Phosphates Through the roof

[BeanAnimal]

Wondered if you were the same animal as the critter on RCentral. Been a while since you were actively posting.

Science and Tech of reefs has exploded in the past few years, particularly during COVID but much has changed especially in experimental science tracking tank inputs/outputs.

Stuff that was written in stone a decade ago has since been discovered to actually have been written on Sandstone.

In terms of PO4, if you have water column levels of .03, if it is stable for a week, it will be at equilibrium with the level stored in the carbonate reservoirs such as rocks and substrate, which is why the simple statement that you can simply perform a water change to lower the level is more like to be false than true.

The answer to the OP's post is simply to use GFO, and over time, which may be a while, the levels will decline.

I think we all agree on that :)

I am the same - nothing has changed in the way water chemistry works ;)

You are correct about carbonate reservoirs and equilibrium. That is no being contested (and is part of the point being made). Each system will have (vastly) different levels of storage capacity.

My initial comments were to juxtapose/contextualize that very fact to "water changes do not remove phosphate" or however it was presented.

Let me also put something else out there. I did not leave the hobby, stop learning or get too old to understand "new things". I simply got tired of dealing with debates like this... so stopped posting and went on with the hobby and other things in life.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Respectfully or not, no worry. Disagreements are fine. I'm sure in the hell not going to stomp my size 12 shoe, rip out my overflow box, and change designs because we disagree.

Yeah - I can't offer much more than my opinion and experience on this one. I am likely the minority in this opinion and the science and documentation is very thin too. I tried to be very thorough and find a way to make it work, but no matter what I did, i saw bad effects so moved on.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Incorrect. Polyfilters do nothing for inorganic phosphates (the one we test for).

@Miami Reef, I have used it quite a bit and it sure works for me. Perhaps you are thinking of something else. This details what it treats for:

https://www.aquariumspecialty.com/poly-bio-marine-filter-pads.html

 

[BeanAnimal]

@Miami Reef, I have used it quite a bit and it sure works for me. Perhaps you are thinking of something else. This details what it treats for:

https://www.aquariumspecialty.com/poly-bio-marine-filter-pads.html

They are just not efficient at P04 removal due to the limited amount of GFO or resin that they carry. They may fit your need though.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

They are just not efficient at P04 removal due to the limited amount of GFO or resin that they carry. They may fit your need though.

That may well be true. I don't use another method. :)

 

[gbroadbridge]

@Miami Reef, I have used it quite a bit and it sure works for me. Perhaps you are thinking of something else. This details what it treats for:

https://www.aquariumspecialty.com/poly-bio-marine-filter-pads.html

Amazing stuff. It removes trace elements but doesn't remove trace elements at the same time.
All due to the magical proprietary stuff that it contains.

It probably detoxifies Ammonia as well as Prime, too.