmarshall]

I have a 40 gal tank with a few fish, rocks and corals. I am struggling with phosphates. I've been using Phosguard in a sock on the return of an HOB skimmer. It works ok for a while like about 1 to 2 weeks but if I remove it or leave it in too long I end up with phosphate spikes. I also don't like the idea of exchanging this stuff out every 2 weeks for two reasons. One it is not cheap and two I've read that using these products leave behind additional elements that aren't desirable. I do about a 4 gallon (10%) water change every weekend. The only problem I am experience with all this is an abondant growth of green hair algea. Neither a lawnmower blenny or turbo snails can keep up with it.
What other suggestions? Is a phosphate reactor required?

 

[etphi]

You can use chemi-pure elite and purigen. They work pretty well.

 

[jnmarshall]

@etphi wrote:

I'm using the phosguard over purigen because my amonia/nitrates are 0 as recommended by Seachem.
Not sure about the chemi-pure. Thought that was freshwater?

 

[etphi]

They can be used for saltwater as well. The chemi-pure elite contains ferric oxide that removes phosphate and silicates. <-- that's what it says on the bottle. http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4177 make sure it's chemi-pure elite though. You can always add on a HOB refugium and add cheato in it. That should help a lot with phosphate

 

[jnmarshall]

@etphi wrote:

Sounds like the same as Phosban which is also an Iron/ferrus exchanger. That's why I thought these weren't safe for long term continous use. Phosguard is aluminum based so I would expect there to be aluminum in my water.

 

[Guest]

i use phosphate e from brightwells i dose it in the skimmer and it binds with phosphates for the skimmer to take out.

 

[coralreefer]

@kuyatwo wrote:

How do you add it to the skimmer while it is running? Have you seen any effects other than lower phosphates?

 

[jnmarshall]

@kuyatwo wrote:

You just do a weekly dosing of 1 capful per 20G? The description sounds pretty harmless!

 

[Guest]

you just pour it straight into skimmer it binds to the phosphate and foams out. go slowly especially if you have sps as you dont want to lower phosphates too quickly to shock the sps.

 

[Dynamic_Reef]

@kuyatwo wrote:

cool never heard anyone do that before to lower Phos always ran GFO. maybe on a lil tank I will try this method I do like brightwell products thanks for tip!

 

[bimmerzs]

Also make sure you are using actual ro/di water with low tds readings for those water changes. [smilie=wink.gif] Make sure your lights are not too old also, if they shift towards the red spectrum then that would really accelerate GHA growth. If more than a year old then you may want to plan on changing them out soon as well.

Cheers,

 

[fusionvi]

I use phosphate e as well, guys at mid cities recommended it and it works great. Just dose it to skimmer section of your sump.