How To Lower Phosphates

[euphoria]

Greetings
Can you guys recommend some good ways to lower phosphates? I've always had good parameters, except my phosphates has always been present. Currently it's around 0.25ppm but I want to get it to 0.
I tried the phostphate sponge, but I think it's a short term solution. Overall how can I keep P04 down?

 

[timo]

Reduced feeding, and using RO/DI water. Besides that, occasional use of the sponge.

 

[euphoria]

My feeding is only once a day and is minimal. Plus For some time I didn't have fish in the tank and still had phosphates. And I do use RO water for topoffs and ocean water (from Catalina) for saltwater.

 

[msd2]

Originally posted by EUPHORIA
My feeding is only once a day and is minimal. Plus For some time I didn't have fish in the tank and still had phosphates. And I do use RO water for topoffs and ocean water (from Catalina) for saltwater.
you can pickup a phos reactor then and that should take care of it just do a search with that and you will find a very informative thread.

 

[euphoria]

I don't know man, the word "reactor" for some reason doesn't sound like something cheap and small

 

[benj2112]

I got a phosban 150 fluidized bed reactor for a total of $50 after it was all said and done. I put Rowaphos in it and that stuff will take care of your phosphate problem (at least until you ultimatly find out why you always seem to have it present).
Could it be your test kit?

 

[euphoria]

I don't understand how it's possible to have ZERO phosphates? Do most people accomplish this? I'm no expert, but how can you always have zero phosphates? It's getting frustrating for me, knowing that I can keep ammonia, nitrites, nitrates to a zero, but not phosphates. I only keep my lights on 10 hrs a day.
I've never seen a phosphate reactor, and have no clue what it is and how it works. Someone care to explain?

 

[fla pat]

Try Phosban. I was having a diatom problem and I added phosban and it started to clear up by the next day. I know it is not as good as ro water but it seems to work.

 

[squidd]

Originally posted by EUPHORIA
I don't understand how it's possible to have ZERO phosphates? Do most people accomplish this? I'm no expert, but how can you always have zero phosphates? It's getting frustrating for me, knowing that I can keep ammonia, nitrites, nitrates to a zero, but not phosphates. I only keep my lights on 10 hrs a day.
I've never seen a phosphate reactor, and have no clue what it is and how it works. Someone care to explain?
I think "0" is a relative number...especially when your testing in the "hundredths"...ie: .01
If your test scale is fron 0 to 3 and your less than .1, most would call that "0"...
Then you get a low range kit and shoot for less than .025...then you can call that "0"
"Absolute 0" would mean your tank is "sterile" and most likely nothing would live in it...
Most people with phosphate "problems" have readings over .5

 

[euphoria]

Originally posted by Squidd
I think "0" is a relative number...especially when your testing in the "hundredths"...ie: .01
If your test scale is fron 0 to 3 and your less than .1, most would call that "0"...
Then you get a low range kit and shoot for less than .025...then you can call that "0"
"Absolute 0" would mean your tank is "sterile" and most likely nothing would live in it...
Most people with phosphate "problems" have readings over .5
Thanks, that's making more sense. I had a phosphate kit (range went from 0 to 5) and the # always fell between 0 and 0.25, so I was like well I"ll assume the worse, that it's 0.25. Then I got the salifert test kit (range goes 0, 0.03, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3) and now phosphate # is falling between 0 and 0.1, so I assume it's 0.1 But the way you are putting it maybe I can cal that 0?
Or maybe I can ask this question. When you guys measure yours, is your sample water color like the color of pure drinking water (fully see through) or does it have a little bit of blue in it, very very light blue that's barely distinguishable?

 

[benj2112]

Mine is clear...no blue.
I have never gotten a reading of having phosphate. I got the phosban 150 anyway with Rowaphos and have almost no bad algae at all to speak of and only clean the display tank glass about once every two weeks. I really like the thing and recommend it if you have the room for it.

 

[euphoria]

Ok, I"ll check it out and see if I have the room in the tank for it. I clean my display tank once a week. Before I only had broan algae and it came off easily, but now these spots of green algae develop on the glass and are pain in the ass to remove it. I have to scrub it very hard for it to come off.