Automated PO4 control.

[Fisherman Joe]

Hi all.

Just ordered a reef factory smart lab with PO4 tester.

In an effort to automate and more tightly control my PO4, what would be a suitable dosing solution to reduce PO4?

I have my doubts dosing carbon and I have clams and wrasse so I’m cautions with lanthanum chloride. Has anyone had any success here? I was thinking I could dose a very dilute amount slowly in to my skimmer?

Other than that, any tips for automating (as much as possible) the PO4 control?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi all.

Just ordered a reef factory smart lab with PO4 tester.

In an effort to automate and more tightly control my PO4, what would be a suitable dosing solution to reduce PO4?

I have my doubts dosing carbon and I have clams and wrasse so I’m cautions with lanthanum chloride. Has anyone had any success here? I was thinking I could dose a very dilute amount slowly in to my skimmer?

Other than that, any tips for automating (as much as possible) the PO4 control?

Do you know it is even elevated?

 

[Fisherman Joe]

It was 0.4 in previous weeks.

I’ve got it down to 0.1 but it’s creeping up to 0.2 again.

I have the lot range hanna checker but I never use it unless I notice something.

 

[Pistondog]

Those levels seem ok.
Why not use some gfo every week or 2 in a reactor?
I like to drip the diluted lathanum into the overflow, caught by 5 micron sox.
SOx only used with the lc.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Automation is a fine and possibly fun experiment, but I would not be certain there will be apparent changes in the aquarium by lowering it.

That said, driving it too low by a fault of any sort in the automation is likely to be worse than the elevated values.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

I use GFO but I find it can get exhausted quickly at the end of its life then cause levels to rise quickly.

I travel a lot for work. My wife feeds the fish (what I set out) so I want to automate this as much as possible.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

Automation is a fine and possibly fun experiment, but I would not be certain there will be apparent changes in the aquarium by lowering it.

That said, driving it too low by a fault of any sort in the automation is likely to be worse than the elevated values.

Good point. Crashing the PO4 too low is one thing to watch out for.

Any idea on what to dose or what I could automate to control and lower PO4 on a regular basis?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Good point. Crashing the PO4 too low is one thing to watch out for.

Any idea on what to dose or what I could automate to control and lower PO4 on a regular basis?

IMO, the best choices are iron or lanthanum.