Still struggling with phosphates...

[Shawn_epicurious]

Regarding the short press and long press...

After you zero out the meter and it shows "C2", you are supposed to shake the sample with the packet added for 2 minutes. When you put the vial back in the tester, you have two options:

1. Short button press: test is performed immediately
2. Long button press (hold until countdown starts): test will be performed after 3 minute countdown
   1. This is the normal procedure

Just got home from work and re-read the instruction... yeah, I’m an idiot! I think I’ll change my name from epicurious to Stupiditis! Lol

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Hey, same problem as you.
As said, I am running PhosGuard on a similar size tank as yours (200g, 160g volume of water), and it is just not cost effective for that size of tank. If your phosphates are under .15~ or so, I would think PhosGuard would work. But anything higher, Phosphat-E is definitely (at least for me) the way to go. Buy the smallest amount - it'll last you probably a year. I went from 1.00 to 0.5 in 1.5 months (0.1 a week reduction = 0.6 total reduction, 0.1 from probably feeding, salt mix, or phosphate leech from rock).

The smallest bottle is dirt cheap at $20. Problem is you would also need an IV dripper (amazon, $10 for mine I think), and 1 or 5 micron socks.

You should read into using LaCl (which is Phosphat-E). What I got from reading tons of forums is:
1. Spread out dosage throughout the day (hence, IV bag)
2. Reduce maximum 0.1 a week, or if you can, 0.02 a day.
3. Must use 1 or 5 micron sock.
4. Stop immediately if you see your fish struggling to breathe.
5. Your Alk will drop, make sure to test.

I like the IV bag idea, but I am only doing 5 ml per week for a .1 drop per week... or .71~ ml per day The IV bag seems extravagant for such a small amount. Am I wrong?

my sump has 3, 5 micron socks. I have been doing into the overflow. Nothing is acting weird on my tank. I have been watching the fish close.

Alk did drop a little... you nailed it.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Just following up : )

Boom!

 

[Daddy-o]

So that is .09 phosphate?

 

[Gernader]

So that is .09 phosphate?

That checker is not the phosphorous model, so no need to covert anything. It’s 0.03 ppm

 

[Daddy-o]

That checker is not the phosphorous model, so no need to covert anything. It’s 0.03 ppm

They have so many variations it's confusing to an old salty dog