Using Rowaphos for 1st time

Honeycombz · Oct 9, 2017

Hey everyone

Using Rowaphos for the 1st time. Battling some bubble algae and slow growth.

Wanted to get phosphate down a little bit. Used my Hanna checker and it currently reads at 0.05 ppm. I have a 20 gallon tank (18 gallon including rock, sand,equipment)

I know that Rowaphos is 100ml for 50 gallons will drop phosphate 1ppm. Wanted to be sure on my calculations and not strip the aquarium of phosphates. I have have been fiddling back and forth over what the correct dosage is, any help would greatly be appreciated. Also is there any easy/quicker way to do this calculation? A specific equation to help?

Thanks in advance everyone!

Honeycombz · Oct 9, 2017

I forgot to add I will be running this in a reactor.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 9, 2017

A few comments:

1. Bubble algae (valonia) is not often easily dealt with by lowering nutrients.
2. Estimates of the phosphate drop per amount of media are not especially useful unless you start at the exact value they quote. The amount bound is a strong function of the amount of phosphate present in the water.
3. 0.05 ppm phosphate sounds OK to me without any lowering, but if you choose to lower it, start with relatively small amount of media because a drop too far may be worse than nothing.

Honeycombz · Oct 9, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
A few comments:

1. Bubble algae (valonia) is not often easily dealt with by lowering nutrients.
2. Estimates of the phosphate drop per amount of media are not especially useful unless you start at the exact value they quote. The amount bound is a strong function of the amount of phosphate present in the water.
3. 0.05 ppm phosphate sounds OK to me without any lowering, but if you choose to lower it, start with relatively small amount of media because a drop too far may be worse than nothing.

Thanks randy! The bubble algae is relentless, I have some new rock work cycling at the moment and will replace the entire scape shortly.

How much media would you recommend using? 1/4 of recommended dosage ? Also what do you think is the best level for phosphates to be kept around?

rkpetersen · Oct 10, 2017

Another comment: Be very very careful with this stuff. It's my personal experience that it can and will easily give you a 0.00 phosphorus reading both by home tests and mail-in spectroscopy. (When I saw an actual 0 for phosphorus from Triton, it actually scared me a bit.) I have no proof but I believe it is more potent that GFO and definitely more so than aluminum based agents. I'd start with maybe 1/4 of what they suggest, as you mention, check again in a few days (or sooner), and go from there. A phosphate of .03 (phosphorus of 10) is considered by many to be ideal.

jda · Oct 10, 2017

You are going to need some consumers. IME, you can have bubble algae with nearly no phosphate.

Go really slow. You will likely have some phosphate bound to the aragonite that is in "equilibrium" with the water. If you go slow enough, it can unbind and lower along with the water column. If you go too fast, your tank P will get really low and then rise again in a few days once you take the GFO off.

I would not sweat .05 on most reefs - I keep .01, but my tank does that on it's own. I would use a few tablespoons, turn the flow down really low and test daily. You can do more harm with this than good.

IME, the rowa is just high capacity GFO that is no different than any other high capacity.

TUSI · Oct 10, 2017

I keep my tank 0.05 at all time so I don't think you should lower it. Bubble algea is not going away with lowering po4 . Try removing it slowly without bursting the bubble. They can be removed slowly by getting under neath them. Long time ago I had some and what I used was a hose with a clear ridged tube cut on an angle. Scrap and suck at the same time so nothing release in water

Honeycombz · Oct 12, 2017

jda said:
You are going to need some consumers. IME, you can have bubble algae with nearly no phosphate.

Go really slow. You will likely have some phosphate bound to the aragonite that is in "equilibrium" with the water. If you go slow enough, it can unbind and lower along with the water column. If you go too fast, your tank P will get really low and then rise again in a few days once you take the GFO off.

I would not sweat .05 on most reefs - I keep .01, but my tank does that on it's own. I would use a few tablespoons, turn the flow down really low and test daily. You can do more harm with this than good.

IME, the rowa is just high capacity GFO that is no different than any other high capacity.

Jda

Thank you. I think now with you saying that and some more research I won't run GFO at the moment not until my phosphates climb a little higher.

Should I do table spoon or teaspoon for my 20g ?

Honeycombz · Oct 12, 2017

TUSI said:
I keep my tank 0.05 at all time so I don't think you should lower it. Bubble algea is not going away with lowering po4 . Try removing it slowly without bursting the bubble. They can be removed slowly by getting under neath them. Long time ago I had some and what I used was a hose with a clear ridged tube cut on an angle. Scrap and suck at the same time so nothing release in water

Thanks tusi

This bubble algae sucks. I am going to remove the entire scape and have picked any bubble algae off of plugs or corals. Once I have my frag tank set up I will clear out some space for the new scape and hopefully rid myself of the bubble algae once and for all.

jda · Oct 12, 2017

I guess maybe a teaspoon on a 20G tank. A water change might be a lot easier and safer.

GoVols · Oct 12, 2017

I'm with Randy on bubble algae and low phos.

But... I've used Rowaphos for over two years.

Anytime that you start off with GFO / Start off with a dose well below the manufacturers ratings. You want to bring things down slowly as into not, shock your corals.

GoVols · Oct 12, 2017

TUSI said:
I keep my tank 0.05 at all time so I don't think you should lower it. Bubble algea is not going away with lowering po4 . Try removing it slowly without bursting the bubble. They can be removed slowly by getting under neath them. Long time ago I had some and what I used was a hose with a clear ridged tube cut on an angle. Scrap and suck at the same time so nothing release in water

+1

K100286 · Oct 12, 2017

I would try a product called Vibrant. A lot of people have had good success with it including myself. Bubble algae can be a head ache because it spreads quickly.

Honeycombz · Oct 17, 2017

K100286 said:
I would try a product called Vibrant. A lot of people have had good success with it including myself. Bubble algae can be a head ache because it spreads quickly.

Thank for the suggestion. I did trybout vibrant but had no results with bubble algae :/

New rock work goes in this week.