Cant ger phosphate under control

[loweryphil]

My reading is 0.25 but i have to clean the glass of film algae every day. Is this normal? Ive tried rowaphos in a sock and also agent green and still it continues.

 

[wkscott]

What do you mean the rowaphos in a sock? Is it in your filter sock with water from your overflow going into or through it?

 

[Luke Schnabel]

Use GFO and the filter sock needs to be a 5 micron. If your feeding dry foods cut way back. They are really high in phosphate

 

[wkscott]

Use GFO and the filter sock needs to be a 5 micron. If your feeding dry foods cut way back. They are really high in phosphate

There is no such thing as a 5 micron filter sock. Water would barely pass through it inless it was highly pressurized. 5 micron filters are generally used in RO systems to purify water.

 

[Luke Schnabel]

https://www.amazon.com/Micron-Singed-Polyester-Filter-PESP1S/dp/B004F9IH0C

I use 5 micron filter socks

 

[wkscott]

https://www.amazon.com/Micron-Singed-Polyester-Filter-PESP1S/dp/B004F9IH0C

I use 5 micron filter socks

They may list them as 5 micron, but trust me, they aren't. Most filter socks are 100 to 200 microns. 5 microns are for water purification purposes.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...Gi9HFWPLRqonowe9FkngOrAvnh87_gbaI8aAiov8P8HAQ

 

[mcarroll]

I suspect a typo.

To the OP, be careful questing for an algae-free tank. Algae is definitely not the enemy. You can reduce its presence on the glass by reducing how much you light the glass.

Do be wary of overstocking and the resultant over-feeding though – these are your enemies. The tank will end up accumulating PO4. Usually NO3 is dealt with via denitrification, but when nutrient inputs are really high (or other conditions poor) sometimes it accumulates too.

Lots of folks try to manage overstocking with bandaids like carbon dosing and GFO. Those things can help, but it's best to keep the tank balanced in the first place.

2¢

 

[jsker]

How long has the system been setup?

 

[mcarroll]

Seems like filter flow rates and micron ratings are independent. It's possible this bag is 5 micron.

RODI filters are built for RODI flow rates, so I think that's an apples-to-oranges comparison.

 

[wkscott]

Seems like filter flow rates and micron ratings are independent. It's possible this bag is 5 micron.

RODI filters are built for RODI flow rates, so I think that's an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Check any reputable fish supply company like BRS, Marine Depot or Drs. Foster Smith. You'll see that none of them carry 5 micron bags. The lowest you'll find is may be 50 microns.

 

[mcarroll]

I know it's definitely not "normal" – that's why I wondered if maybe it was a typo....for 500µ perhaps?

But I also know that there are pages and pages of filter bags listed in the industrial supply catalog:
https://www.grainger.com/category/f...gs/filtration/plumbing/ecatalog/N-a75Z1z0ns1q

If that works, it should be a search for Grainger's 5µ bag supply. (There's a checkbox on the left for micron size.)

I get seven listings, including well known brands. 20 gallons per minute (1200 GPH) is the "slowest" 5µ bag they list.

Who knew?

 

[loweryphil]

I dont know about how fine the bag is. Its in a sock on in the over flow. My ligbting comes on blues 9am-9pm and whites 12pm- 8pm. Stocking wise i have 2 clowns, chalk goby, fire fish, 5 hermits, 2 shrimp and a few snails with various corals in a 130L

 

[Luke Schnabel]

I run possibly 200 gph into the 5 micron sock. I only use it on my emergency drain on the herbie sytyle overflow. It will not work on a normal flow.

Yes BRS sells 100-200 micron socks because that's what the hobby generally uses to catch organics in the overflow. Cathcing the perticualte that liquid phosphate remover makes needs a small micron sock, which not a lot of people use this method. So they don't sell them. But they are 5 microns and they can be used.

 

[ebushrow]

There is no such thing as a 5 micron filter sock. Water would barely pass through it inless it was highly pressurized. 5 micron filters are generally used in RO systems to purify water.

I have 5 micro socks....also, I have 0.5 micron filters in my RODI....not sure where your info is coming from, but it's wrong. Mine are from coralvue, they are about 1/2" thick.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

Getting back on track here: OP, what's your water source? Many tap waters have a large amount of phosphate to counter heavy metals in the water... there are products to remove phosphates which you should add to any water you use (if you are using tap) other than that.. what are you feeding/ how are you feeding it/ how often are you feeding? The liquids that are included in frozen foods are hugely phosphate filled, try to avoid thawing the entire frozen piece into the tank, and instead thaw outside the tank, and feed the meaty pieces with tweezers. If you're feeding any more than once per day this could also be a contributor to your phosphate

 

[loweryphil]

Frozen brine shrimp thawed out in some tank water then in a cup in the fridge. Suck up with a syringe twice a day. Would adding agent green to my food cup combat this?

 

[loweryphil]

Sorry not twice a day. Once every two days. ( just woke up)

 

[Luke Schnabel]

I wouldn't add anything to the food. The best thing to do with frozen is to rinse it before you feed it.
If you feed dry foods as well cut way back.

Honestly the easiest thing to get rid of phosphate is a GFO Reactor.

 

[mcarroll]

That's also the easiest way to strip PO4 to zero....which can lead to cyano, dino's, toxic algae, faded or dead corals and any number of other things. A bit too easy....so if you do it, start small like anything else. I typically recommend half or a quarter of the recommended dose to start with.

 

[loweryphil]

Tank has no room for a reactor. Its only my first tank and have to wipe the glass every two days. Maybe its my lighting or i may have to try feed once every 3 days