Question about PhosGuard treatment

[nim6us]

I've been having some brown sand issues despite the normal precautions, small feeding, lower lights, higher flow, siphoning the sand. It hasn't overtaken my sand bed but it's unsightly.

I have a cheato reactor but I don't think it can keep up as it's too small. I've heard of people running PhosGuard and cheato at the same time and that was my goal.

However...

When you read the PhosGuard instructions it says run 1 cup per 100gallons for 4 days and check your Phosphate levels. I've only been running it for 2 days now and it's dropped it to 0! (Per my Hanna ULR checker.) My questions are:

1) I'm finally starting to see the sandbed clear up, should I continue to run it or remove it and let my cheato reactor take back over?

2) If I can continue treating with PhosGuard and the cheato reactor at the same time, how do I calculate the dose? Obviously running 1 cup constantly is going to strip my water and probably kill my cheato right?

 

[EmdeReef]

I've been having some brown sand issues despite the normal precautions, small feeding, lower lights, higher flow, siphoning the sand. It hasn't overtaken my sand bed but it's unsightly.

I have a cheato reactor but I don't think it can keep up as it's too small. I've heard of people running PhosGuard and cheato at the same time and that was my goal.

However...

When you read the PhosGuard instructions it says run 1 cup per 100gallons for 4 days and check your Phosphate levels. I've only been running it for 2 days now and it's dropped it to 0! (Per my Hanna ULR checker.) My questions are:

1) I'm finally starting to see the sandbed clear up, should I continue to run it or remove it and let my cheato reactor take back over?

2) If I can continue treating with PhosGuard and the cheato reactor at the same time, how do I calculate the dose? Obviously running 1 cup constantly is going to strip my water and probably kill my cheato right?

1) Sounds like you maybe had diatoms? Phosguard will bind silicates which are primary foods for diatoms so that may explain why your sand cleared up.

2) phosphates at zero is not good for corals or cheato. I would reduce how much you use; but also may want to take it offline for a few days to bring phosphates up.

 

[road_runner]

This media is alum based and will leach Al so watch out.
What you have is diatom just be patient it will pass. The more you try to treat it, all what you doing is delaying the phase.
CUC and urchins should help, other than that just patience.

 

[nim6us]

Yeah not 100% sure what it is but I think it maybe dinos. 5 months ago I took a sample under the microscope and posted it in another part of the forum, they ID'd as dinos. I used Dino-X and it was fantastic! White sandbed in like 4 days. However it SUPER ticked off my corals, one frogspawn I've had since my very first tank bleached out, lost some snails as well. So I'm hesitant to go back using it again.

Everything looked good for a few months, then like a bad rash I saw a little brown patch, the next day another and another, until I was right back where I started, I've had brown sand for 2 months again. I do have 3 conches, but lately they've been really slack, like they'll nap for days and then a little activity. They used to do laps around the tank! I've got a diamond goby in QT so hopefully that will help.

Anyway mostly just looking for thoughts on running PhosGuard right now. Seeing if anyone runs it constantly and if so the dosage they're using, or if this is more a tool to get phos under control and then stop using.

 

[Scurvy]

I use Phosguard in my Biocube 32 all the time but its my only PO4 export method. I have also used it to bind scilicates as mentioned above and is what it sounds like you had going on to me. I use 3 or 4 tablespoons in mesh bag and replace once a month or so. Running zero phosphate for an extended period of time can bring on Dino's which is much more worisome than diatoms.

 

[nim6us]

Good info @Scurvy , extrapolating that out that’s about 3/4 cups for my tank.

Since I do have the algae reactor maybe I’ll remove the PhosGuard now. Wait for the phos to rise, and then start with 1/4 cup and see how my numbers look. If it’s too aggressive I’ll half the PhosGuard, too conservative and I’ll double it.