Phosphates!

[Jpaul]

I just checked my phosphates for the first time, they were very high 2.0! I do a water change once a month using RO water and Corallife sea salt. In the past I used to use tap water but I haven't in 3 months. Besides water changes once a month is there anything on the market that is trustworthy that will help bring my numbers to 0?

 

[ryangrieder]

Pick up a reactor Like a phosban or the Kent reactor. Then get a Marineland euro 400 pump. Then get some GFO. (Granulated ferric oxide) make sure while it runs it has a lit tumble...

 

[Jim]

First off , you should give a little more info on your tank. What size? How many gal water change? What test are you using to check phosphates? If you are trying to lower your PO4 you should be doing more frequent water changes. Are you checking your TDS on the R/O? Also change out your GFO more frequently.

 

[Jpaul]

My Tank is 50 gallons, sg 1.023
ammonia 0
ph 8.2
nitrite 0
nitrates 0
mag 1300
calcium 480
Test for phosphate is api. I do a 25% water change once a month. What should I increase it to? I get the RO from the fish store I go to and what is GFO?

 

[Imbarrie]

Slow the sources of phosphates.
Primarily the food you are adding to the tank.

 

[ryangrieder]

Go to bulkreefsupply.com and go into GFO (granulated ferric oxide), then watch the videos and it will explain. It's a type of media you put on a reactor

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Being that you used Tap water all that time,your rock,sand bed has soaked up all that po4 and it'll be a while before it'll get lower.

 

[Jpaul]

Do you need a reactor to use GFO? or can you put it in the sump like you would carbon?

 

[rambler67]

a reactor will work alot better. you might want to think about doing weekly water changes to get it down. plus check the food you use to make sure it doesn have any phosphates in it. also check the water supply you are using. it took me around 6 months of weekly water changes to completely get rid of the po. in my tank after i get my rodi unit.

 

[Jpaul]

Got a phosBan 150 reactor with a maxi jet 400. Hooked it up read the instructions like 10 times and it didn't work. The GFO was not moving, just stayed flat on the bottom sponge. Going back to the store and seeing if this one was just faulty and trying another one!

 

[Imbarrie]

Sounds like you have the hoses backwards.

The pump is plumbed to the center port and the valve goes on hose right before it enters the reactor.

 

[Jpaul]

I think I got it! The media is just supposed to be moving a bit on the bottom correct? Or is it supposed to look like it boiling?

 

[ryangrieder]

check out this video bro. it shows the correct amount of tumble.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwfuo7OIosQ

 

[Imbarrie]

There are many types of media you can use in that reactor.

GFO is good, some companies mix the GFO with carbon and other media types.

I say this becasue you may want to mix some media to pull phos out faster. GFO is great because it doesnt leech back but there are others that are cheaper that work also.

 

[Jpaul]

I put phosban as media, I didn't put more than the recemended amount for a 50 gallon as it states it can lower Alkalinity. I use chemipure carbon in my sump. What else do you suggest I use?

 

[SanmanReefer]

I was having that same problem awhile back and it was due to overfeeding and old bulbs in my T5 fixture. This is how I corrected the problem:
Started doing water changes every 5 days, that lowered my phosphates drastically. Started wet skimming very aggresively. Also purchased a PhosBan 150 reactor and NPX Biopellets. Of course, got the feeding under control, new bulbs and some patience. Hope this helps.

 

[Jpaul]

Thanks buddy, my fish all died of ich(have new ones in quarintine), so I'm not really putting too much food in the tank except for corals twice a week. Got the Phosban 150 and I will start doing weekly water changes.