Very high phosphate...Phosban not working

[Miami Reef]

I knew I had high phosphates. I checked it at the lfs about a 2-3 months ago and they gave me Phosban with the floss bags and told me to put it in the sump.

I go back to the lfs, and the phosphates are still too high. It’s at 2.00ppm. I used to feel the fish pellets, but since last week, I started using frozen brine shrimp.

My tank is 200 gallons, and I do about 20% water change a month. All the other parameters are at 0. I feel like I should add that the flow in the sump is very low.

Any suggestions?

 

[tangtime]

You can Use lanthium chloride, a bottle of Seaklear commercial will last a lifetime. It will lower your po4 very very quickly so has to be dosed carefully.

Do a search on here on how to properly use it and how it works!

 

[UserID]

Run it through a reactor like the Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor. Like you said low flow in the sump, the reactor will run more of your water through the phosban than just putting a bag in the sump.

 

[Miami Reef]

I added a pump to my sump where the Phosban is. I instantly see the little particles from the Phosban is the tank. I feel like it’s going to work a bit better now. I’m going to check the phosphates in a month, if it’s still too high, I’ll get the reactor. Thanks!

 

[tangtime]

Do you grow cheato as well? If not, you can look into that.

 

[Waters]

I added a pump to my sump where the Phosban is. I instantly see the little particles from the Phosban is the tank. I feel like it’s going to work a bit better now. I’m going to check the phosphates in a month, if it’s still too high, I’ll get the reactor. Thanks!

A couple of things.......you don't want to see the Phosban floating in your tank.....it should remain in the bag. Also, if your phosphates are high, your media will become saturated pretty quickly. I would check it weekly and make sure it is decreasing....as soon as it stops, then change out your media.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I knew I had high phosphates. I checked it at the lfs about a 2-3 months ago and they gave me Phosban with the floss bags and told me to put it in the sump.

I go back to the lfs, and the phosphates are still too high. It’s at 2.00ppm. I used to feel the fish pellets, but since last week, I started using frozen brine shrimp.

My tank is 200 gallons, and I do about 20% water change a month. All the other parameters are at 0. I feel like I should add that the flow in the sump is very low.

Any suggestions?

Phosban unquestionably works, but all binders are depleted very fast when phosphate is that high, and you will also have huge amounts bound tot he surface of rocks and sand, so even a 100% water change won't solve the problem. it is also possible you were not getting good flow of water through the mesh bag. GFO in a bag is not a good bet because the particles are so small the water doesn't flow well.

If you want to use a mesh bag, a product like Phosguard may be better as it is larger particles. Rinse it very well before use.

Lanthanum and lots of other methods will also work.

This has more:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/?p=3184

 

[alton]

I like Rowa Phos the best, but used in a reactor so to control the flow.

 

[Miami Reef]

Ok. My latest theory is that the Phosban WAS working, but got exhausted and the phosphates came back. How can I tell when the Phosban is done for? I’ll post pictures of what it looks like.

 

[Miami Reef]

So, the bag feels very swollen. I don’t believe we filled the Phosban that much either. I think it expanded.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

When using it that way (where you cannot measure the inflow and outflow levels) The only ways to judge if it is still working is to track the changes in the tank level. Alternatively, just change it after a few days to a week at that level.

With good flow through it, it might be depleted in just a few hours at that phosphate level, but I cannot judge how much flow is through your bag.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m not sure how to remove my phosphates and I’m getting frustrated.

I don’t have a skimmer (I’m working on getting it working again)
One thing I remembered was that I used tap water for my concentrated calcium and alkalinity dosing.

Will doing water changes help? What are the solutions for removing phosphates?

Edit: I’m not crazy about the bandaid solutions that only temporarily remove phosphates. I’m cutting down on feedings. But I want to know what else I can do.

 

[tangtime]

I’m not sure how to remove my phosphates and I’m getting frustrated.

I don’t have a skimmer (I’m working on getting it working again)
One thing I remembered was that I used tap water for my concentrated calcium and alkalinity dosing.

Will doing water changes help? What are the solutions for removing phosphates?

Why not use lanthium chloride and cheato, etc???

Your complain you can’t remove po4 and it’s super high, yet you have been given options on how to bring it down, but just ignoring them.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m scared I’ll overdose the tank and kill the corals. I don’t know exactly how many gallons my tank is, and I’m bad at math. I heard lowering the phosphates too fast is bad. I’m just trying to protect the tank.

 

[tangtime]

Use this dose amount and it will reduce po4 by roughly .3.

Initial dose 2ml of seaklear diluted in one gallon of rodi, dropped at a rate of 1 drop per second into a 5 micron sock. Measure po4

After initial does wait 3 days measure po4, then do a 1.5 ml dose. Measure po4

Wait 3 days agin measure po4 then dose according to po4 levels, you can always reduce the amount of seaklear used.

You currently have ZERO nutrient export, so naturally nutrients will rise and water changes, gfo will get very very expensive and you may not even be able to gain much ground depending on how much pi4 is bound up in your rock.

 

[John ob]

I had same issue tried lots of phosban products. I was scared to use the strong ones on fear of losing invertebrates. Tried rowa an it worked barely lowered based on directions for amount but it worked. So I tripled the amount an been at zero for over 5 months on one large container. 180 tank overstocked with fish an coral heavy eaters silversides clams goldfish pellets mysis Brime daily. May also want to add the ammonia an nitrate detoxification. I also do zero water changes since using an merely top off

 

[John ob]

I had same issue tried lots of phosban products. I was scared to use the strong ones on fear of losing invertebrates. Tried rowa an it worked barely lowered based on directions for amount but it worked. So I tripled the amount an been at zero for over 5 months on one large container. 180 tank overstocked with fish an coral heavy eaters silversides clams goldfish pellets mysis Brime daily. May also want to add the ammonia an nitrate detoxification. I also do zero water changes since using an merely top off

 

[laverda]

I would not rely on your LFS to test your water. Test kits are not that expensive. 2 months is to far between tests if your trying to fix a problem like you are.
I felt like you when I used phosban and products like it. I could never tell it was having any effect on my phosphates, yet it would mess up my ALK levels. I have had very good results with Blue Life Phosphate Rx (Lanthium Chloride?) lt is very inexpensive compared to phosban and the like. Results are measurable with in a few days. You want to drop your phosphates over time. I recommend dosing at 50% of what they say daily for a week then check your levels. If you dose in the tank you will see some cloudiness as a it parcipates out the Po4. It is supposed to bind it per entry. I prefer not to leave it in my tank just in case something should cause it to release. I dose into my overflow so my filter socks catch the parcipated phosphate. They will clog faster and need changing more often. As you get close to your desired po4 level reduce the amount your dosing. You do not want to dose if there is no Po4 present as it will participate calcium instead.
That said I now rely on dosing iron and exporting nitrate and phosphate via my ATSs and cheeto. Good luck.

 

[laverda]

BRS has test kits 10% off right now.

 

[Miami Reef]

Actually the LFS did say my ALK was too low which was strange because when I last tested the water (when I purchased the Phosban) my ALK was too high.

 

[Miami Reef]

Use this dose amount and it will reduce po4 by roughly .3.

Initial dose 2ml of seaklear diluted in one gallon of rodi, dropped at a rate of 1 drop per second into a 5 micron sock. Measure po4

After initial does wait 3 days measure po4, then do a 1.5 ml dose. Measure po4

Wait 3 days agin measure po4 then dose according to po4 levels, you can always reduce the amount of seaklear used.

You currently have ZERO nutrient export, so naturally nutrients will rise and water changes, gfo will get very very expensive and you may not even be able to gain much ground depending on how much pi4 is bound up in your rock.

Is seaklear for pool phosphates?