Best phosphate reducing additive for mixed reef?
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A sea K
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The most common is GFO or granular ferric oxide run in a reactor. There are newer methods now but I am not familiar with them so I can't really comment on them.
jenkinscrew2578
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Phosphate RX - Use it in my tank every month or two depending on testing. Works great and no reactors needed.
http://www.melevsreef.com/taxonomy/term/184
http://www.melevsreef.com/taxonomy/term/184
sbash
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This is an interesting idea. How big is your tank?
Any idea how different this is from simply having chaeto in the sump?
I've tried chaeto/GFO with no real results, I'm now using Red sea's NoPoX and nothing has been able to come close to it in regards to keeping my nutrients in check. Not only that the maintenance that generally comes with using GFO isn't ideal to me either. In my particular system I only use 1ml daily and it keeps my PO4 at 0.01 and NO3 at less than 5. I'll add that I also dose remediation and seed from AquaVitro once a week.
Keep in mind this may make little to no difference in your particular system as you may know already. THings like strictly using RO/DI, how much biological media you're using, feeding habits and the amount of live stock you have all play a major role in what will work for you.
Keep in mind this may make little to no difference in your particular system as you may know already. THings like strictly using RO/DI, how much biological media you're using, feeding habits and the amount of live stock you have all play a major role in what will work for you.
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I would consider the amount of phosphate in the system before deciding. If its really high, RX is a good choice. med, perhaps GFO, normal levels and maint, refugiums, algae scrubbers and chato ractors(refugium). You can also run low dose gfo's and binders for maint.
Deniss
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18 Gallons, it's a DIY reactor. I don't have a sump, that's the reason why i went with a big reactor and roll a led strip around it.
I get more growth in the reactor then my mate with a refugium, i think it's because you re lighting the chaeto in 360 degrees.
CalebWBrink2000
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You could also try Phosphate RX.
Mindi
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running gfo is best but an occasional small dose of Brightwell Phophat-E works very fast...provided you skim out the newly bound phosphate. In the long run adsorption by GFO is better than additive "bind and skim" because it is cheaper and you are not adding anything...just exporting PO4. Phosphat E is poisonously expensive here in Aust.
Dennco2000
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Phosgaurd works good but GFO is cheaper you just have clean GFO a little better. Big fan of chaeto too but we need to know more about your tank.
Water? Skimmer? Feeding? Lighting?
Water? Skimmer? Feeding? Lighting?
MJC
Well-Known Member
Is this a new setup?
Before recommending anything it would be great to have more info about your tank. size? how many fish? how long it's been set up?
Maybe before adding anything you could possibly.
Adjust your bioload(ie reduce fish & or amounts of food added fish are not eating )
Siphon out detritus regularly.
Did something recently die in the tank?
Every tank is different but In my case I don't use GFO or macro alge.
Hope this helps
Before recommending anything it would be great to have more info about your tank. size? how many fish? how long it's been set up?
Maybe before adding anything you could possibly.
Adjust your bioload(ie reduce fish & or amounts of food added fish are not eating )
Siphon out detritus regularly.
Did something recently die in the tank?
Every tank is different but In my case I don't use GFO or macro alge.
Hope this helps
nervousmonkey
LPS Lover, SPS Enabler
There are a lot of products that you can use, but it depends a lot on what you are trying to achieve.
For rapid reduction of phosphate, anything will work, just depends on how quick you want it to happen.
You shouldn't reduce phosphate by more than 0.5 ppm in a 24 hour period, although I've done it and nothing bad happened, just some angry corals for a couple days.
- The liquid based phosphate removers, such as Phosphate RX and Brightwell Phosphate-E, also lanthanum chloride, work super quick, but have to be removed. The best way to do this is to buy one or a few, 10 micron filter socks to trap the solids that are bound. If you don't trap the bound solid phosphate complex, it will just be released, since these have really low binding strength. I have also *heard* that these cause oxygen depletion. I don't know if that's true or not. I have used Phosphate RX and Phosphate-E, and they both work, but you have to have a 10 micron sock.
- GFO on the other hand, has high binding strength but low capacity for binding. Essentially it will take a little longer to get where you want, but GFO will keep the bound phosphate and not release it back, which is why it is so effective.
- Aluminum based PO4 binders like PhosGuard work really well, but like GFO and any other iron based binder, will release a non-trivial amount of aluminum or iron into your water.
- There are resin based phosphate binders like Brightwell PhosphatR, which is regenerable, but I have found that it doesn't work very well. What I *heard*, is that it has a terrible binding capacity at different concentrations, which is why it doesn't work well to reduce phosphate, only to keep it at an acceptable level. I don't know anything about the validity of that statement, and I am sure there is someone here smarter and more knowledgeable that can correct me. All I know is that stuff bites.
I would recommend GFO if you are having a problem, and while you are reducing phosphates in a controlled manner, figure out and try to correct the reason why you have high phosphates. Maybe you don't have high PO4, I don't know.
If you just want to know what is the best phosphate additive for a mixed reef that can help reduce PO4 in cases where it is too high, or to maintain a normal level of PO4, use GFO. It is tried and true.
For rapid reduction of phosphate, anything will work, just depends on how quick you want it to happen.
You shouldn't reduce phosphate by more than 0.5 ppm in a 24 hour period, although I've done it and nothing bad happened, just some angry corals for a couple days.
- The liquid based phosphate removers, such as Phosphate RX and Brightwell Phosphate-E, also lanthanum chloride, work super quick, but have to be removed. The best way to do this is to buy one or a few, 10 micron filter socks to trap the solids that are bound. If you don't trap the bound solid phosphate complex, it will just be released, since these have really low binding strength. I have also *heard* that these cause oxygen depletion. I don't know if that's true or not. I have used Phosphate RX and Phosphate-E, and they both work, but you have to have a 10 micron sock.
- GFO on the other hand, has high binding strength but low capacity for binding. Essentially it will take a little longer to get where you want, but GFO will keep the bound phosphate and not release it back, which is why it is so effective.
- Aluminum based PO4 binders like PhosGuard work really well, but like GFO and any other iron based binder, will release a non-trivial amount of aluminum or iron into your water.
- There are resin based phosphate binders like Brightwell PhosphatR, which is regenerable, but I have found that it doesn't work very well. What I *heard*, is that it has a terrible binding capacity at different concentrations, which is why it doesn't work well to reduce phosphate, only to keep it at an acceptable level. I don't know anything about the validity of that statement, and I am sure there is someone here smarter and more knowledgeable that can correct me. All I know is that stuff bites.
I would recommend GFO if you are having a problem, and while you are reducing phosphates in a controlled manner, figure out and try to correct the reason why you have high phosphates. Maybe you don't have high PO4, I don't know.
If you just want to know what is the best phosphate additive for a mixed reef that can help reduce PO4 in cases where it is too high, or to maintain a normal level of PO4, use GFO. It is tried and true.
Laith
Well-Known Member
At the pH levels we have in our tanks, the lanthanum phosphate will NOT release phosphate back into the tank and the lanthanum is a strong binder. The reason for removing the lanthanum phosphate is that it can be an irritant to the gills of certain fish.
I have used Phosphate Rx with and without a 5 micron sock and have not seen any issue with my fish (including a tang) but I still use a 5 micron sock just to be on the safe side.
nervousmonkey
LPS Lover, SPS Enabler
Awesome info! Thank you @Laith ! I know there are some people out there that know a lot more about this stuff. I've used Phosphate RX without a small micron filter sock and have not noticed adverse effects, but that is observation from a non-scientist.
I agree re: the use of 5 or 10 micron sock (have read that there is a 7 micron sock just for removal of the Lan-PO4) and cannot go against the advice of really knowledgeable people.
Thanks again @Laith !! oh yeah, do you know if the rumor about liquid phosphate removers causing lowered oxygen levels to be true or false? @Elegance Coral ?? I think that I read this from you but not sure if memory serves me correctly here...
