Phosguard usage.

[Reef.]

Just started using phosguard, I’m a bit unclear on the instructions, they say to add the phosguard, leave for 4 days and if the level drops to around .02 to leave in place until the levels start to raise again, then replace with new phosguard, my question is, if I were to leave it in place after 4 days if the level was 0.02, why wouldn’t the level of PO4 carry on dropping to 0, which is something to avoid?
Anyone clear this up for me?

 

[dadnjesse]

I don't know about the directions but I use it and if my levels were 0.02 I would take it out and monitor the phosphate. If it goes too high put it in again.

 

[Reef.]

I don't know about the directions but I use it and if my levels were 0.02 I would take it out and monitor the phosphate. If it goes too high put it in again.

Yeah just trying to understand, it says Continuous use of small quantities is better than intermittent use of larger quantities, just trying to work out what to do for the best.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just started using phosguard, I’m a bit unclear on the instructions, they say to add the phosguard, leave for 4 days and if the level drops to around .02 to leave in place until the levels start to raise again, then replace with new phosguard, my question is, if I were to leave it in place after 4 days if the level was 0.02, why wouldn’t the level of PO4 carry on dropping to 0, which is something to avoid?
Anyone clear this up for me?

If it drops below 0.02, you are using too much. Remove some or all of it.

 

[Timfish]

Research done by Southampton University has shown phosphate deficiency has serious repercusions on corals. They've identified a threshold level of .03 mg/l with corals in their system. Here's an article on chasing numbers and a video on phospahte by Richard Ross and links to some of the research on corals and phosphate if you're interested in digging into the subject more.

Skeptical Reefkeeping 9: Test Kits, Chasing Numbers and Phosphate

From Reefs Magazine by Rich Ross and Chris Jury The Editors Note: In Skeptical Reefkeeping IX, Rich Ross is joined by our old friend Chris Jury as they try to come to terms with the “impossib…

packedhead.net

An experimental mesocosm for long-term studies of reef corals | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom | Cambridge Core

An experimental mesocosm for long-term studies of reef corals - Volume 92 Issue 4

www.cambridge.org

An Experimental Mesocosm for Longterm Studies of Reef Corals

Phosphate Deficiency:
Nutrient enrichment can increase the susceptibility of reef corals to bleaching:

http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Nutrient%20enrichment.pdf

Ultrastructural Biomarkers in Symbiotic Algae Reflect the Availability of Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients and Particulate Food to the Reef Coral Holobiont:

Frontiers | Ultrastructural Biomarkers in Symbiotic Algae Reflect the Availability of Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients and Particulate Food to the Reef Coral Holobiont

Reef building corals associated with symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) can access environmental nutrients from different sources, most significantly via the up...

www.frontiersin.org

Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates

Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates

Enrichment of reef environments with dissolved inorganic nutrients is considered a major threat to the survival of corals living in symbiosis with din…

www.sciencedirect.com

Effects of phosphate on growth and skeletal density in the scleractinian coral Acropora muricata: A controlled experimental approach

Effects of phosphate on growth and skeletal density in the scleractinian coral Acropora muricata: A controlled experimental approach

Phosphate contamination can negatively affect corals, modifying growth rates, skeletal density, reproduction, mortality, and zooxanthellae. We determi…

www.sciencedirect.com

High phosphate uptake requirements of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata

High phosphate uptake requirements of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata

SUMMARYSeveral untested aspects of the regulation of inorganic nutrient uptake were examined using nutrient depletion experiments with the symbiotic coral Stylophora pistillata. The total inhibition of phosphate uptake in artificial seawater lacking sodium indicates the involvement of a...

jeb.biologists.org

 

[Reef.]

If it drops below 0.02, you are using too much. Remove some or all of it.

if I used the exact amount required to drop to .02, which would take some doing, that would mean the phosguard would then be spent, yet the instructions say to leave in place Untill po4 starts to raise again!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

if I used the exact amount required to drop to .02, which would take some doing, that would mean the phosguard would then be spent, yet the instructions say to leave in place Untill po4 starts to raise again!

Which would not be a problem, right? You wouldn't want to add new phosguard if the level stayed at 0.02 ppm.

Don't over-interpret manufacturers directions, which range from OK to terrible and are often designed for folks with a limited understand of what's actually going on.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Research done by Southampton University has shown phosphate deficiency has serious repercusions on corals. They've identified a threshold level of .03 mg/l with corals in their system.

Your wording "serious repercussions" seems to imply that corals fare poorly at lower levels, which clearly is not the case.
Do you think that a slower growing coral is suffering "serious repercussion"?

 

[X-37B]

My tank has run .02-.04 for 15 months now with good results
No3< 5.
If I feed pellets it goes to .1 pretty quick.
I will add 1/3 recommended amount in a bag and drop it in my sump.
Monitor daily. When it gets to .04 I remove it.
Note: I have noticed lately that running .06- .1 and no3 <10 has produced noticable growth and better colors than my lower range.
I may adjust my target parameters higher from this observation.
No noticable algae and I run alk at 7-7.5.

 

[Reef.]

Which would not be a problem, right? You wouldn't want to add new phosguard if the level stayed at 0.02 ppm.

Don't over-interpret manufacturers directions, which range from OK to terrible and are often designed for folks with a limited understand of what's actually going on.

you got me there, I always think I’m not quite getting it, instead of just going straight to the realisation that the instructions are lacking somewhat most times.

Removing the phosguard when lvl is reached would work better. Cheers.

 

[HB AL]

I have 2 bags in my sump 24/7, and dose nopox, been doing it like this for almost 4 years, but I have a huge bioload of fish feeding around 12 cubes of Hikari a day. Don’t see any issues with my corals in a heavily stocked mixed reef. It all depends on what your bioload and #s as to how much to run. With that said I don’t test for phosphate but test nitrate once a month to gauge the nopox dose, I dose 10 to 20 ml of nopox and change the phosgaurd bags around every 6 weeks. The combination works for my system. Here's a pic of what I consider heavily stocked.

 

[Reef.]

I have 2 bags in my sump 24/7, and dose nopox, been doing it like this for almost 4 years, but I have a huge bioload of fish feeding around 12 cubes of Hikari a day. Don’t see any issues with my corals in a heavily stocked mixed reef. It all depends on what your bioload and #s as to how much to run. With that said I don’t test for phosphate but test nitrate once a month to gauge the nopox dose, I dose 10 to 20 ml of nopox and change the phosgaurd bags around every 6 weeks. The combination works for my system. Here's a pic of what I consider heavily stocked.

Looks amazing!

I was thinking the phosguard had some magic switch to turn itself off at 0.02 lol

I would think your tank will have a very large margin for error, for me removing I think would be the safest option.

 

[HB AL]

Looks amazing!

I was thinking the phosguard had some magic switch to turn itself off at 0.02 lol

I would think your tank will have a very large margin for error, for me removing I think would be the safest option.

Ya if you have a light bioload then constant testing will be necessary so your params don’t drop to zero.

 

[Cbones1979]

Research done by Southampton University has shown phosphate deficiency has serious repercusions on corals. They've identified a threshold level of .03 mg/l with corals in their system. Here's an article on chasing numbers and a video on phospahte by Richard Ross and links to some of the research on corals and phosphate if you're interested in digging into the subject more.

Skeptical Reefkeeping 9: Test Kits, Chasing Numbers and Phosphate

From Reefs Magazine by Rich Ross and Chris Jury The Editors Note: In Skeptical Reefkeeping IX, Rich Ross is joined by our old friend Chris Jury as they try to come to terms with the “impossib…

packedhead.net

An experimental mesocosm for long-term studies of reef corals | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom | Cambridge Core

An experimental mesocosm for long-term studies of reef corals - Volume 92 Issue 4

www.cambridge.org

An Experimental Mesocosm for Longterm Studies of Reef Corals

Phosphate Deficiency:
Nutrient enrichment can increase the susceptibility of reef corals to bleaching:

http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Nutrient%20enrichment.pdf

Ultrastructural Biomarkers in Symbiotic Algae Reflect the Availability of Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients and Particulate Food to the Reef Coral Holobiont:

Frontiers | Ultrastructural Biomarkers in Symbiotic Algae Reflect the Availability of Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients and Particulate Food to the Reef Coral Holobiont

Reef building corals associated with symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) can access environmental nutrients from different sources, most significantly via the up...

www.frontiersin.org

Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates

Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates

Enrichment of reef environments with dissolved inorganic nutrients is considered a major threat to the survival of corals living in symbiosis with din…

www.sciencedirect.com

Effects of phosphate on growth and skeletal density in the scleractinian coral Acropora muricata: A controlled experimental approach

Effects of phosphate on growth and skeletal density in the scleractinian coral Acropora muricata: A controlled experimental approach

Phosphate contamination can negatively affect corals, modifying growth rates, skeletal density, reproduction, mortality, and zooxanthellae. We determi…

www.sciencedirect.com

High phosphate uptake requirements of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata

High phosphate uptake requirements of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata

SUMMARYSeveral untested aspects of the regulation of inorganic nutrient uptake were examined using nutrient depletion experiments with the symbiotic coral Stylophora pistillata. The total inhibition of phosphate uptake in artificial seawater lacking sodium indicates the involvement of a...

jeb.biologists.org

lol now i'm confused...

 

[Screwgunner]

I am running 120 gallon only use 3 table spoons ofphosguard and 7 table spoons carbon change every two weeks

 

[fisheriesdoc]

I’ve used the phosguard for over a year now and seem to have the best, most consistent results using a reactor. It takes some experimenting, but you need to fine tune the amount to your tank. Now that I fine tuned the amount, I replace it when phosphates start creeping above 0.04 (~2.5 weeks). I maintain phosphate between 0.02 and 0.04.

 

[homer1475]

Note: I have noticed lately that running .06- .1 and no3 <10 has produced noticable growth and better colors than my lower range.
I may adjust my target parameters higher from this observation.
No noticable algae and I run alk at 7-7.5.

Exactly the numbers I run my tank around. I have great growth and color, with 0 algae. I also dose live phyto daily, which helps with the algae at these numbers.