Help, phosphate sponge killing clam

BigReefing

New member
I pust in about a cup of phosphate sponge that I ran threw ro water first in my 100 gallon tank. No my maxima looks like it is on its last legs. My crocea looks fine. I just put it in lat night and now my clam is pulling one set of its mantable into its shell and puting out the other. What the heck is that all about. I used Kent marine phoshpate sponge
 
that is the first thing i did when i got home is take it out. The zinia came back outbut the one clam still looks ruff. I am gona do a major water change, but I need to mix up some water.
 
I'm not familiar with that particular product, but when I use phospate remover (Phospure from DrsF&S) I rinse it under tap (which contains no phosphates) because it takes ALOT of rinsing to get all the tiny particles out. I've never seen a reaction to it, but I don't have clams. I do have anthelia.

WCs are about all you can do now, although you could try carbon if you're not already running it. Amquel or other ammonia remover might help too, they are supposed to detoxify heavy metals and such (phosphate removers are made from iron and/or aluminum). That, and wait. Maybe prey.
 
I believe that some phosphate chemical media is aluminum based, which can cause problems with invertebrates. Not sure on Phosphate Sponge. I have used it, along with PhosBan and PhosGuard in previous tanks without issues -- but I never had any clams...
 
Lemon -- he has a bad hair algae problem (which isn't mentioned on this thread), so PO4 is going to test clean even though it's there in abundance...
 
well that PO4 is trapped in the algae not the water. using the sponge could have pulled all the avalible PO4 out of the water. for hair algae the best treatment is srubbing it off the rocks out of the tank or siphon it out, this removes the algae and the nutrients trapped in it. also what is the nitrate reading? do you use tap water or RO/DI?
 
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