Phosphate removal products

[yellow submarine]

I have a minor phosphate problem in my 75gal and I have a Pengiun 350 PowerFilter. From what I can tell from my research there are alot of products that can be poured into a MediaBag then placed in my Powerfilter.

Is there one product better than all the rest?
Is there a different product that doesn't involve a mediabag?

Please give me your BEST opinion

[Fly Guy]

I think running phosban through a phosban reactor is a great way to go. I have in the past but i still use the reactor to run my carbon.............

[partobe]

A Friend of mine had tones af hair algae caused by phosphate he bought a phosban reactor and used phosban after about 2 months with large water changes algae free.

[zxcv123]

They make cheap bag stuff like Phoszorb etc but the real way to go is with a phosban reactor.

[motorslave]

The phos reactors work but to get nit picky, good husbandry and proper care of the tank is the best bet. Using Phosphate removers adresses the symptom not the problem. If you address the root of the problem it takes a bit longer some times but its cheaper and makes for a much easier to care for system. Blasting the rock before water changes with a turkey baster or a power head will remove detritus build up, siphoning the substrate will also help. If the rock is overly saturated with phosphates then it may be time to "cook" the rock. Watching how much and how often you feed is also important as over feeding is a big culprit of phosphates. Some addatives also can add to the problem. Utilizing flow properly will help prevent alot of the gunk from settling in places that cant be siphoned as well so that the skimmer can pull it out of the water. If you use canister filters or any type of hang on filter, these can also create an issue if they are not cleaned very frequently. The best bet is to keep it simple and practice good husbandry habits religiously. The more costly and time consuming we make our tanks, the more likely we are to slip with the care required to keep them clean and healthy. Once phosphates become an issue, they will stay till the source is eliminated. Water changes wont do a whole lot as the phosphates dont reside in the water. They are in the rock and substrate. best to fix the problem not the symptom! JMO

Robert

[LiquidLunch]

Motorslave is right. However, if you do choose to run a phosphate remover, it's best to go with an iron oxide based type such as Phosban instead of an aluminum oxide one such as Phosguard. My water was fine before adding Phosban and Purigen, but I like the added insurance in case I overfeed or get lazy.

[Tim224DT]

Originally Posted by zxcv123

They make cheap bag stuff like Phoszorb etc but the real way to go is with a phosban reactor.

I am going to have to disagree with this

I had a phosphate problem in my 72gallon back in Jan of this year. I went to the LFS and saw that PhosZorb stuff so i bought some for $6 i think it was. Well my readings went from over 1.0 to 0 in a month time. Now my water is phosphate free and i change that bag of PhosZorb monthly for the reasons LiquidLunch said.


Tim

[Ben]

Originally Posted by Tim224DT

I am going to have to disagree with this

I had a phosphate problem in my 72gallon back in Jan of this year. I went to the LFS and saw that PhosZorb stuff so i bought some for $6 i think it was. Well my readings went from over 1.0 to 0 in a month time. Now my water is phosphate free and i change that bag of PhosZorb monthly for the reasons LiquidLunch said.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...y2003/chem.htm

Phoszorb does leach aluminum into tank water, in a matter of weeks. If thoroughly rinsed with RO water it isn't that bad, but aluminum has been shown to be lethally toxic to marine invertebrates in moderately large concentrations. I would not leave it in any reef tank which might go for longer than normal periods without a water change.

That said, improper or excessive use of iron oxide can damage corals as well. Any phosphate remover should be well rinsed to remove fine particles before adding it to the tank.

[Loverotties]

Phosban seems to be the best of the products to remove it(which was the question)now to keep it low is what you do!A good skimmer ,good water for top-off & salt mix(RO/DI) ,No or little flake food or other food high in phosphate and good maintenance with filters and WC with Ditris(spelling?) removal.

[motorslave]

I stick with my original post, why spend the money on the stuff!!!

Robert