Phosban Reactor

[cdamiano]

How often are you supposed to change the media in a Phosban Reactor?

 

[steelerguy]

When your phosphates start to go up. It can last for months in a tank without much phosphate but can be gone in weeks if the tank has a lot. Really just have to wait till it goes up or do a preemptive change.

 

[cdamiano]

I have read in a number of places that Phosphate is very difficult to test for properly and that the test kits really don't show a true representation of the levels of Phosphate. If there is a test kit that you know of that is accurate for this, let me know. I heard that Salifert is not accurate along with a few others.

Assuming that it can't be measured accurately, I was wondering what a safe amount of time would be to wait between regularly changing the media to keep the Phosphate levels in check so that they don't rise to a detectable level. I was thinking maybe every month or two?????

 

[Justjoe]

Merck or Deltec test kits are more reliable then most. I bring a digital colorimeter to each meeting and test water samples, and it doesn't lie

 

[cdamiano]

Thanks Joe. I can't seem to find the Deltec test kit and the Merck kit looks kind of expensive ($87). I will definitely bring a water sample to the next meeting for you to check out.

 

[rtecanoe]

I can usually tell when it's time to change the media in my phosban reactor when I notice that I have to clean algae off the glass of the tank more often. Usually it's about once a week, but when I notice a slight algae film that I have to clean off every two or three days or so, I know its time to change the media. Certainly not as precise as testing the water with a really good phosphate test kit, but it works.

 

[MIKE NY]

x 2..thats the way I do it too..I haven't tested anything in a long time. I have been a hobbiest for many years now and I'm at the point where I can read the tank, it will talk, and let me know when something is wrong....then I check everything to find out the cause......

 

[steelerguy]

That is probably the best method to test for phosphates, I have never had much luck with phosphate tests either. As soon as it is there, algae uses it up to grow so you can have low phosphate and still have a lot of algae. I just change the media out every 6 weeks or so myself.

 

[pecan2phat]

This is what I use to test for changes in Po4:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...ial&Ntk=All&pc=1&N=0&Ntt=hanna phosphate&Np=1

IMO, accurate enough if you keep the cuvet clean and free of fingerprint smudges.