Phosban reactor or NO

[carey]

The price seems reasonable, it just depends on if you want to run one. If you have phosphates and can afford it that could help your issue. Or you caould save the 60$ and try to do it yourself. I know in my future I will be getting a reactor, not just for GFO but for carbon as well.

It's really your call.

 

[Pizza101]

Thanks! I have noticed most of the best looking and successful tanks I have seen run GFO and a carbon so I guess it's worth the few bucks I'll spend and maybe get this problem fixed for good. I guess the general consensus I'm getting is it couldn't hurt so why not thanks everybody for all your help!

 

[kay-bee19]

You can get phosphates from the liquid they freeze the food in!

That's definately true. Here's a test I did some time ago:

16oz container of RO/DI water (TDS 0ppm, phosphate 0.00ppm):

A single cube of frozen mysis shrimp added to this RO/DI water and thaws:

10 minutes later I test a water sample from the cup using a phosphate photometer (result displayed as mg/L or ppm). Phosphate contained in the frozen food has leached out while thawing in the RO/DI water:

Fortunately, were this cube added directly into the tank without rinsing, the phosphate is diluted down by the water volume of the tank (but is still available for nuisance algae & cyano utilization), but feeding is a recurring event.

I've also had PO4 readings when doing a similar test with flake and pellets.

 

[austinsdad]

What was the reading after thawing? And about how much water is that - in ounces I presume?

 

[kay-bee19]

The reading was taken about 10min after dropping the frozen cube of mysis into the RO/DI water.

It's a 16-oz container but it wasn't completely filled (maybe an inch from the top).