Nitrates and Phosphates

We use Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactors (Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor). They're cheaper and work every bit as good. We can get one for you for $36.99 before shipping and tax if you're interested. We run the seachem denitrate and carbon in them and it works great. You CANNOT put the rowaphos or phosban in them if you're running anything else though. The phosphate absorber is so small that it will just get ground down by the other stuff in the reactor and leach even more phosphates into your system. We run the phosphate remover in a separate phosphate reactor with a slower flow to keep it from getting ground up. You can also run the phosphate remover in a media bag that's placed next to the return pump and it will usually work pretty good.

As far as setup, be aware that most phosphate reactors do not come with a pump. Be prepared to put a T fitting on your return line and have one side go back into your tank like usual while the other side goes into the phosphate reactor. If you're running two phosphate reactors, the output from the first one can go into the input of the second and the output of the second can drain straight back into your sump. If you run the phosphate reactors from a T fitting on your return line, you won't have to buy any extra pumps which will save you space in the sump as well as help you out on the electric bill

 

I guess first we need to know more about your livestock in your tank, filtration, feeding, how long tank has been running b4 making changes. you said your using RODI for top off but how about water change?

 

The tank was up and running for about 3-4 years from someone else.
I just moved it to my house about 2 weeks ago and inherited all its nitrate/phosphate. I kept all the rock/fish and water from the move.

I am now doing 30% water changes every other day with RO/DI water mixed with Instant Ocean salt.

I now have 2 maroon clowns, 1 scopas tang, and one 3 striped damnsel. Friday and Saturday I removed a large Pink Tailed trigger, picasso trigger, and a bursa trigger and brought them to a LFS. I needed them out because I dont want aggression in this tank, plus I want to move to soft corals once I get all levels under control.

I feed about every 2 days...so monday..thursday...sunday!

I think I will go for that phosphate reactor, especially when I re-plumb my whole tank because I can run everything off of one pump. I have an Iwaki 100 waiting in the wings ...just need a few more things to start that project. With that reactor, can you mix the seachem denitrate with the Kent Phosphate Sponge? The Kent Phosphate Sponge looks bigger in size!?! If not you suggest putting the Seachem Denitrate and then carbon, in what ratio?
Also could you PM me a final price with shipping to 06798? Along with the media needed!
Thanks!

 

I would work on cleaning the sumps and getting that done. Good maintenance is the key. It won't hurt anything to shut down one sump and clean it while the other is operational.

 

I haven’t read this whole thread, sorry if I miss something later stated, out of time today.

140? Have it tested at a lfs – something seems amiss.

You said you use RO/DI and you tested your tap water for phosphates, ok…but did oyu test the RO/DI for nitrates? You should – your filters could be all used up.

Do you have problem algae? Dead fish? Tank smell ? anything other than a bad test result?

 

Have you tested the make up water for NO3 levels ? Have you tested you kit to a new or another kit ? And like above I have not read the entire string . I always use a NO3 coil I assume they work as I have never has a NO# issue ever

 

Tangster's so good he can taste nitrates...

 

Ok...I didnt taste my RO water but I did test it just now and its nitrates are 0.

The test kits are API and they are brand new...two weeks old at the most.

 

Oh well we all can't be perfect