How do you all keep your phosphates in check

[Myka]

The GFO isn't the problem. It's that GFO is very effective, so effective that it can strip the PO4 from the water to the point coral's zooxanthellae can not function. This at the very least can irritate the coral for even cause STN/RTN have been reported.

Don't use so much. Sometimes you only need a couple tablespoons.

 

[bif24701]

Don't use so much. Sometimes you only need a couple tablespoons.

Absolutely. I feel that people tend to over do things because they feel like it's an emergency.

 

[Hamm Corals]

Algea turf scrubber

 

[Hamm Corals]

Algea turf scrubbers work the best in my opinion. Removes nitrate and phosphates. I installed one in my set up because my display tank was cover in algae I would clean it every week and the algae would grow back in a couple of days I used gfo and it didn't do much. Now my display is algae free with 1 month of using it.

 

[Greaps]

Using Phosphate Rx, so far so good, I'm experimenting with it and like what I am seeing. Use could not be simpler.

 

[Sharvey103]

I maintain mine at < 0.05 using GFO. Just valve it in when it gets above 0.05 which is not too often as I use Chaeto as well. I also feed pretty heavy.

 

[Alfrareef]

Have you had any measurable luck with the po4x4...?

Yes, always but with a reactor and always replacing the pellets versus adding fresh pellets to the exhausted one.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I have a chaeto refugium and I must say is an excellent way to absorb PO and resulting in very little if any algae growth in the display tank.. I was using chemipure elite foolishly not realizing the PO was probably 0. Therefore I won't use GFO unless my refugium starts to become ineffect.. I measured it yesterday its at .04 with overfeeding.

 

[Oliver d]

Vodka/vinegar/sugar mix to my own ratios for my tank

 

[Larry L]

Any level that isn't 0.00 is ok.

That's not entirely true - at some level too much phosphate starts inhibiting calcification. E.g. from http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/

For example, one research group found that long-term enrichment of phosphate (0.19 ppm; maintained for three hours per day) on a natural patch reef on the Great Barrier Reef inhibited overall coral calcification by 43%. A second team found effects in several Acropora species at similar concentrations.