Best method for Phosguard?

[Frogspon]

My levels are reading at between .5-.75 but I don't want to drop the levels overnight and shock my corals.

The 100ml baggie that I have says it treats 60G.

I have a 40G, so I figure with LR/sand displacement that half the bag would be more ideal.

If I take out half from the bag, how fast would that be dropping my phosphates?

Thanks!

 

[Reef.]

My levels are reading at between .5-.75 but I don't want to drop the levels overnight and shock my corals.

The 100ml baggie that I have says it treats 60G.

I have a 40G, so I figure with LR/sand displacement that half the bag would be more ideal.

If I take out half from the bag, how fast would that be dropping my phosphates?

Thanks!

that is a high lvl, I would think you would be safe with the full bag, test every day, no harm in using half the bag to be safe, you will need much more than that initial bag though.

 

[Frogspon]

that is a high lvl, I would think you would be safe with the full bag, test every day, no harm in using half the bag to be safe, you will need much more than that initial bag though.

Gonna do another read tomorrow. Surprised it was that high because nothing in my tank is showing signs of high phosphates. go figure

 

[Greg P]

Can't answer how fast it will drop the PO4 in your system as each situation/system is different.
Tell us about your other params so we can guide you, if you're not already aware of 'good' system params.
Alk, Ca, Mag, NO3 ??

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I doubt use in a bag will lead to an excessively fast drop. It will deplete pretty fast.

 

[Greg P]

I doubt use in a bag will lead to an excessively fast drop. It will deplete pretty fast.

Of course, that depends on the amount in the bag.
I have a local reefer I've been coaching. In his 32g biocube, his PO4 of 1.77ppm dropped to zero in a few days. He used a bag in the back with 100mls Hi-Cap GFO.
Thankfully he was cycling the tank with dry rock so the rapid drop didn't matter.

He removed the bag and PO4 started to rise again so he's been running 50mls weekly

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Of course, that depends on the amount in the bag.
I have a local reefer I've been coaching. In his 32g biocube, his PO4 of 1.77ppm dropped to zero in a few days. He used a bag in the back with 100mls Hi-Cap GFO.
Thankfully he was cycling the tank with dry rock so the rapid drop didn't matter.

He removed the bag and PO4 started to rise again so he's been running 50mls weekly

Of course you can add an excessive amount of any binder, and that should be avoided, but GFO in a bag is slow, and moreover, I am reluctant to believe this story as written simply from the amounts reported. Test error seems a lot more likely than that result. Dry rock in 1.77 ppm phosphate might have way more than 50 ppm of actual phosphate to remove since a massive amount will be bound to the rock, and I do not believe that amount of GFO will zero out that amount of phosphate.

 

[Greg P]

I can only go by the numbers I was given. Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly how much product was used, but I do know he maxed out a Hanna ULR tester and used a Hanna HI713 to get the 1.77
3 days later he told me it was zero.
I'll pick his brain and update the info

 

[Greg P]

Yup bad memory. He says he used about a cup for 3 days.

 

[Greg P]

A day later the #s started rising again so obviously PO4 wasn't gone, but wasn't testable the day previous