Experience with Rowaphos so far...

[Brian W]

Yesterday I went by my LFS and picked up 500ml of Rowaphos. Today I set it up in my BRS single media reactor. I used 5 gallons of RODI water to rinse the murky brown liquid out of it, but that was not enough. So I used 10 total gallons of RODI water to rinse it clear.

At 1:30pm CST I did a water test with the Hanna Phosphate checker and the Hanna Phosphorus ULR checker. Phosphate checker read 0.08 and the Phosphorus checker read 0.10. I trust the phosphorus checker just a little more since it reads such a low range.

At 7:30pm CST I did another test with the Hanna Phosphorus ULR checker and the results were 0.05
Does Rowaphos really work that fast? Or is it the initial "jump start phase" and from here on out it should stay steady or just just slowly reduce the phosphates as the days go on?

I will be checking my phosphates at 6:30am CST and decide if I want to temporarily shut my reactor down for the day until I get home from work. I do not want to strip my phosphates too low too quickly.

I also noticed my pH dropped from 8.39 to 8.08. I have read Rowaphos will do do this initially but then pH will become stable again.

Thank you.

 

[Brian W]

Forgot to mention.
Total water volume is around 95-100 gallons
I used 1/2 cup of Rowaphos.

 

[xjiang7]

I have been using rowa for 2 years and never had a phosphate issue. Sorry I can’t answer your question but there is a tip: mix rowa with activate carbon this way you won’t need to rinse as much

 

[Brian W]

This morning I did a test and my phosphates were at 0.
I did accidently use the phosphate checker instead of the phosphorus checker.
I turned the reactor off just to be safe.
I will test the water with the phosphorus checker when I get home.
If this stuff does indeed work this well, I may just throw it in a media bag and reduce the amount I'm using.
More updates to come

 

[Brian W]

I have been using rowa for 2 years and never had a phosphate issue. Sorry I can’t answer your question but there is a tip: mix rowa with activate carbon this way you won’t need to rinse as much

I may try this. What carbon do you use?
Im assuming you are not tumbling the combo together, correct?

 

[xjiang7]

I may try this. What carbon do you use?
Im assuming you are not tumbling the combo together, correct?

I use the rox 0.8 from brs. No I don’t tumble. I mix them together and fix them with the foam pad in the reactor.

 

[Brian W]

I use the rox 0.8 from brs. No I don’t tumble. I mix them together and fix them with the foam pad in the reactor.

I thought about getting the ROX 0.8 but went with the small particle lignite.
Just ordered me 1/2 gallon Saturday.

 

[Rick Krejci]

I had to medicate my FOWLR with Chloroquine Phosphate, and as a result my phosphates went through the roof (as expected for CP) to about 4 ppm! After the medication period, I used Rowaphos in a reactor to reduce Phosphate to a managable level before removing the CP with carbon. In a single day, it went from 4-2 ppm! The next day it went down to 1 ppm and the next day 0.8. I think I exhausted it. I stopped there and removed the reactor since my Nitrates were a bit elevated (25 ppm) and I am letting Chaeto do it's thing (down around 0.3 now, with Nitrates dropping as well). I also wanted a little algae to grow on the rocks for my Foxface to munch on while I'm on vacation since CP kills all the algae. I'll worry about getting everything in better order once I return.

The stuff works well and fast! You do have to be careful not to strip Phosphates to 0 though...mixing a smaller amount with Carbon is likely a good idea if you need to reduce Phosphates only.

 

[Brian W]

Monday afternoon I did a test with the ULR checker and PO4 were at .09
I turned the rowaphos reactor back on Monday afterniin
It is still running this morning.
Took a reading this morning and PO4 is at 0.04
Alk was at 7.9
pH was at 8.35

I will see where it is at this afternoon and determine of I want to stop using it again or maybe even reduce the media in the reactor.

 

[Brian W]

Just tested the water and PO4 was at 0.123
Alkalinity was at 7.7

Turned on the reactor once again.
It's incredible how quick PO4 can raise & lower.

 

[Brian W]

So today is day 15 and I have been running the rowaphos reactor for 11 days straight now, PO4 is at 0.08 and has stayed there steadily.
Seems like maybe its just keeping up or slowing losing its initial strength. Alkalinity has been a steady 7.9-8.0 for the past few days.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just tested the water and PO4 was at 0.123
Alkalinity was at 7.7

Turned on the reactor once again.
It's incredible how quick PO4 can raise & lower.

People often don't realize it, but the amount brought in with foods each day is large (say, about 0.02 to 0.3 ppm per day) and there is also a big reservoir of phosphate attached to rock and sand that can come on or off as you try to change the levels.

So the value you measure in the water, even if low, is typically the end result of the balance between large amounts of phosphate coming into the water and going out all the time.

 

[Brian W]

People often don't realize it, but the amount brought in with foods each day is large (say, about 0.02 to 0.3 ppm per day) and there is also a big reservoir of phosphate attached to rock and sand that can come on or off as you try to change the levels.

So the value you measure in the water, even if low, is typically the end result of the balance between large amounts of phosphate coming into the water and going out all the time.

Good to know. Thank you.
I'm happy with 0.08 PO4 right now, I would love to get to 0.03 but working slowly at it.
I normally feed 1 sheet of nori daily and 2 cubes of LRS reef frenzy about 1/4" in size.

I started with rocks that were 8 months old in a previous system
I did however start with dry sand instead of live sand
I run a:
Filter socks - changed every 2 days
RO Skimer - running 24/7
H380 fuge light - running from 10pm - 2pm
302 Turf Algae Scrubber - running 24/7 to break in
6 bulb 48" t5 - running from 4pm - 10pm

 

[Brian W]

1/4/18: PO4 was at 0.02 and everything is looking good. I shut the reactor off as its been roughly 1 month. I will add 1/2 as much rowaphos and fill the other 1/2 with lignite small particle carbon on the next run.
Thanks

 

[Goldenvue]

What pump are ya useing in your reactor? Any pics of how you have it set up would be awesome!

 

[Ocean Lotion]

Forgot to mention.
Total water volume is around 95-100 gallons
I used 1/2 cup of Rowaphos.

I run a 2 little fishies reactor with 1/2 cup of rowaphos and it is clear by the time I run a little over a gallon thought it. I just run my well water through it. If I was using city water I would run dechlorinated water through it and then dump out what is in the canister if I felt I needed to.

 

[Brian W]

What pump are ya useing in your reactor? Any pics of how you have it set up would be awesome!

I am using a BRS single reactor and a maxijet 1200 pump. I believe I have a pic somewhere....let me check.

 

[jdemarco]

I too have had to run lots of water through at set up...10gal sounds about right......its filthy dirty awful rusty orange brown outflow!.....could never imagine not rinsing.....its unervingly filthy at startup.....i would use rowa very slowly.......very small qty and work up but having to rinse makes the slow addition of product tough to execute imo.

 

[Brian W]

What pump are ya useing in your reactor? Any pics of how you have it set up would be awesome!