Phosphate only removal, without using GFO

[N4sty T4te]

I'm running biopellets, which reduces Nitrates more efficiently than reducing phosphates....

I've taken GFO offline to try and get my phosphates up, when it's online it strips the water clean. Negatively effecting growth and coloration on my sps.

What's the best way to only remove phosphate from the system in a more controlled way than GFO provides?

I'm assuming dosing some type of additive? Just looking for some recommendations let me know what you do on your system if using a similar method...

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm running biopellets, which reduces Nitrates more efficiently than reducing phosphates....

I've taken GFO offline to try and get my phosphates up, when it's online it strips the water clean. Negatively effecting growth and coloration on my sps.

What's the best way to only remove phosphate from the system in a more controlled way than GFO provides?

I'm assuming dosing some type of additive? Just looking for some recommendations let me know what you do on your system if using a similar method...

Lower the amount of gfo or the flow to the reactor.

 

[Zoarium]

Dose Phosphate RX when ever levels rise to undesirable levels and use a 200 micron filter sock to catch the particulate created by it. you can gradually control the levels and dose according to your goals. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Life-USA-Phosphate-Treatment/dp/B0018CIQXC

 

[Rob Lion]

1. use less GFO in reactor.
2. use a variable speed pump on GFO reactor a slow the water flow down
3. research Reef Safe Lanthanum Chloride to dose and bind up and filter/skim out PO4

I could never get the PO4 just how I wanted it, but using Lanthanum Chloride has made it easy, but does require CARE and daily dosing>>> Always follow the instructions.!!

 

[Travis Stewart]

If you use little amounts of GFO does it exhaust quicker?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If you use little amounts of GFO does it exhaust quicker?

depends on what is in the water and in what quantity. imo

 

[N4sty T4te]

If you use little amounts of GFO does it exhaust quicker?

That's kind of the point. GFO binds until either po4 is depleted or the GFO itself exhausted.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but... Not much control in between. I'm wanting fine tuned control based on accrual of Po4 in the system.

 

[Rob Lion]

its just maths.... you need to know what your PO4 is, your water volume and depending on the brand of GFO what binding power it has. The ideal is to have lots of GFO in a reactor enough for say 4 weeks use, but run a very slow pump... that way you only reduce the PO4 a little to whats needed, making sure you don't remove all the PO4 from the water all the time (that starves corals)..... this is a hard balancing act, but by turning the pump speed up or down you can allow the tank to run at more or less PO4. It will take time to get the balance right, and will need time and many PO4 tests to get it right.

 

[Rob Lion]

fine control.... research Reef safe Lanthanum chloride (Phosphate Rx / ATM Agent Green / NTLABS Anti-Phos etc).... I dose 0.2 ml LC daily in my 250 Litre tank to remove exactly 0.015ppm PO4 , whilst leaving 0.015ppm PO4 still in my tank

 

[N4sty T4te]

its just maths.... you need to know what your PO4 is, your water volume and depending on the brand of GFO what binding power it has. The ideal is to have lots of GFO in a reactor enough for say 4 weeks use, but run a very slow pump... that way you only reduce the PO4 a little to whats needed, making sure you don't remove all the PO4 from the water all the time (that starves corals)..... this is a hard balancing act, but by turning the pump speed up or down you can allow the tank to run at more or less PO4. It will take time to get the balance right, and will need time and many PO4 tests to get it right.

Seems like it would be easier and more accurate to know that an additive reduces phosphate by X amount at X dosage in a specific volume of water. Figure out how much you gain over the course of a week or two and dose to maintain balance.

 

[Rob Lion]

I use a spreadsheet to make sure i always get it right.....

 

[N4sty T4te]

fine control.... research Reef safe Lanthanum chloride (Phosphate Rx / ATM Agent Green / NTLABS Anti-Phos etc).... I dose 0.2 ml LC daily in my 250 Litre tank to remove exactly 0.015ppm PO4 , whilst leaving 0.015ppm PO4 still in my tank

Which product do you recommend? Phosphate RX?

 

[N4sty T4te]

I use a spreadsheet to make sure i always get it right.....

Dang, that's OG.

All it needs is a NASA letterhead. Haha!

 

[Rob Lion]

I'm in the UK so Phosphate Rx is hard to get...
I think my fav is ATM Agent Green, its a little more concentrated, but the maths is a lot easier with NTLabs....

All are good.

 

[Rob Lion]

you can seriously hurt your tank inhabitants with overdosing LC..... so better safe than sorry...!

Like many others, we can all screw up maths that we do in our (tired) heads at time....... :/

 

[N4sty T4te]

I'm in the UK so Phosphate Rx is hard to get...
I think my fav is ATM Agent Green, its a little more concentrated, but the maths is a lot easier with NTLabs....

All are good.

Wait you mean BRS doesn't have a calculator for this!?!? Haha. Thanks man. This will be the route I go, I'll do some research and see which one is the best bang for the buck.

 

[Rob Lion]

Ok good luck, take it slow, read instructions and follow them!! check out @melev youtube channel etc.

I have highlighted "reef safe" LC as opposed to cheap swimming pool LC as the reef versions are tested for our tanks and they contain floculants that allow the Lanthanum Phosphate to be filtered or skimmed out of the tank.

 

[N4sty T4te]

Ok good luck, take it slow, read instructions and follow them!! check out @melev youtube channel etc.

I have highlighted "reef safe" LC as opposed to cheap swimming pool LC as the reef versions are tested for our tanks and they contain floculants that allow the Lanthanum Phosphate to be filtered or skimmed out of the tank.

I know it's powerful stuff. Used it to cure my pukani dry rock. That stuff was like, 10 ml treated 10,000 gallons or something crazy like that. Can't remember the specifics... just being blown away with its potency.

Probably going to do it with a drip bottle and do it by the drop.

 

[Rob Lion]

Probably going to do it with a drip bottle and do it by the drop.

that's how i do it ! i've got an old KZ blue bottle with rubber bulb dropper.... my 0.2ml dose is infact 10 drops from this bottle....

 

[Zack K]

Wait you mean BRS doesn't have a calculator for this!?!? Haha. Thanks man. This will be the route I go, I'll do some research and see which one is the best bang for the buck.

@randyBRS we may see one in the future[emoji23]