Phosphate removing for nano tanks.

[Chicken_Biscuit]

I’m an intermediate reefer and I have my main display which is a 100 gallon tank sps dominant mixed reef and that tank blooms with healthy corals and full of fish and I have been successful in controlling nutrients and chemistry. Anyways I have a 13.5 gallon tank (fluval evo) I’ve been running for a year now and I’ve never tested it. I’ve always seen corals and fish doing great but I got curious and tested the nutrients, nitrates are 1.3 and my phosphates are .42. I have a refugium in the main chamber and a phosphate removing pad in the middle with carbon pad and ceramic balls for bacteria. I’ve tried a bag of GFO but had the same issue where water just doesn’t flow through it strong enough. Does anyone have a better suggestion? I have red coco worms, a clam, a crap ton of corals (lps dominant) and a large cleanup crew which includes spaghetti worms and feather dusters that have taken over some rocks. Thanks everyone.

 

[VintageReefer]

Bag of Phosguard

It’s easier to work with compared to gfo

 

[BristleWormHater]

Have you considered macroalgae? Chaeto could work, but there are also really amazing ornamental macros that serve the same purpose.

 

[NonstopSoda]

Phosguard is working great for my nano!

 

[Chicken_Biscuit]

Have you considered macroalgae? Chaeto could work, but there are also really amazing ornamental macros that serve the same purpose.

Grows like a packed brick in here. There’s chaeto in the bottom and red dragons breath and even more chaeto.

 

[Chicken_Biscuit]

Phosguard is working great for my nano!

I’ll give phosgaurd a shot.

 

[NonstopSoda]

Grows like a packed brick in here. There’s chaeto in the bottom and red dragons breath and even more chaeto.

ooo what brand is that LED bar?

 

[Spare time]

Grows like a packed brick in here. There’s chaeto in the bottom and red dragons breath and even more chaeto.

Looks like you need to harvest it.

 

[Dawagner3240]

Have your tried purigen?

Or chemipure blue in their little nano packs also work well.

 

[Chicken_Biscuit]

ooo what brand is that LED bar?

Just some cheap LED strip I got from petsmart. Sucks I have to press a button twice for full spectrum otherwise it just rotates through RGB colors but it works lol.

 

[Subsea]

I’m an intermediate reefer and I have my main display which is a 100 gallon tank sps dominant mixed reef and that tank blooms with healthy corals and full of fish and I have been successful in controlling nutrients and chemistry. Anyways I have a 13.5 gallon tank (fluval evo) I’ve been running for a year now and I’ve never tested it. I’ve always seen corals and fish doing great but I got curious and tested the nutrients, nitrates are 1.3 and my phosphates are .42. I have a refugium in the main chamber and a phosphate removing pad in the middle with carbon pad and ceramic balls for bacteria. I’ve tried a bag of GFO but had the same issue where water just doesn’t flow through it strong enough. Does anyone have a better suggestion? I have red coco worms, a clam, a crap ton of corals (lps dominant) and a large cleanup crew which includes spaghetti worms and feather dusters that have taken over some rocks. Thanks everyone.

Why change what is working? I am not big on chasing numbers. After > 50 years of Reefing I trust bioindicators in display and have unopened test kits that have exceeded expiration date.

If you feel the need to lower phosphate level, I suggest you add a nitrogen source (I use ammonia) and harvest macro algae bricks.

PS: The Nitrogen to Phosphate ratio of fast growing macro algae is 30:1

 

[stalkem]

I’ll give phosgaurd a shot.

Did that work for you? Mine has been pretty steady around .5ppm. I got some Phosbond, and noticed no difference.

 

[Pico_Reefs]

I’m an intermediate reefer and I have my main display which is a 100 gallon tank sps dominant mixed reef and that tank blooms with healthy corals and full of fish and I have been successful in controlling nutrients and chemistry. Anyways I have a 13.5 gallon tank (fluval evo) I’ve been running for a year now and I’ve never tested it. I’ve always seen corals and fish doing great but I got curious and tested the nutrients, nitrates are 1.3 and my phosphates are .42. I have a refugium in the main chamber and a phosphate removing pad in the middle with carbon pad and ceramic balls for bacteria. I’ve tried a bag of GFO but had the same issue where water just doesn’t flow through it strong enough. Does anyone have a better suggestion? I have red coco worms, a clam, a crap ton of corals (lps dominant) and a large cleanup crew which includes spaghetti worms and feather dusters that have taken over some rocks. Thanks everyone.

You say your corals look great and out of curiosity you test it and it isn’t what it “should” be so now you want to change it. Why not just leave it if it’s thriving?

 

[VintageReefer]

You say your corals look great and out of curiosity you test it and it isn’t what it “should” be so now you want to change it. Why not just leave it if it’s thriving?

Agree

Also. I run my main reef at .4 phosphates. Works great for me!

 

[Pico_Reefs]

Agree

Also. I run my main reef at .4 phosphates. Works great for me!

My tank has 20 ppm nitrate. I don't care. I have almost no algae, and my corals look great.