Should I use Phosphate- E

[Ariel'sMom]

Hello!
I have a reef tank with softies and fish. Tank is AIO 47 gal and have had it since February. Fish and corals look good but corals are growing slowly. I change water every 2,weeks (20%) and use Ro/DI water, and salt water from LFS. Today, I tested phosphates using Hannah checker and phosphate was 0.9! I tested again and it was 0.86. I use carbon and change it monthly. My nitrates were also high at 33. I admit that I am bad at testing phosphate so not sure how long it has been high. I did a 20% water change tonight. My question is “should I dose Phosphat-E” and if yes, what is the dosage. I have it but have never used it. Always nervous about using a chemical. As always, thank you for any advice.

 

[bushdoc]

There's recent thread here about somebody's negative expierience with Lanthanum chloride (Phosphate-E). Look for it and draw conclusions.
Lanthanum need to be dose slowly, preferentially diluted into 5-10 micron sock to filter precipitated particles, which may effect negatively gills of some fish especially tangs.Also, it is very effective and might lower your phosphates to undetectable levels very fast!
I used Lanthanum now and then( into 5 micron sock) without negative effects. I dripped it from Large ATO container, very diluted.
You could use Rowa Phos instead, especially if you have AIO tank.

 

[Ariel'sMom]

I did see a negative report on it on You tube. I’ll look at Rowa phos. I was anxious about such a high level but don’t want to make it worse. Thank you!

 

[Ariel'sMom]

There's recent thread here about somebody's negative expierience with Lanthanum chloride (Phosphate-E). Look for it and draw conclusions.
Lanthanum need to be dose slowly, preferentially diluted into 5-10 micron sock to filter precipitated particles, which may effect negatively gills of some fish especially tangs.Also, it is very effective and might lower your phosphates to undetectable levels very fast!
I used Lanthanum now and then( into 5 micron sock) without negative effects. I dripped it from Large ATO container, very diluted.
You could use Rowa Phos instead, especially if you have AIO tank.

I also have Purit. Would that also help with lowering phosphates? Thanks!

 

[jda]

Lanthanum Chloride seems to be fish safe if you catch the flocculant into a filter sock. Some people just dose the tank, but others have lost fish because of this - results have been varied with smart and experienced hobbyists on either side. The stuff is cheaper than GFO.

You can make a cheap and temporary LC filter with a powehead, a hose and a filter sock... just stick the powerhead with the hose into the tank, have the hose come up out of the water and into a sock clamped onto the side of the tank. Add a your LC drops to the sock. In a few minutes, take it all off. It is not pretty, but it works.

GFO needs a reactor to work well. Bags in the sump are OK, but not nearly as efficient and wastes some GFO.

Both of these can lower too fast. You really need to go slow, understand that most of your po4 is bound to rocks and sand (aragonite) and only remove what the rocks can unbind. If you drop the po4 too fast, the rocks will unbind and bring it up to nearly where it was, then this up/down can be harmful - EKG looking graph is not good whereas a slow and stead decline is plenty fine.

 

[exnisstech]

I would just use a little gfo. It's cheap, easy to use and very effective at lowering PO4. If you try it use a fraction of what it says like maybe a couple of spoons on a tank your size. As stated a reactor is best but I have used it in bags and it works just not as effective as a reactor. I just use knee high stockings and cut them in lengths and tie knots on the ends. They're cheaper and a finer mesh than many bags I have used. If you use GFO be sure and rinse it will.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I use brightwell phosphat e sparingly to knock down my phosphates if they start to creep. I'm talking 5ml at a time into red sea xl 300, 80g system volume. This is donein the sump in the return chamber before the sock and skimmer. I'm @ .08-1.5 PO4 w around 20-25NO3. No ill effects Just follow the directions and go slow . Test wait and test again.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Not a fan of GFO w this system.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Phosphate -E is a good product, but must be used with care. If you use it, get a 1 micron filter sock to drip it into. You can use an IV bag (both of these can be purchased on Amazon) to dose it slowly. On a small tank like that I would just do a series of 50%-75% water changes to lower both NO3 and PO4 as it is safer. The calculations for dosing the Phosphate-E are on the bottle. Just mix it with some RODI and fill the IV bag then slowly drip it into the filter sock in your sump. I have unfortunate real world experience dosing Lanthanum Chloride the wrong way and lost over 30 fish from my DT about 2 years ago due to not dripping through a 1 micron sock and the particles getting into the DT.

 

[1ocean]

Seachem Phosguard works good also...I use it and have the reactor water go to a carbon reactor...

 

[ninjamyst]

I love phosphate-e. I dose it into the overflow for my 200g tank. It goes through my sump and the by-products get filtered out by filter pad and skimmer. It's the most effective and easiest way to reduce high phosphate.

But you have to dose small amounts throughout the day to not drop phosphate too fast.

IMO, since your system is relatively small, doing a series of big water changes will be safer.

Please please please test the phosphate and nitrate of the water you are getting from LFS.

 

[F4u-SuperCorsair]

I was watching a Saltwater TED talk a month or so ago where the speaker was saying that with a softy tank phosphate's wasn't so important to keep so low of a number 0.03 as he was keeping his tank at 1.0 to 2.0 even had a slide show showing his tank. His tank was looking really good.

 

[lion king]

I've used it even with my lions, which are known to be chemical sensitive, if you follow directions there should be no issues with toxicity. What is your issue, are you having cyano, your balance of nitrates to phosphates seem fine. To bring down those nitrates, more water changes or consider a refugium or algae reactor. Macro will bring down both nitrates and phosphates and keep them in balance. If you are not having cyano I would not be concerned about your phosphates. What are you feeding, pellets and flake food are phosphate additives.