Phosphate remover

I have some phosphate remover that the pet store had. He called it aluminum oxide? It's in the form of little white balls. I don't know what this stuff really is. Anyone use anything like it and can fill me in?

 

The "white ball" media, as you put it, is in fact an aluminum based media. Honestly, you're much better off with a iron based media (ie - GFO = granular ferric oxide). While the aluminum based medias do work, once they become saturated they continuously release/reabsorb phosphates. GFO will never release what it has absorbed.

If you must use it, don't run it longer than 3-4 days before changing it.

GFO can run continuously until it has exhausted it's capacity (4-8 weeks).

 

this is the same ingriedients in the Seacem Brand "Phosgaurd" according to them, it will not release hposphates back into the water....but just what THEY say.

 

ALL aluminum based media releases phosphates once it is saturated, there is no getting around it.
Stick with an iron or ferric (GFO) based product. It works a little slower but does not release contaminants when exhausted.

 

Can I use GFO in a media bag in the sump? Thats the stuff thats in chemi-pure elite, right?

 

Yes you can but it will not be as efficient as in a reactor like the Phosban reactor which fluidizes the media. I run a spoon full along with some carbon in a bag in my modified AC500 refugium on my 16G nano and it does its job.

 

Thanks. I'll give it a shot. I think I've read that GFO can be run for 3 months at a time before changing it. Any truth to that claim?

 

Once the phosphate levels have dropped and you are doing a maintenance dose that may be true. Start with half the recommended dosage in the beginning, about 1 teaspoon or 5 grams for every 10 gallons of tank water, and change it often. Once phosphate levels start declining step up to the recommended dosage of 1 tablespoon or 10 grams for every 10 gallons of tank water and continue monitoring the phosphates with a giid test kit. Once it is in check it may last 3 months but it all depends on your water quality, how much and what you feed.

 

Yeah, I guess my question is more for a tank that doesn't have phosphate issues. I have a slight reading, but would like to have a product in place to prevent issue's before they happen. I'd rather just have a product I can keep in my sump and replace every three months, for peace of mind.

 

btw, chemipure elite is just carbon and GFO mixed togther, however its in a ratio of like 90% carbon 10% GFO. I would just get pure GFO. You can probably get away with 3 months b4 changing GFO assuming phosphates are not consistenly being introduced into your tank via water and/or frozen food.