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second... my clam area

Ok... I have a few. My crappy old camera will be retired soon as I need a better camera set up for my future website. So, I guess this is its final hooray.... First...my ricordea

Many things consume nitrates...liverock,the sand bed, clams, and algae. You'll never run out of phosphate or nitrate.....they are constantly being added to the system by us. The best that we can strive for is to keep these element's concentrations to that of the ocean's.....something that will...

As kip said...every reactor is different and will have instructions for its use....but, yes.. the media will be alone in the reactor.

I have no idea what size pump to use since I don't use that reactor. I would check other boards to see what other folks are using with that reactor. Never heard of the Sandman reactor...can't help you there.

As the creatures (corals, plants,algae,etc) photosynthesize in our tanks, they release O2 (and uptake CO2) and thus...the pH rises as the day goes on. The process revereses itself at night. If your alkalinity is high enough (above 8dkh), the pH drop at night should not be a problem... a low of...

Canister filters do not work very well with the Rowaphos or Phosban type medias...the media will solidify inside the canister within a week or two (plus make a mess). Fluidized bed filters are very simple in design. They are basically a tube that has a sponge at the top and bottom....water comes...

Shouse...I can't answer that since I don't use that reactor...but, I'm sure the manufacturer must give some sort of recommendation.

Now, now, now...no need to panic. there are lots of ways to export nutrients...macro export through a refugium, reactors, skimming, physically removing detritus/poop... lots of ways....some people even replace liverock over time and treat liverock as if it were a nutrient sponge onto itself. You...

After I switched to my new tank back in September, I was still having a pesky type of red macro/hair algae that kept cropping up. I knew that my phosphate inputs were exceeding my phosphate exports....to increase my exports, I decided to go with a reactor... as increasing the size of my refugium...

Beth...wrong...If the water tests zero, it only means that the available inorganic phosphate inputs (foods, etc) are being locked up organically by the algaes,sand bed, liverock, etc. Phosphate doesn't last long freely in the water ...all the bacteria and algaes want it....the increase in total...

I did do the phyto thing way back when....but, I felt that it wasn't benefitting the creatures that I was keeping...so, I stopped and saw no difference in my corals...although the algae on the glass was less. If i were trying to keep sponges or feather dusters, I might be still using it...but...

Carbon....hmmmm...I do use carbon regularly. I feel that it helps polish the water...which is extremely important in my case since my tank is 8 feet from front to back ....and any cloudiness is a distraction. Carbon is similar to the phosphate removers in that ...it is hard to tell when they...

Shouse... what I meant was that I feel that my refugium (which is still a refugium right now and is seperate from my sump) is now not needed....so, I think that I will still have it running...but, not as a refugium...but rather, as another tank that will house critters that otherwise would not...

attml...YGM with their website...

Shouse...I'm having a hard time deciphering what you're asking above....I think a few words are missing here and there...could you restate it ??

I would like to add one more thing... this phosphate thing also presents problems to the aquarist because it is so hard to test for. Phosphate ( inorganic...our inputs) is so in demand that it is immediately grabbed by everyone...hair algae, liverock, bacteria, the sand, the fish...and is locked...

In light of recent events and interest, I thought that I would post a few of my ideas on this sometimes confusing subject. Phosphate in the ocean is limiting...meaning that everyone wants it and it is in short supply....however, in our closed systems, phosphate builds and builds until it can...

Guys... it really depends on what you're trying to keep. If you had a bunch of filter feeders...like sponges, tube worms, etc... then the phyto will be of some benefit...the side effect will be decreased water quality and algae problems that other inhabitants might not tolerate. I decided long...

It has been my experience (and many,many other reefers) that the iron based phosphate removers...namely Phosban and Rowaphos.. really need to be run in a fluidized filter. Otherwise, the media will begin to solidify and form a solid brick. It has been many other reefer's experience (I have not...