Best way to safely lower high phosphates??

[TxReefer21]

Phosguard

 

[Pistondog]

Phosphate binds to rock and sand, so water changes not very effective.
Reef roids is very high in phosphate.
I run rowaphos in a reactor, with gac.
If the po4 gets above 0.5, I Drip diluted 50:1 Phosphate e into the overflow, which empties into a 5 micron filter sock to catch the lanthanum phosphates precipitate.
And/Or you can remove by skimmer.

 

[Garf]

DIY scrubbers work well.

From what I read, water changes don't really lower phosphate that much, if at all

only if it’s leaching from substrate.

 

[BanjoBandito]

From what I read, water changes don't really lower phosphate that much, if at all

I just did a 30% WC and saw a .3 ppm drop in phosphates. I'm not adding phosphates back into the system? You're simply diluting the solution down, it's not going to fix the problem, but it will lower them immediately. I guess if you aren't using RODI water or "cheap salt" you could add phosphates back in.....?

 

[1Meshy]

Phosphate binds to rock and sand, so water changes not very effective.
Reef roids is very high in phosphate.
I run rowaphos in a reactor, with gac.
If the po4 gets above 0.5, I Drip diluted 50:1 Phosphate e into the overflow, which empties into a 5 micron filter sock to catch the lanthanum phosphates precipitate.
And/Or you can remove by skimmer.

So do you think rowaphos would be a good way to remove my phosphate then? And what reactor would you recommend it in for a nano tank?

 

[PeterC99]

I hadn't thought about an algae reactor before. Are there any small ones for nano tanks like the biocube?

Take a look at Tunze MAR. I bought mine used for 1/2 price of new. My aquarium took off after installing. Simple to setup, ease to use, and maintain. Phosphates and Nitrates were gone after a couple of weeks. Corals really took off.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Take a look at Tunze MAR. I bought mine used for 1/2 price of new. My aquarium took off after installing. Simple to setup, ease to use, and maintain. Phosphates and Nitrates were gone after a couple of weeks. Corals really took off.

I have a 3 gallon cookie jar that used to be on my office desk just sitting around I really wanna figure out how to plumb up to my 12 gallon as a refugium....

 

[1Meshy]

Take a look at Tunze MAR. I bought mine used for 1/2 price of new. My aquarium took off after installing. Simple to setup, ease to use, and maintain. Phosphates and Nitrates were gone after a couple of weeks. Corals really took off.

Alright, I'll look into that for sure. What do you put in your reactor?

 

[PeterC99]

Alright, I'll look into that for sure. What do you put in your reactor?

Chaeto!

 

[gbroadbridge]

No, it isn’t but 0.6 is.

Apologies, I misread the OP.

I would probably carefully dose Lanthanum Chloride such as Phosphate RX to bring it down slowly.

GFO would probably bring down too fast.

 

[1Meshy]

Apologies, I misread the OP.

I would probably carefully dose Lanthanum Chloride such as Phosphate RX to bring it down slowly.

GFO would probably bring down too fast.

I see that a lot of you are recommending phosphate rx. Does it really work that well?

 

[Pistondog]

I see that a lot of you are recommending phosphate rx. Does it really work that well?

Lanthanum chloride is instantaneous.
Gfo slower.
Use lc to get to a reasonable level, like 0.2 or less, then gfo.

 

[1Meshy]

Lanthanum chloride is instantaneous.
Gfo slower.
Use lc to get to a reasonable level, like 0.2 or less, then gfo.

Ah, ok. I should get to a level like 0.2 over the course of several days though, correct?

 

[Pistondog]

Ah, ok. I should get to a level like 0.2 over the course of several days though, correct?

No, 0.5 ppm per day is OK. So you could do 0.6 to 0.1 or 0.2 in a day, 8 hrs.
Try not to remove all phosphate, as that can be worse than too much.

 

[1Meshy]

No, 0.5 ppm per day is OK. So you could do 0.6 to 0.1 or 0.2 in a day, 8 hrs.
Try not to remove all phosphate, as that can be worse than too much.

Oh, wow okay. Any advice on actually dosing phosphate rx in my biocube? I looked into it and read that it can cause issues if not used correctly

 

[Pistondog]

Oh, wow okay. Any advice on actually dosing phosphate rx in my biocube? I looked into it and read that it can cause issues if not used correctly

No experience with that form.
Are you running a skimmer?

 

[dvgyfresh]

Dose lanthium chloride into the skimmer or over flow, and like it has been said you probly have phosphate binded to rocks / sand so use lanthium chloride to bring down, once the rocks / sand are depleted stop using LC and then switch to GFO

 

[1Meshy]

No experience with that form.
Are you running a skimmer?

I just have the coral life mini skimmer for the biocube

 

[1Meshy]

Dose lanthium chloride into the skimmer or over flow, and like it has been said you probly have phosphate binded to rocks / sand so use lanthium chloride to bring down, once the rocks / sand are depleted stop using LC and then switch to GFO

Okay, will do. When you say overflow, do you mean directly into the tank with an area of high flow ?

The only skimmer I have is a coral life mini skimmer.

 

[Pistondog]

Directions say 5 drops per 10 gallons to remove 0.5 ppm.
I'd dose 2 drops each hour for 2 hrs, total of 6 drops and see where that gets you. Can repeat as required.