Dilan Patel
2500 Club Member
I just drip it in my skimmer every couple days works like a charm to keep my phosphates stable.
Phosphate RX killed my yellow tang :(
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melev
Avid Hobbyist
From what I understand above, you made your own, and dosed 1ml into the 25g tank in a week's time, yes? But instead of using it pure, you added about 18.25 ounces to your tank daily? I can't explain the red splotches. Those that lost yellow tangs stated their fish was rapidly breathing, resting on the sand, struggling. And you mentioned the water never turned cloudy, so I have a hard time seeing how 1ml could have been the fish's undoing. Lanthanum chloride is a flocculant, it turns PO4 into a solid to export it in flake form. We see the cloudiness, that's how it's apparent it worked. It is trapped in a fine micron sock, or exported via protein skimmer (which I did for about 13 years before we even had 10m socks available). Be that as it may, you did say your PO4 measured 0 a week later. So I don't know what was going on.
For a 25g tank measuring 1ppm PO4, it would take a couple of doses of Phosphate Rx. The recipe is 6 drops per 10 gallons to drop PO4 .5ppm. 15 drops would drop it to .5ppm, and 15 more drops a few days later would bring it to near 0. Not that we are trying to rush and lower them; I'm just giving you the overall picture. You could have done 9 drops a week and seen how that worked over a month's time. The bottle has 600 drops. One bottle would last you a year, easily.
There are other products on the market. Phosban L is one, but you have to mix that one yourself 1:2 (1 part Phosban L to 2 parts RODI water; ie. 20ml product + 40ml water) and then you dose that ever so slowly over time. For my big reef, I've dose 60ml of this solution three different times (my water volume is 450g). It worked equally well.
Brightwell has a similar product called Phosphate-E.
I've got two Yellow Tangs in my reef, they have been through Phosphate Rx several times a year for several years. I did a low dose last night in fact. I've never noticed a problem with any of my fish, they swim through the cloud.
Of course I understand I used SeaKlear and not Phos Rx... but the OP did use Phos Rx which may or may not have killed his yellow tang.
Melev, *nod* I might try using Phosphate Rx with 10um filter socks. It's encouraging that your tangs are unaffected. Also, I don't know if it was the LaCl that I dosed which caused the tang to develop red splotches. Maybe the water didn't turn cloudy because of the low dose added directly into the skimmer.. and maybe it's because of the low dose that the tang didn't die but just got stressed and developed the bacterial infection. *shrug*
Many have had success dosing Phosphate Rx and some have had tangs die/sick... I just wanted to add my experience as a data point. People can draw their own conclusions.
It's also coincidental that Phosphate Rx popped up on Amazon today for me the same day this thread popped up in my email making me revisit this topic and share my experience.
I'm still on the fence... while i know it does drop phosphates, I don't know if I'd risk the life of another tang in the future... and for the same reason, I won't be adding another tang to my 25g.
Melev, *nod* I might try using Phosphate Rx with 10um filter socks. It's encouraging that your tangs are unaffected. Also, I don't know if it was the LaCl that I dosed which caused the tang to develop red splotches. Maybe the water didn't turn cloudy because of the low dose added directly into the skimmer.. and maybe it's because of the low dose that the tang didn't die but just got stressed and developed the bacterial infection. *shrug*
Many have had success dosing Phosphate Rx and some have had tangs die/sick... I just wanted to add my experience as a data point. People can draw their own conclusions.
It's also coincidental that Phosphate Rx popped up on Amazon today for me the same day this thread popped up in my email making me revisit this topic and share my experience.
I'm still on the fence... while i know it does drop phosphates, I don't know if I'd risk the life of another tang in the future... and for the same reason, I won't be adding another tang to my 25g.
melev
Avid Hobbyist
That is a very small tank. I have a Hippo in my 60g and people ask me when I'm moving it into a different tank.
That is a very small tank. I have a Hippo in my 60g and people ask me when I'm moving it into a different tank.
Yeah, upgrading to a 120g is in the works. Already have the tank and stand built from 80/20... But it's still small compared to your big monster of a tank! The skimmer on that tank probably holds 25g huh? heh
Blackice615
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The redness that Ive seen when I considered using this product were the gills being burned.
Trevenator
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I just lost my 3 yellow tangs. All 3 had red gills. I slowly dripped 1 mil seaklear commercial mixed in 2.5 liters RODI water in to my 250 gallon reef. Did not seem to bother the blue tangs or my powder blue or any other fish. But all 3 yellow tangs died with red gills the same day
Fish Think Pink
5000 Club Member
Sad for everyone's losses. Feel yellow tangs are to reef tanks like canaries are to coal mines.... they are first to go. Always go extra, extra slow and careful.
Initially I used a small partial dose that went badly for my yellow tang (everything else fine) but I was lucky yellow tang survived. Since then, I've gone to partial, partial dosing using this below branded name Blue Vet Phosphate Rx product using only about 10 drops for my 180g DT with 20g sump, adding into a cup of tank water, then pouring slowly the cup of treated tank water into tank sump baffles. Just heard tip where people are adding it into neck of skimmer, so I'll try that in future (still my tiny bit amount).
Usually I dose my tiny bit of Blue Vet Phosphate Rx from melevsreef after lights out now that I know 10 drops in ~200g is safe for my tang. Anytime trying something new, do it early in day and watch tank & tang all day but have your backup plan if you've got to rehome into QT quickly for safety. I use a little 5 gallon Petco combo for quick QT go-to, ... though my yellow has needed to 'vacation' there in QT for 3 weeks in the past (for unrelated Reef Flux treatment in DT)).
www.melevsreef.com
Initially I used a small partial dose that went badly for my yellow tang (everything else fine) but I was lucky yellow tang survived. Since then, I've gone to partial, partial dosing using this below branded name Blue Vet Phosphate Rx product using only about 10 drops for my 180g DT with 20g sump, adding into a cup of tank water, then pouring slowly the cup of treated tank water into tank sump baffles. Just heard tip where people are adding it into neck of skimmer, so I'll try that in future (still my tiny bit amount).
Usually I dose my tiny bit of Blue Vet Phosphate Rx from melevsreef after lights out now that I know 10 drops in ~200g is safe for my tang. Anytime trying something new, do it early in day and watch tank & tang all day but have your backup plan if you've got to rehome into QT quickly for safety. I use a little 5 gallon Petco combo for quick QT go-to, ... though my yellow has needed to 'vacation' there in QT for 3 weeks in the past (for unrelated Reef Flux treatment in DT)).
Phosphate Rx | Melev's Reef
"It doesn't get easier than this! I've been using Phosphate Rx for the past decade for PO4 control, exclusively." - melev
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sohal tang
Community Member
I totally agree... I lost one out of 3 yellow tangs shortly after using it.. . Now I only have 1 yellow tang on my new reef and when I dosed only 30 drops on 160 gallon his breathing was super fast and he stopped eating... this morning he was fine it seemed so I put another 5 drops in and wammmmmm he is now hiding breathing fast again...this is with the a 5 micron sock in! So...yellow tangs and RX do nottttttttt mix well!!! definitely go slow... I am going to only dose 5 drops maxxxxxxxxx at a time....and even that may be lowered to 3 drops. TimAs the title states, Phosphate RX killed my fat and healthy 2 year old yellow tang.I have been going through a fluconazale treatment and noticed a rise in my phosphates from unreadable to .079 (per my Hanna Check). The treatment says 6 drops per 10 gallons will reduce phosphates by .5. So I did .5 / .079 and figured I'd need about 1/6 (at the most) of the dosage to drop my phosphates.
I went with 1/8 of the dosage and dripped the phosphate RX into my filter socks. Tank was cloudy which is suppose to be normal...I then went and checked on the tank about a half hour or so later and my fat and previously happy yellow tang was on the bottom, leaned up against the glass breathing hard...I scooped him out and threw him into a hospital tank...2-3 hours later he was dead. Bummed because I got him when he was a little guy or girl and he / she was pretty much a model citizen of my tank...I never saw him acting aggressively towards any fish. Mostly minded his own business and grazed on the algae clip all day.
I did some more research and found that a number of people have reported having issues with the Zebrasoma species and Phosphate RX. I'm not sure why this is unique to them, but it seems that I'm not an isolated incident of this outcome when using Phosphate RX. All of my other fish, coral, inverts etc had no problems with the treatment...
If you're going to use this stuff and have Zebrasoma specieis of tangs, BE CAREFUL!
Debramb
Well-Known Member
Hi Mark, We did (Tom) as you advised to drop our insanely high phosphates and did a great job, yellow tang, wild caught and others had no effects. Thank-you
Debra
Lionfish hunter
Valuable Member
It seems to work for some and kill fish for others using the same dosing methods. There is clearly something happening in certain situations. The problem is we don’t know in what situations the product will kill fish. Not worth the risk to my 3 yellow tangs or my irreplaceable moorish idol.
Viet658
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My yellow tang struggling to breath after using Phosphate Rx as well. Dosed 20 drops into skimmer neck around 5pm and then another 25 drops into skimmer neck the next day. Tank volume is about 200 gallons. It’s very strange that some have no issues and others major issues with their tangs.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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My Tank Thread
Not sure which exact case you are talking about, but 10 micron socks are not always an answer:
"ok most may remember my first lanthanum drip into a 10-micron sock was a fail. I lost two tangs. "
Lanthanum Drip ROUND 2 fight. lol
ok most may remember my first lanthanum drip into a 10-micron sock was a fail. I lost two tangs. here's the thread. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/omg-have-i-killled-my-purple-and-yellow-tang-if-so-how.890745/ ANYWAY I have since revised/ UP'ED my filter sock game. i and others believe...
www.reef2reef.com
This OP in this thread…just thought it worth pointing out it was a 200 micron sock used in this case, incase anyone was considering using LC, probably best to go as small as you can with the filter socks.Not sure which exact case you are talking about, but 10 micron socks are not always an answer:
"ok most may remember my first lanthanum drip into a 10-micron sock was a fail. I lost two tangs. "
Lanthanum Drip ROUND 2 fight. lol
ok most may remember my first lanthanum drip into a 10-micron sock was a fail. I lost two tangs. here's the thread. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/omg-have-i-killled-my-purple-and-yellow-tang-if-so-how.890745/ ANYWAY I have since revised/ UP'ED my filter sock game. i and others believe...
