Need help with controlling phosphates

[Zach W]

I am curious how most people control their phosphates in smaller tanks? When I am using GFO I am pulling all of my phosphate out of the water and my corals are not happy. I have BRS GFO and usually mix with my carbon at half the recommended amount and just run it passively in the back of my tank (IM Fusion 20). This was keeping my phosphate at 0 or close to it on my Hanna ULR Phosphorus. I removed the carbon/GFO mixture and put only carbon and my phosphate levels have increased to where I want them. My question is, when my phosphates start to creep up should I just put a small amount of GFO in for an hour or two and then remove it? Any tips or tricks to keeping a steady level would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Hitman]

Try using 1/4 of the recommendations if your using their regular GFO and 1/8 if your using their HC GFO.
I use rowaphos at 1/2 the recommended amount for my tank and I feed heavy. I will be going back to BRS HC GFO when this tub is empty. Only reason for the change is I feel the BRS lasts longer and rinses cleaner.

 

[Zach W]

Try using 1/4 of the recommendations if your using their regular GFO and 1/8 if your using their HC GFO.
I use rowaphos at 1/2 the recommended amount for my tank and I feed heavy. I will be going back to BRS HC GFO when this tub is empty. Only reason for the change is I feel the BRS lasts longer and rinses cleaner.

I am just using the regular "Bulk GFO". I will give that a shot though, I dont have a very heavy bio-load as I only have 2 clowns in the tank so I typically dont feed very heavy which could be part of it as well.

 

[Super Fly]

My question is, when my phosphates start to creep up should I just put a small amount of GFO in for an hour or two and then remove it? Any tips or tricks to keeping a steady level would be greatly appreciated!

I stopped using my GFO reactor as it was removing too much PO4. I agree w Hitman, try using less GFO amount and use it only when PO4 levels start increasing then turn it off. Hopefully your GFO reactor has a shutoff valve for such convenience. Lots of folks use GFO this way and don't have it on 24/7

 

[Zach W]

I stopped using my GFO reactor as it was removing too much PO4. I agree w Hitman, try using less GFO amount and use it only when PO4 levels start increasing then turn it off. Hopefully your GFO reactor has a shutoff valve for such convenience. Lots of folks use GFO this way and don't have it on 24/7

I don’t have a gfo reactor, I just run passively in a mesh baggie

 

[Hitman]

Try using less and maybe in a lower flow area as well.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

GFO is a pain and requires extra equipment. Phosphate Rx is cheap and highly effect.

 

[nightmarepl]

i use a seachem phosguard bag in my 10 gallon i got the 60gallon recommended one and cut the bag in half tied with a ziptie and up it on top of my overflow filter took my phosphates from 2.0 to 1.0 in like 4 days once it hits like .25-.5 than i take it out let it dry and use it when needed easy effective and cheap reactors are good but for bigger tanks imo wont even use one my biocube