Lowering Phosphate without Reactor

[Charley75]

My phosphate has been reading .9 on my Hannah test and hoping to lower without installing a reactor. What other methods are successful without potential issues to tanks….dosing with a liquid product, filter socks, etc. and with what products?
Thanks

 

[Rob A]

An Algae scrubber will do it slowly and naturally.

 

[Charley75]

I have a refugium, however doesnt really seem to be growing much. Trying to avoid another costly piece of equipment and replumbing.

 

[The Ugly Phase]

i have a reactor that does not require plumbing

Aqua Medic Multi Reactor​

just sits in the sump and lowers phosphate

my phosphates wer at 2.3ppm

they are now at 0.13

 

[Raintree Aquatics]

Phosphate RX is amazing~!

 

[BriDroid]

Any of the lanthanum chloride products dosed into a filter sock or the protein skimmer will work too. Just go slow with it.

 

[EnterName]

I have a refugium, however doesnt really seem to be growing much. Trying to avoid another costly piece of equipment and replumbing.

Phosphate adsorbers will work in filter cups/socks just fine. I would just put some filter floss on top so the largest particles aren't covering the adsorber too fast. Use granular ferric oxide (GFO), not an aluminum-based product or you will end up with aluminum in the tank. Read the instructions as you don't want to overdose adsorbers.

If your macro algae isn't growing much your tank might have some trace element deficiency. Iron, Zinc, and Manganese for example are often dosed daily because they deplete fast and are required for nutrient uptake and transport, as well as photosynthesis. You could try some product like ATI Daily Traces A & B or Tropic Marin K+ & A- elements if you don't already use something similar. Note that Zinc, Copper, and some other essential trace elements are highly toxic for marine organisms in too high concentrations, so before starting I would check with an ICP-MS test first so you don't accidentally overdose something.

I'm not sure if 0.9ppm is still within Randy's proposed target ranges, so maybe you don't really need to do anything, but I personally like to keep nutrients lower so I understand your ambition.

 

[exnisstech]

An Algae scrubber will do it slowly and naturally.

That's what I read when I added my surf 4 but it has not been the case.
It grows plenty of food for my tangs who love it. I get this amount every 7-10 days.

But my nitrate runs 50+ and phosphate will peg my Hanna ULR tester at 0.9 and I have to run GFO if I want to lower it. I do feed heavily and have a lot of larger fish and the tank has never had nuisance algae in 3+ years running so I'm just letting things roll and keeping the ATS in place.

PS. I never had luck lowering nutrients with a chaeto fuge either which again could be my over feeding.

 

[PPBlimpy]

i have a reactor that does not require plumbing

Aqua Medic Multi Reactor​

just sits in the sump and lowers phosphate

my phosphates wer at 2.3ppm

they are now at 0.13

what were you running in the reactor?