Pura Phoslock Question

So i just got some Phoslock for my green hair algae problem and i am adding it to my biocube, chamber one today behind the stock carbon filter. it says to use three times the recommended dose to " clean up a well established tank. It also says to remove as much through scrapping as possible and vacuum the gravel bed thoroughly. Well ive heard that you shouldnt disturb the sand and also how do i scrub the rocks without harming the corals and disrupting the tank>>
so questions
1. should i triple the dosage
2. should i vacuum the sand
3. how do i scrub the rocks with out disturbing the tank

 

Good questions, Crusty. It's important that you understand the whys and wherefores of the 3 principles above--then you can make your own decisions based on your needs.

First, it probably says to triple the dosage b/c the product manufacturers anticpate that with die-off, will come liberated phosphate, and this will perpetuate the problem. (Plus, it won't hurt them to sell more product.)

Should you vacuum the sand? It depends. Do you have an old tank? Do you have a deep sand bed? If yes, then no--don't vacuum. At the very least though, you must get any algae off the sand that might be growing there. The directions say to vacuum the "gravel bed" which is a different animal. Gravel can be vacuumed fairly easily. The products designed to do this will suck the gravel up partways, tumbling it, and cleaning off each piece somewhat individually before the gravel drops back down, and the detritus (gunk) gets siphoned off. This is not the case with sand. Sand can not really be effectively vacuumed without removing some sand completely. If I remember, your tank isn't terribly old, and you don't use a DSB of 4" or more. So you probably don't have anoxic pockets deep in your sand that can fould your tank.

How do you scrub the rocks without disturbing the tank? You get yourself a large enough vessel to hold waterchange water (which is water you remove when you perform a waterchange), and place some LR to be cleaned into that vessel (outside of your tank). Working with a bath brush, or something similar (one that hasn't seen a bathtub, of course), physically remove as much algae as you can. A second tub with saltwater would be ideal in which to swish the newly-cleaned rock, before returning the rock to your aquarium. In this fashion, you're never putting the LR into fresh water--so you're not killing the live bacteria on/in the rock.

One other note. As you know, phosphate causes the growth of algae. When algae dies in your tank, the phosphate it consumed to grow, will be liberated. In effect, you're letting the killer out of the cage to kill again. This is why the directions say to physically remove as much algae as possible before starting the process. Less die off means less phosphate being freed back into the tank. Make sense?

Your decision to attack algae growth by using phosphate removing media is an excellent one--but if you don't FIRST rid your tank of every speck of algae you can see (on the glass, on the sand, on the rock); you are effectively wasting your time and money.

This board is all about learning from the mistakes of others, so you don't have to make these mistakes yourself. I can't tell you how many times I've attacked algae problems incorrectly, and was puzzled, frustrated and BROKE by the time I had spent hours in my tank getting everything wet--only to see the problem come back in a week. There are a few other sources of phosphates and algae "food" you should know about. Frozen food almost always contains some phosphates. Consider rinsing it in a net in some tank water before introduction if you feed frozen. Old lights can also fuel algal growth by providing the color that green algae loves. Lack of maintenance (allowing detritus to accumulate, and not physically removing algae as you find it) will contribute to the problem. There are other variables too, but if you don't mechanically remove the existing algae, and add phosphate removing media NOW to put an end to this--you may never win. Also, I probably don't have to tell you to avoid tap water like the plague, right?

So, to review:
Should you triple the dosage? Yes.
Should you vacuum the sand? Yes, only enough to get any algae off.
How do you scrub the rocks without disturbing the tank? Scrub them outside the tank.

Algae might be one of the single most factors that discourages people to the point of leaving the hobby. But if you attack it from the right direction, by taking away the food source (nitrates and phosphates), you WILL win the war. Hopefully you don't have to lose too many battles first.

 

Sparky pretty much nailed everything but there are a few things to add:

Even if you have a DSB or older tank, you can still hit the sand with the vacuum. Just dont go very deep into it. Just use it to kind of sift through that top 1" or so of sand and you will be fine.
Rock wise I like to use a toothbrush. Keep the vacuum out for this, and just siphon away the debris as you do it. No need to take the rocks out.
The only thing I would add is to read the directions on the canister of the stuff VERY CAREFULLY. Some phosphate products can not be used in conjunction with carbon, so make sure it is safe to do so.

 

ReefSparky thank you so much. you are extremely thorough, but straight to the point. Im glad i didnt add the phoslock yet... right on!!!!

 

IME it is better to scrub the rock in water just taken from the tank and not in the D.T. itself.

 

Wish I had Reefsparky's advise when I first had to fight the dreaded green menace.

My Tank

 

I agree for one simple reason. Scrubbing the rock INSIDE the DT involves either having an assistant to siphon freed algae as you scrub, or involves YOU having two hands in your tank.

IMO it's easier to remove the rock and just have done with it--but I see and respect Pack's point. Sometimes your aquascape is glued in place, or impractical to remove, or worse yet, has polyps or corals glued in place. In such scenarios, removing the rock is probably not worth the trouble or risk.