Phosphate

[saixiong08]

Which is best for removing phosphate. Phosguard or phosnet? Will be putting it in a bag in the overflow

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What is your phosphate level now?

I personally prefer GFO (Phosnet is just one of dozens of brands of granular ferric oxide) over aluminum oxide products (Phosguard is one of those, there are other brands too). But GFO in a bag often does not work well since the particles are small and compact together. Phosguard may be better in that use.

If you go the Phosguard route, rinse it really well before use, nd if leather corals or other soft corals close up within 24 h, stop using it. Released aluminum may be irritating them.

 

[saixiong08]

My test shows 0, but I think because the algae sucking it up.

 

[thaitopher]

What is your phosphate level now?

I personally prefer GFO (Phosnet is just one of dozens of brands of granular ferric oxide) over aluminum oxide products (Phosguard is one of those, there are other brands too). But GFO in a bag often does not work well since the particles are small and compact together. Phosguard may be better in that use.

If you go the Phosguard route, rinse it really well before use, nd if leather corals or other soft corals close up within 24 h, stop using it. Released aluminum may be irritating them.

From my own experience, putting phosguard in your overflow wont do any good. I would suggest either putting it in a media reactor, using macroalgae or using liquid phosphate remover like Phosphate Rx

 

[saixiong08]

From my own experience, putting phosguard in your overflow wont do any good. I would suggest either putting it in a media reactor, using macroalgae or using liquid phosphate remover like Phosphate Rx

Thanks. Have you ever tried phosphate rx?

 

[thaitopher]

I don't. I dose with lanthanum chloride which leads to a similar result

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

From my own experience, putting phosguard in your overflow wont do any good. I would suggest either putting it in a media reactor, using macroalgae or using liquid phosphate remover like Phosphate Rx

I can't see a reason why Phosguard in any situation where water is flowing through it won't work.

Perhaps you did not use enough or change it often enough.

 

[thaitopher]

I can't see a reason why Phosguard in any situation where water is flowing through it won't work.

Perhaps you did not use enough or change it often enough.

Because when Phosguard is all packed together it has minimal effectiveness because it works by using its surface area to make the phosphate latch onto it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Because when Phosguard is all packed together it has minimal effectiveness because it works by using its surface area to make the phosphate latch onto it.

I agree, it needs to have the water flow through the material. Because of it’s larger particle size than GFO is why I suggested it would be better in that overflow application than GFO. But it needs to be arranged correctly to get the flow through it. [emoji3]

 

[thaitopher]

I agree, it needs to have the water flow through the material. Because of it’s larger particle size than GFO is why I suggested it would be better in that overflow application than GFO. But it needs to be arranged correctly to get the flow through it. [emoji3]

Which is why it really needs to be put in a media reactor. If the GFO isnt moving around only the outside edges of the clump will bond the phosphate.

 

[mjlash22]

NoPox is another liquid phosphate/nitrate reducer. Has worked wonders in my reefer 250 tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Which is why it really needs to be put in a media reactor. If the GFO isnt moving around only the outside edges of the clump will bond the phosphate.

GFO, yes, or at least mixed with a larger particle material. I mixed it with ROX 0.8 and it worked OK, but I agree that GFO works better in a mixing reactor. I used and like the BRS reactor for that.

Phosguard, however, has large enough particles to get decent flow through it without a mixing reactor.

 

[thaitopher]

NoPox is another liquid phosphate/nitrate reducer. Has worked wonders in my reefer 250 tank.

I use Agent Green in mine