Phosphate remover and clams

C

Clamaholic

New member
I remember reading in some thread somewhere that it is very bad to use phosphate remover with clams.....something about the phosphate removal processes adding heavy metals to the tank that kill clams. I know that there are different removers that work in different ways are they all bad for clams?

Does anyone know what I am reffering to? Is this correct? A little help please :)
 
i think what you are referring to is iron based PO4 removers releasing iron into the water.

now this is all a hypothesis but so far from the feed back I've gotten it looks like im right.

some clams have a unknown protozoan that gets sent into overdrive with elevated levels of iron(either from PO4 removers,trace elements) this protozoan breeds like crazy and causes a condition people are calling "Pinched Mantle".

i have found that by just running the water coming from my PO4 reactor over carbon the condition go's away.(this is brief, and if you would like more specific info i can did it up for you)
 
had it happen to one of my clams (of 4)when i first set up my phosphate reactor. now i run the water through the po4 remover directly thru some carbon and havent had any problems since. when the problem first started a stoped useing the po4 remover for about 2 weeks and the clam healed right up.

B
 
I'm using Rowaphos in my tank and the clam I added a week ago is pinching and not doing well. Do you have links to any articals or threads on this?

mbbuna - Would you mind digging that up? I feel this might be my problem. I have Rowaphos and carbon mixed in together. What if I added a bag of carbon, which would be way more then reccomended, but do you think it would help the clam or be detrimental to the rest of the tank?
 
heres some i posted the other day

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=7804613#post7804613

a bag of carbon isnt very effective. if your GFO is in a reactor i would get a second one and fill it with carbon and have the water coming from the first one with the GFO go into the 2nd one with the carbon. also if you have a canister filter, fill it with just carbon and run that.

from the pics you posted the other day it didnt look like PM. can you post a new clear pic.
 
Thank you very much guys.... this is what I thought the answer was.....

Do all po4 removers leach iron?

It does seem easy enough to run a phosphate reactor into a carbon reactor..... do you change the carbon more frequently because of this added use?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7828590#post7828590 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Clamaholic


Do all po4 removers leach iron?
Click to expand...

some po4 removers are aluminum based, some iron based.

im not sure of all the chemical processes going on, that would be something to ask in the chem forum
 
I added a Crocea to my tank about 5 weeks ago while running Phosban in my reactor and it has never seemed to have any problems. The Phosban was kind of at the end of it's life though.

I just replaced the Phosban with Rowaphos 4 days ago and my clam has not had any reaction. The one thing I did though was run the first gallon of water into a bucket to get the dust out. According to Rowa directions, it says not to rinse it and that it will not hurt the tank but I did not want it in the tank at all. The first gallon of water looked like coffee it was so dark but it was running clear when I put the hose back in the tank. I would think this would be a good preventative method to follow to keep all the dust out of the tank. Phosban actually has this step listed in their directions.
 
i was under the impression that the problem was when you add the po4 remover the po4 is reduced very quickly and this shocks the clam
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7842775#post7842775 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by manwithcrabs
i was under the impression that the problem was when you add the po4 remover the po4 is reduced very quickly and this shocks the clam
Click to expand...

it is not a problem with PO4 removers or something all clams have.

it seems to be that SOME clams have a protozoan that gets excited with elevated levels of iron. with out these elevated levels of iron the protozoan either stays dormant or doesnt effect the clam.
 
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