Slow to no coral growth??

[ringo®]

bkostuch;1046500 wrote: Okay, so to add more mud to the water (not literally) , I just got my Hanna PO4 kit... tested and i am sitting @ 0.59 phosphates.... ugh this is probably hindering any growth correct? And on to the next question, how to lower it and keep it down.

Thanks.

Definitely. GFO and waterchanges are going to be the solution. Go slow on the GFO

 

[bkostuch]

Time for a reactor? I read that WC won't affect it as much since it PO4 binds to rocks, true? I'll run a WC and then retest tomorrow.

 

[bkostuch]

And with the addition of a reactor, can I split off the return on my system to pipe in the reactor or do i need a seperate pump for it? I am running a DC12000 at 35% so I could bump up the power if needed to compensate.

 

[ringo®]

You can do it either way if you have the flow to spare on your return pump

 

[crew]

bkostuch;1046503 wrote: Time for a reactor? I read that WC won't affect it as much since it PO4 binds to rocks, true? I'll run a WC and then retest tomorrow.

It doesn't really bind to rocks - more like it precipitates near calcium carbonate (rock and sand). That doesn't mean that the rock or sand is no good though. As you remove PO4 from the tank, the rock and sand will start to lose it as well (assuming they even have any in the first place).

Rock or Sand that has absorbed phosphate is really just a reservoir, and if you are removing phosphates from the system via a reactor or some other method, you will remove anything that leaches out of the rock until there is nothing left to leach.

Personally, I've found the fastest way to get rid of phosphates to be a water change - it's literally instant. On top of that, it's very important to try and identify the source of the phosphates.

Other methods of removing/reducing phosphates include carbon dosing, GFO and phosguard. All of them have been proven effective, so really it's up to you on which one you use. Personally, I'm starting up on phosguard to see what kind of results I see. From the research i've done, it's the cheapest and easiest system to implement. You drop a media bag of phosguard into the tank/sump and let it do it's thing.

 

[crew]

I also meant to add - yes, phosphates can inhibit coral growth in concentrations that high. In fact, high phosphates can completely stop LPS and SPS growth. Anything with a calcium skeleton is going to see stunted growth with high phosphates. It's the same process that I mentioned in my previous post. Phosphates precipitate near calcium carbonate, effectively blocking the ability to grow.

 

[snowmansnow]

perhaps I missed it somewhere... how old is this setup? how long has it had water in it?

B

 

[bkostuch]

SnowManSnow;1046533 wrote: perhaps I missed it somewhere... how old is this setup? how long has it had water in it?



B

Cycle completed in May if I remember correctly.


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[snowmansnow]

at 4 months ... you may be getting some stability, but IMO 6 mo is a better time to count on things leveling out. Its crazy I know... just MO, and theres probably no proof to back it up, but for some reason it takes my tanks that long....

B

 

[bcavalli]

+1 on using phosguard. It's easy and very effective.

 

[bkostuch]

How are you guys running it? Bag in the sump or in a reactor?

 

[bcavalli]

bkostuch;1046638 wrote: How are you guys running it? Bag in the sump or in a reactor?

The easiest way to use it, is to put it in a mesh bag and throw it in your filter sock.

 

[bkostuch]

Bcavalli;1046643 wrote: The easiest way to use it, is to put it in a mesh bag and throw it in your filter sock.

Woot! Thanks, I was hoping this was the way, I have a reactor coming but not ready to plumb it in yet.

 

[crew]

bkostuch;1046645 wrote: Woot! Thanks, I was hoping this was the way, I have a reactor coming but not ready to plumb it in yet.

I put a bag in my baffles yesterday afternoon - i'll test when I get home and see what kind of changes I've got... only 24 hours, but the directions say it takes 4 days max (based on your PO4) levels, so i'm interested to see what kind of change I'll see. I'll report back.

 

[bcavalli]

Crew;1046647 wrote: I put a bag in my baffles yesterday afternoon - i'll test when I get home and see what kind of changes I've got... only 24 hours, but the directions say it takes 4 days max (based on your PO4) levels, so i'm interested to see what kind of change I'll see. I'll report back.

I'm looking forward to seeing if your results are as good as I've seen in my system.

 

[bcavalli]

bkostuch;1046645 wrote: Woot! Thanks, I was hoping this was the way, I have a reactor coming but not ready to plumb it in yet.

I'm not sure if you want to even bother throwing the Phosguard in a reactor. I would definitely run GFO in the reactor though.

 

[bkostuch]

Bcavalli;1046667 wrote: I'm not sure if you want to even bother throwing the Phosguard in a reactor. I would definitely run GFO in the reactor though.

Yeah I have GFO coming with it, but i also saw people running Phosguard in their reactor which wasnt even sure you should do.

 

[crew]

The directions on phosguard say you don't want it to tumble, so take that for what it's worth.

 

[bkostuch]

Yeah I read that as well, figure I'll tightly pack it and cross my fingers.


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[crew]

I added 1 cup of phosguard to my tank via a media bag in my sump. 36 hours later I'm at 0.00 phosphates.

0.25 -> 0.00 in 36 hours on a 120 gallon tank.