Phosphates Out of Control - I need to Use GFO or some other Liquid PO remover

[Ashish Patel]

What size tank do you have? 1/4” seams a little small you may want more flow than what a 1/4” line can provide

I have exactly 550ish gallons

 

[mehaffydr]

I don't think that a 1/4" line is going to provide the flow tat you need. I am thinking 1/2" minimum.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I don't think that a 1/4" line is going to provide the flow tat you need. I am thinking 1/2" minimum.

I have 3 outlets on my manifold so multiple sizes. I can get alot of flow out the 1/4" line bc its so close to the 6000gph pump. I have a 1/2" line also just more 1/4" rodi hose.

I am hoping i wont have to use LC ongoing, just when it gets out of wack. Im fine with PO .30ppm.

 

[mehaffydr]

Then I would start there with the 1/4” and test every couple days and see what kind of progress you can make

 

[Reefahholic]

@Ashish Patel

Reaktormedien unter der ICP-MS Lupe

Was wird von Aktivkohle, Zeolith, und Phosphatadsorbern an das Aquarienwasser abgegeben? Und welche Spurenelemente sowie Schadstoffe werden gebunden?

en.oceamo.com

 

[Ashish Patel]

Its not 0.2ppm its actually 0.61 PPM and the Hanna is maxed out at 200 so its somewhere above the .61ppm.
The Hanna ULR is Phosphorus not Phosphate so there is a conversion that has to be done.

I have an 1100 gallon tank 1350 gallon system and had the same issue. I had used some old rock that apparently was full of PO4. It took me a couple of months and more than a Gallon of Phosphate-E but I now have phosphate .001 - .002 ppm.

I would recommend the Phosphate E just go slow. i dripped mine directly in the skimmer and also used filter socks to catch any that got out of the skimmer.

It is onlt dangerous if you are impatient and overdose.

Hi, I got the LC (Phosban-L). Melev has a good video on youtube about his experience (though i dont agree with his dosing but good to know he can get away with his method). We have similar water volume and he dosed 60ML directly into the tank to drop his PO from .70 to .10PPM. I got one of those medical gravity fed doser and just testing it out to see how many ML it drops per hour at a slow drip rate.

Last time i checked my PO they where 1.11 PPM, I'll test it again before I start dosing but I am thinking if i can get a drip that would put about 60 ML in my sock in say 8-12 hour that would be a good starting point. Test, observe, and do it again tomorrow or the next day.

I didnt get any information on how many hours ppl dose LC to their system. Dosing pump would be more ideal but I can't see myself using this on a ongoing basis, I'll just make adjustments with a set amount whenever PO gets to 0.50+PPM range.

Melevs Youtube Link. (very good information)

 

[Ashish Patel]

Phosban L seems like a very good value - I got the 500ML bottle for $25 and once mixed with RODI it makes 1500ML solution. 10ML of this solution would bring my PO down .10 PPM. If this is accurate then this is a highly potent chemical,

 

[Ashish Patel]

Phosphate E is what I am using for my 1400 gallon system.

With trial and error I find that I dose 100 ml to drip it by .05. 200 ml for .1 etc.. I measure, figure the dose needed to hit .05 and dose it weekly. Week by week the dosing needs are going down.

I get a feeding bag from amazon. Dilute the phos E with about 500 ml RO water pour it into the bag... and drip it in to a filter sock. Make sure to use a graduated cylinder to measure the amount of Phos E - this needs to be precise.

I have done by drip it into a high flow 1 micron sock and a 200 micron sock - no precipitate either way at any dose from 100 ml to 200 ml. I am not really sure if the sock is necessary so long as it is getting dripped in - but people freak out about the possible precipitate - so I just use the sock.

Before I got the enteral bag... I was a little more cavalier.

I dosed 100 ml by pouring in a few oz. of the solution in boluses (before I bought the feeding bag) also no apparent problem.

Once... I dosed 250 ml by bolus (pushing my luck) into a filter sock over about 1 hour - and I did indeed get a white precipitate in the tank - but, it did not affect the fish or corals.

I just got the same dosing bag, I am going to start with dosing 60ML of LC but realize the slowest drip i can get is 1 drop per second so will have to dilute it significantly. Since I am dosing into a sock (10 micron should be in today), I am sure it wont be an issue if I drip it over the course of few hours but would feel better if its 6+ hours, any recommendation for first time dosing?

 

[billwill]

200 ppb is nowhere close to out of control unless you're trying to keep an ULN system. That's 0.2 ppm is it not? Unless you've got a huge algae problem AND this level of PO4, you've got a very small problem that can easily be remedied by any of the above mentioned methods in a very slow manner. Shoot, I've had amazing corals for decades with that level of PO4.

 

[FishTruck]

I just got the same dosing bag, I am going to start with dosing 60ML of LC but realize the slowest drip i can get is 1 drop per second so will have to dilute it significantly. Since I am dosing into a sock (10 micron should be in today), I am sure it wont be an issue if I drip it over the course of few hours but would feel better if its 6+ hours, any recommendation for first time dosing?

I think you are good to try 60 cc. If you dilute it to 600 cc with RO water, you effectively reduce the drip to 1 gtt every 10 seconds.

Are you using PHOS E or some other LC product. My experiments are all with PHOS E?

FWIW... just just dosed 230 ml of phos E (diluted to 500 ml since that's all the bag holds) and ended up with cloudy water again - but - it did not harm the fish or coral. I would probably need two of the feeding bags to drip in more than 230 cc slow enough to avoid cloudy water in my 1400 gallon system.

 

[FishTruck]

200 ppb is nowhere close to out of control unless you're trying to keep an ULN system. That's 0.2 ppm is it not? Unless you've got a huge algae problem AND this level of PO4, you've got a very small problem that can easily be remedied by any of the above mentioned methods in a very slow manner. Shoot, I've had amazing corals for decades with that level of PO4.

Watch out! Some of the Hanna Checkers quantify phosphate and some phosphorous.

So, 200 ppb phosphorous is actually .61 ppm phosphate... and also the top of the scale for the Hanna ULM checker, so you would have to dilute the sample and re-measure to find out what it really is.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I think you are good to try 60 cc. If you dilute it to 600 cc with RO water, you effectively reduce the drip to 1 gtt every 10 seconds.

Are you using PHOS E or some other LC product. My experiments are all with PHOS E?

FWIW... just just dosed 230 ml of phos E (diluted to 500 ml since that's all the bag holds) and ended up with cloudy water again - but - it did not harm the fish or coral. I would probably need two of the feeding bags to drip in more than 230 cc slow enough to avoid cloudy water in my 1400 gallon system.

Using phosban L.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Started the drip

PO where pretty high. Didnt do the calculations but somewhere 1.2ppm

 

[Ashish Patel]

Then I would start there with the 1/4” and test every couple days and see what kind of progress you can make

Took your advice and scratch this idea, I just used my return drain and added a 10 Micron sock. I was originally thinking i was gonna drip continuously for a few days so didnt want the sock getting clogged.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Watch out! Some of the Hanna Checkers quantify phosphate and some phosphorous.

So, 200 ppb phosphorous is actually .61 ppm phosphate... and also the top of the scale for the Hanna ULM checker, so you would have to dilute the sample and re-measure to find out what it really is.

I diluted it by 5 or 20% and got 84PPB today. Which puts me at 420PPB. At least I'll have a reference point now, last 7 tests where all 200 so wasting reagant!

 

[Ashish Patel]

I think you are good to try 60 cc. If you dilute it to 600 cc with RO water, you effectively reduce the drip to 1 gtt every 10 seconds.

Are you using PHOS E or some other LC product. My experiments are all with PHOS E?

FWIW... just just dosed 230 ml of phos E (diluted to 500 ml since that's all the bag holds) and ended up with cloudy water again - but - it did not harm the fish or coral. I would probably need two of the feeding bags to drip in more than 230 cc slow enough to avoid cloudy water in my 1400 gallon system.

Did you use a filter sock? Im not confident my sock will last 6 hrs so monitoring carefully

 

[Ashish Patel]

Tanks gotten pretty foggy. Kind of nervous bc bags only used 10% of solution.

 

[FishTruck]

Keep us posted. It seems that the dose for phos E and phosban L are the same and I assume the same stuff (LC). I have used a sock set up just like you. I have also seen my tank fog up twice, but I used much more product that you. Hmmm.. maybe... it's the high phosphates in the water that causes the fogging. Both times I fogged... my phos was at or over 0.2 ppm.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Keep us posted. It seems that the dose for phos E and phosban L are the same and I assume the same stuff (LC). I have used a sock set up just like you. I have also seen my tank fog up twice, but I used much more product that you. Hmmm.. maybe... it's the high phosphates in the water that causes the fogging. Both times I fogged... my phos was at or over 0.2 ppm.

Mine fogged to so ended it after 3 hours. Maybe im paranoid but one of my yellow tangs seemed to be breathing heavy. When i added nori the tangs did not all go at it aggressivey as they would otherwise. The nori sheet is still in the tank even during light out so i def can report appetite supression. The fish did eat frozen food right b4 nori but in the past didnt matter and nori gets consumed. I dosed maybe 5ml solution and will do it tomorow

 

[Ashish Patel]

Going much slower today. About 1 drop every 3 seconds. phosban 60ml solution is diluted to 1200 ml so dropped just under 100ml per hour. Tank is cloudy but nowhere near the amount it was yesterday. Also reduced the flow going into the sock. I will probably end todays drip until there is 500ml left in the bag and wait a hour then test PO