Phosphates

What is the best way to get your phosphates lowered?
I have a TLF phosban and ran RowaPhos, and TLF Phosban media in it with some ok results, not the best though!

Anyone use Kent's Phosphate Sponge in a bag along with the TLF reactor?

Is there anything else to bring them down?

 

ccscscpc

Rowaphos has been the product that I have found to be the most succesful, having tried various brands

my experience has been that when you start running in on a tank with a measurable phosphate level it does take a few weeks and changes of media in the reactor to reduce the measurable level to 0

I have also found using half of whats suggested and changing it twice as often as suggested ensures you always have media thats fresh and as such capable of absorbing more phosphate

if you start using it with measurable phosphate levels, it may run a few days, become saturated and yet you continue to run it as its only been in a few days

frequent changes of smaller quantities have proven the best method for me at reducing phosphates with Rowaphos

Steve

 

I run Chemi Pure Elite bagged in my TLF 150 reactor, it's the smallest size bag of it, I think 11oz or so. I just stuff it in the reactor every 3-4 weeks & my P04 has tested at 0 since. I like it since it adds the benefit of carbon also.

 

You should look into cutting back on how much you feed and use chaeto in a refugium also.

 

It's a two sided equasion. One side is removal, and one side is addition. It's critical that we figure out if we're contributing to the problem, and if so, how we can stop. Two ways phosphates can get into your tank is through food and inadequately filtered water. Other than the removal side, as Steve, MoJo and 2in10 hit upon, the addition side has to be minded too. Also, LR can be saturated with the stuff too.

If you are working on getting it out, you must be vigilant. Keep up on water changes, turkey baste your rocks to clear pores of detritus, change your filter media and the contents of your reactor regularly. You'll see a difference over time.

Good luck.

 

Thanks everyone....I will continue to do what I have been doing and over time it will go down.

I only feed 3x's a week and I always turkey baste the rocks, I do regular water changes, I have Chemi Pure elite running in a bag in my sump, I have chaeto and mangroves in my fuge, I have another TLF reactor with carbon, I have another TLF reactor with the Phosphate remover and I have a monster skimmer.

I think I will start changing the media every two weeks and using less....Thats sounds like a good plan for now!

 

I forgot to mention, it's imperative that algae must be physically removed during the process. If it's alive, dead, or dying, get it out. As the algae dies, the phosphates it consumed during its life will go right back into the water and perpetuate the problem.

It's an uphill climb, especially when you have nuisance growth already in the tank--clueing you in to the fact that phosphates and nitrates are present. Just ask me, I'm a veteran.

It might be overkill, but about a month ago I started a regimen of weekly water changes, daily detritus and algae removal via baster and toothbrush/siphon, and weekly changing out of the phos reactor. I'm also changing out my Purigen bags every two weeks.

Uphill climb indeed. Just don't let what seems like losing the battle discourage you. In a way, if you're doing all the above and continue to see growth, it's a sign that you're winning, b/c you now know the source is coming out of your rock, or from dying nuisance growth. Either way, you'll get there. Stick with it.