Phosban in chaeto reactor

[Jintea]

Would I be able to just throw some phosban in the same reactor as my chaeto instead of setting up a seperate one just for gfo? This would of course be a short term setup, maybe a month or 2, but would it still be beneficial?

 

[Lasse]

I do not understand why you should use two PO4 bindings methods at the same time (chaeto bind PO4 in a biological way - phosban in a chemical way) If you of some reason want this combination - place the phosban downstream the chaeto - IMO it is more important to give the Chaeto PO4 and let the phosban take the leftover.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Jintea]

My phosphates are rather high, and the chaeto doesnt seem to do much for it. Works great for nitrates though. Even with reduced feedings, recent change from tap water(with phosphate reading 3 with salifert test!!) to rodi weekly 10 to 20 percent water changes, my phosphates are still measuring a little over 1. I dont have a sump, no skimmer. Basic setup with canister and uv, and chaeto reactor. Figure the phosban reactor would be a much needed addition.

 

[Lasse]

But you can probably use your Chaeto reactor for both in this case. Put your Phosban in a filter bag and place it in the reactor in that way that the incoming water hit the chaeto first and reach the phosban just before it pass out from the reactor. Take small amounts every time and change rather often. What do you use in order to measure the PO4?. 3 ppm in the drinking water - where do you live? How does your corals look like?


Sincerely Lasse

 

[Jintea]

I live in hamilton ontario, recently moved and the phosphates were virtually undetectable at my previous residence. Using saliferts phosphate test kit. Last night decided to put in the phosban in a media bag just before the return flow after the chaeto and my phosphates are already cut in half to less than 0.5.. So far most of my corals have looked good last 2 months. Palys and zoas look good. Euphillia and elegance look good. 1 trach is iffy while another is great. Gonis have looked good up until the rodi change over. Losing 1 it seems. Monti and leptos seem good. Ive lost an alveopora while another one is doing great. Time will tell for sure...im worried the drop in phosphate is too much too quick though..i did the recommended 50gram phosban to 50 gallon tank volume...maybe itd be best to reduce and go for smaller less drastic change?

 

[Lasse]

Take it slow, very slow. Concentrate on how the corals look like not the figure. I would probably stop here for the moment, wait a week and after that decide how to act. Maybe next goal 0.25 - wait and so on. As long as your corals looks fine - no panic. Many experiences indicate that it is more problem with going down in the PO4 concentrations compared with going up. See this quote from another thread.

The "growth history" means that SPS and especially Acropora spp. seem to have no problems with rising phosphate concentrations while they seem to have problems with dropping phosphate concentrations. When phosphate drops, Acroporas stop growing, and if it continues to drop further they show damages, also at concentrations that are more than sufficient when they have a growth history of low phosphate concentrations.

This means if an Acopora coral was growing up at 0.02 or 0.03 ppm phosphate, this concentration is, of course, sufficient for slow growth. If the same Acropora clone was growing up at 0.12 ppm phosphate, a drop to 0.02 or 0.03 ppm phosphate will stop growth completely at once and may cause damage and even death in the following weeks and months.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lasse]

I had to Google "hamilton ontario water quality" because - as a swede - I did not believe your measurements of the drinking water. In Sweden - PO4 levels above 0.6 ppm in drinking water indicate leakage from farming land or waste water. But your measurements is probably on the spot! Found this https://www.thespec.com/news-story/...g-added-to-hamilton-drinking-water-treatment/. For me - this is logical somersault - first add PO4 into the pipe system in order to fix one problem (the lead problem) - after that try to take away as much as possible in the treatment plant in order to fix another problem (eutrophication of Lake Ontario).

It is a good idea to use RODI in your case - especially because I found this too

2. Water Tastes/Smells Different:
The taste of Hamilton’s drinking water may differ depending on the season we are experiencing. Normally, this is as a result of algae growth in lake Ontario, which can cause a musty smell and/or taste in the water.

Quick Fix: Keeping the water cold and adding lemon slices can help remove the taste. In addition, stagnant water in your pipeline can cause a different taste in your water. Remove this issue by running your taps for a few minutes to get rid of the stale water.

Follow the link and you understand the madness.

Sincerely Lasse