Phosphate reduction...

[Flaxon-Waxon]

What is the best media for phosphate reduction in a HOB filter (AC70)... I don't have a sump but am looking for some experiences and thoughts as to the most effective way to do this, set aside from water changes... Thank you.

 

[Macscale]

I would do GFO in a reactor if possible.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

No good way of doing a reactor... No sump unfortunately.

 

[Macscale]

I've never really looked into it another way...
I'll read into some different types of media and let you know.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure Chemi-pure Elite has some phosphate removal in it.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Yep CPE has some, rowaphos or seachems phosgaurd (I use the latter) both work well

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Yep CPE has some, rowaphos or seachems phosgaurd (I use the latter) both work well

You use the phosgard? And is it in a HOB?

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Yeah, in an ac30. I also run CPE with it.

 

[54seaweed]

for a hob you could try these pads you would need to cut to size

Aquarium Chemical Filtration & Phosphate Remover: Drs. Foster & Smith PhosPure® Pads

I use them in my wet dry filter/sump and they been doing a good job but I also double them up

 

[drfu]

Pads, cpe & others will not reduce phosphates as much as keep them at the level you are at now, no mater what it is. Get GFO, get "the Bag" from Seachem and place it in the bottom of your basket, then whatever else you run if anything on top. Follow the instructions to a tee any you will get them down to whatever you want. Do you have the InTank for your AC70? If not i would recommend it, i have one for my 30, 50 & 70 on different set ups and works great!

 

[Macscale]

Pads, cpe & others will not reduce phosphates as much as keep them at the level you are at now, no mater what it is. Get GFO, get "the Bag" from Seachem and place it in the bottom of your basket, then whatever else you run if anything on top. Follow the instructions to a tee any you will get them down to whatever you want. Do you have the InTank for your AC70? If not i would recommend it, i have one for my 30, 50 & 70 on different set ups and works great!

Why do you say that? I've had CPE reduce phosphates plenty before. Sure, GFO is ideal, but only when run in my reactor IMO/IME.

 

[dash]

I can definitely recommend phosgaurd as well. I used it in my tank. Went from extreme levels to none in a short time. And most importantly they have stayed down

 

[Macscale]

I can definitely recommend phosgaurd as well. I used it in my tank. Went from extreme levels to none in a short time. And most importantly they have stayed down

Oh forgot Phosguard, now that's a good recommendation!

 

[Gregcoyote]

I can definitely recommend phosgaurd as well. I used it in my tank. Went from extreme levels to none in a short time. And most importantly they have stayed down

I agree about Phosguard. I have had better luck with it than GFO for multiple reasons. It will however lower phosphates to the point SPS/LPS loves it, but soft corals like mushrooms and Xenia might die back. Also watch your alk, especially with GFO. Move slowly as a phosphate reduction that is too rapid can catch some corals off guard, kind of.

 

[jeffaquarius]

Ideal phosphate is not 0 but not more than .03 ppm for all corals. I never use any of those media but I kept my phosphate level with just a good skimmer.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Had a question about your statement. First, you can keep phosphates at below .05ppm with just a protein skimmer? No fish? Wish I could do that.

Also, some corals do just fine at even above .2ppm or more. Yes, for best SPS coloration and best polyp extension in stoney corals that value is about .05ppm is accurate, but some soft corals do well with more.

 

[jeffaquarius]

The key word is "ideal" which means for most corals like sps and lps. The 0.05 ppm is the critical value. For soft corals you don't even have to worry about the phosphate level as long as you do your pwc religiously. We know that phosphate comes from anything you add in your tank which would be the fish food and additives. The answer to the question is yes I have a phosphate level of just within 0.03 ppm. You have to stay away from flakes. I sometimes have to shut off my skimmer for several days just to maintain my phosphate level. I feed pellets and may be frozen food once a week.

 

[Gregcoyote]

There's the difference, I feed daily.

 

[drfu]

Why do you say that? I've had CPE reduce phosphates plenty before. Sure, GFO is ideal, but only when run in my reactor IMO/IME.

If you look @ a bag of cpe , you will see gold specs, thats the gfo & as you can tell its not very much of it. It is true that gfo works best in a media reactor but in my systems i have run it in a canister filter & top of a media basket with great success but that was in my system.

Now just be be clear, i run ff, purigen & cpe in my system daily but when a phosphate issue pops up i use gfo which i believe was the question asked, its getting late so i could be wrong, lol

 

[drfu]

I can definitely recommend phosgaurd as well. I used it in my tank. Went from extreme levels to none in a short time. And most importantly they have stayed down

I tried it on two separate occasions and didn't have much luck with either time but gfo fixed it within 24 hours, but that my system.

 

[Gregcoyote]

GFO crashed my alkalinity when I finally got it to fluidize in a reactor. Just watch out for that when using a significant amount.