Phosphate RX in a nano?

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Well I got my Hanna meter today and checked my phosphates for the first time and they are .22. Been having a little trouble with algae but not a lot. I was at a store the other day and picked up a bottle of Phosphate RX just for the heck of it and because it was only $5.

After I left I began wondering if it would be safer for use in my 15g AIO. I have also read that people use it in front filter socks which I have none, I have floss and a tunze 9001.

Would it be safe to use in my tank? I had already planned on ordering a IM minimax reactor today to run carbon in, don't really want to run GFO all the time but if I have it I will. Any other options? Water change?

I did a 2.5g water change last night so no telling what my phosphates where before that. I did stir it up pretty good before doing the change.

also just got a pair of small clowns for the tank but I did feed the corals kinda heavy before I got them. The clowns have only been in there for two days and I'm trying to get them to eat pellets so there is some food going to waste.

Other numbers.

CA - 410
Dkh - 9
Mg - 1300
NO3 - >5
Ph - 8.22
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 79.6

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 31, 2015

There are lots of ways to reduce phosphate, but in a nano i.t can be tricky without reactors, sumps, etc.

I'm not a big fan of using lanthanum but some people use it successfully.

Here's my blurb on it:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium

from it:

Soluble Metals to Bind Phosphate

There are several approaches that add soluble metals to bind and precipitate phosphate. The most popular involves adding lanthanum, which precipitates as lanthanum phosphate and/or lanthanum carbonate (which itself may contain some lanthanum phosphate). The lanthanum approach is widely used in the pool industry to reduce phosphate, and seems to often work well in aquaria. It is also very inexpensive, using products such as Seaklear (make sure it is a pure lanthanum version as mixtures with other metals also exist). Note that this method reduces alkalinity, as removing carbonate and phosphate as a lanthanum precipitate will reduce alkalinity.

One way to use it is to drip is slowly just upstream of a particulate filter to catch and remove a substantial amount of the precipitate that is formed. One drawback to the lanthanum approach is that much of the precipitated material may escape capture and simply settle out in the system somewhere. That may not be an issue, but many aquarists do not prefer to accumulate such material. A second concern is that some people have observed problematic reactions from aquarium inhabitants. While there are not a lot of such stories, it is enough for many aquarists to look for other options.

However, due to its low cost, this approach is especially well suited to outside of the tank operations, such as the removal of excess phosphate from phosphate-contaminated calcium carbonate rock that is later to be added to a reef aquarium.

Soluble iron has also been used in this way, but not nearly so often as lanthanum.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
There are lots of ways to reduce phosphate, but in a nano i.t can be tricky without reactors, sumps, etc.

I'm not a big fan of using lanthanum but some people use it successfully.

Here's my blurb on it:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium

from it:

Soluble Metals to Bind Phosphate

There are several approaches that add soluble metals to bind and precipitate phosphate. The most popular involves adding lanthanum, which precipitates as lanthanum phosphate and/or lanthanum carbonate (which itself may contain some lanthanum phosphate). The lanthanum approach is widely used in the pool industry to reduce phosphate, and seems to often work well in aquaria. It is also very inexpensive, using products such as Seaklear (make sure it is a pure lanthanum version as mixtures with other metals also exist). Note that this method reduces alkalinity, as removing carbonate and phosphate as a lanthanum precipitate will reduce alkalinity.

One way to use it is to drip is slowly just upstream of a particulate filter to catch and remove a substantial amount of the precipitate that is formed. One drawback to the lanthanum approach is that much of the precipitated material may escape capture and simply settle out in the system somewhere. That may not be an issue, but many aquarists do not prefer to accumulate such material. A second concern is that some people have observed problematic reactions from aquarium inhabitants. While there are not a lot of such stories, it is enough for many aquarists to look for other options.

However, due to its low cost, this approach is especially well suited to outside of the tank operations, such as the removal of excess phosphate from phosphate-contaminated calcium carbonate rock that is later to be added to a reef aquarium.

Soluble iron has also been used in this way, but not nearly so often as lanthanum.

Thanks Randy. I tried reading that article but the link tanks you to the members area and a music thread.

Also I doubt that the blue/white floss will catch the precipitate, you think?

If not I might just wait and order some GFO with the reactor and run it till it pulls them down and then switch to carbon.

EDUT: After reading the article about the potential problems I'll just order some GFO with the reactor and use that.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 31, 2015

Really?

The link doesn't take you to my article?

Try this one:

https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/phosphate-in-the-reef-aquarium-by-randy-holmes-farley/

I don't know if floss will catch much of it or not.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Really?

The link doesn't take you to my article?

Try this one:

https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/phosphate-in-the-reef-aquarium-by-randy-holmes-farley/

I don't know if floss will catch much of it or not.

That link did. The one in the sticky doesn't. At least not in tapatalk.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Any opinions on a good brand of GFO? Or are they all pretty much the same?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 31, 2015

OK, thanks.

I use GFO from BRS.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
OK, thanks.

I use GFO from BRS.

Thanks I'll do some reading up on running GFO and the IM reactor.

As always. Thanks a bunch for the help Randy.

ReefMadScientist · Jul 31, 2015

hig789 said:
Any opinions on a good brand of GFO? Or are they all pretty much the same?

I too use GFO from BRS. I use the high capacity but will be getting regular next time since I am replacing my GFO every 6 weeks anyways.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

That's another thing. How do you know when it's time to change it?

ReefMadScientist · Jul 31, 2015

hig789 said:
That's another thing. How do you know when it's time to change it?

Well some will say when your phosphates rise. But its good maintenance to replace it every month. I do not wait for my levels to rise.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Thanks.

Is the aquamaxx brand GFO any good? Marine Depot has the reactor I am getting with a free 2 quart jug of carbon and they have the aquamaxx brand.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Also what about running chemi-pure blue as a all in one reactor some nice I only have room for one.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 31, 2015

Is that the Elite? Then yes, that could be a good option.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

I just ordered the reactor from BRS and got their GFO.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 31, 2015

FWIW, I use and like their reactor.

hig789 · Jul 31, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
FWIW, I use and like their reactor.

Well I had to get a IM MiniMax desktop reactor for it to fit in the back of my all in one. Just wanted to get the BRS GFO since it seems to be what most use.