Has anyone used this phosphate filter?

[yoyoyoo123]

I've used it before with succes against cyanobacteria.

But i've never used it on a tank that has xenia, a blue crocea clam, and some SPS, only on a tank with zoas and some LPS.

Anyone use it safely on their tanks with clams and such?!

I'm just looking for a quick fix for my green hair algae that is only starting to grow after I left my tank with my roomate for 2 weeks!!! DANG OVERfeeding!!!

thanks.

i just can't seem to shake this newly developed hair algae. I'm pulling it out when I can, but there are some areas that I can't reach.

 

[boyer]

i dunno but sounds like a shot?

 

[sandman450f]

The phosphate filter pad is pretty standard, to bind/absorb phosphates. However the packet is erythromycin which is an antibiotic for cyanobacteria (red slime), wont touch hair algae. Reducing nutrient levels, both phosphate and nitrates with those pads will be looooong time comming. Phosban and de-nitrate are better choices, but still will take a while. Make sure you eliminate the sources (in your top-off or w/c water) first. In any event I wouldnt use that packet

 

[DrBDC]

I would only use a GFO based phosphate remover like Phosban.

 

[yoyoyoo123]

what does GFO stand for, and sandman, thanks for the tip, i've used that powder stuff on cyano and it works wonders, just thought I would try it on hair algae since the package says so. I'll just keep it out of the tank now!

 

[DrBDC]

Granular Ferric Oxide. Rowaphos and phosban are two of them. Here is a link:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php

You can kill the cyano with chemi clean which is an oxidizer and NOT and antibiotic like erythromycin. The antibiotic will kill the bacteria on your live rock. Which makes it dead rock and you are starting all over and would need to buy live rock to re-seed it as well as remove all fish etc. or you will go through ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes again.

But, even using the oxidizer, don't think it doesn't mess with your tank. I have used it and didn't "see" any negative effects. They are there though whether you see it or not. Find the cause of the growth instead of continuing to remove it. If it is only the overfeeding then great. You didn't mention ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and phosphate levels. What are they at?

What is your water change schedule? You should be doing 15% weekly or 30% monthly.

Do you have a fuge?

Are you using ro/di? If not you are just fighting a never ending battle.

 

[sandman450f]

I have to agree with drBDC about using the antibiotics, not a good idea. However I used the erythromycin (ultra-life)quite a while back and it did get rid of the red slime, w/ no ammonia spike, and no way to tell for the actual nitrate level because it was replaced by dinos and some hair algae. They claim to be safe even to the biological filter, however, knowing what I know now, and after reading some posts about tank die after using that stuff, I wont use it again. In any event after i used the remover I did several water changes, 3xnew carbon and skimmed like crazy, then dumped in a bottle of bacteria. Success for me, but no no more next time. The hair and dinos were gone after a couple of weeks of increased lighting to my Chaeto.

 

[yoyoyoo123]

I just got a refugium set up, so my tank should be doing better hopefully. Anyways there's no cyano, just a little bit of hair algae which I think is due to overfeeding. I change about 5 gallons a week on my 30 gallon, so that's pretty good I think.

just doesn't seem like anything will eat this hair algae.