Removing the phosphates is a lengthy subject. Too much for this thread I think. Search on "curing pukani" and/or "phosphate pukani". I thought I got lucky and didn't have a residual amount in my rock. Then after a week or so it started climbing and kept going. You may be more lucky. Getting rid of it ahead of time can save a headache, if yours climbs like mine did. I was lucky in I had the time to patiently wait while a custom tank was being rebuilt by a different maker after I rejected the first one. Who are you planning on buying the rock from?
Pukani dry rock question.
- Thread starter rjjr1963
- Start date
Yes, phosphates are a big deal. I actually just went through this process. Here is a giant thread about it if you want a bunch of reading material.
When I cured my rock, the levels of phosphate in the water was >0.20 from the original rock. I put them in brute trash cans in RO water and dosed Seaklear phosphate remover (purchased on ebay - $30) twice a day for 2 weeks. After that the phosphate level came all the way down to ~0.02 which I think I'm going to tackle with GFO in the DT.
rjjr1963
New member
I was wondering about the filtration aspect. I'm using the Berlin method so I'm not really sure how much Pukani will be necessary for proper filtration. I've never heard of Sera Siporax. How are you using it in your sump?
.02 up to .05 is where I want to be; it's for the corals. LOL, it feels funny to say corals instead of "the children". At less than 0.02 you'll starve the zooxanthellae out of your coral. They need a little phosphate, just not too much.
I never had much luck with the analog phosphate test kits (always read around zero to my eyes). I found a Hanna Checker ultra-low range digital phosphate test kit to be repeatable once you get a routine for using it worked out.
I never had much luck with the analog phosphate test kits (always read around zero to my eyes). I found a Hanna Checker ultra-low range digital phosphate test kit to be repeatable once you get a routine for using it worked out.
rjjr1963
New member
What is the normal phosphate reading you like to see and how are you measuring it?
Bookmark this page:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/
I'm using the Hanna 736 Ultra Low Range tester. And to echo what garyinco said, you need to get a routine down on how to use it, but once you do it produces pretty repeatable results which I assume are accurate
I'm shooting for as close to 0 as possible for the initial cycle. Once I start stocking I'll decide what is the long term level of phosphate I'm happy with, but for now I'm trying to get all the phosphate out of the rock for now. At some point though once the phosphate level is low enough, it wont leach very much into the RO water so you hit diminishing returns, and I just randomly chose 0.02 as that level to go from the Brutes to the DT.
The cool thing about lanthanum chloride (Seaklear Phosphate remover is just this chemical) is it forms this white precipitate as you put it in, and at first when phosphate is really high you put in a capful and the water essentially turns to milk. But after doing it everyday the water stays clearer and clearer because there just isn't as much phosphate left. It was a fun transformation.
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Don't let what I said deter you from the Pukani, just know the phosphate can be an issue to think about. I love mine.
This latest build is the first time I've used totally dry rock. And there have been some challenges (this whole hobby is constrained by time, money, knowledge and availability). My first reef tank, back in the early nineties was totally established live rock from either Fiji or some other pacific-Indo islands picked up at the airport by myself. It was my best, totally self-sustaining tank. But it had a different set of challenges (perceived unwanted hitchhikers).
I just think its best to know the challenges you might face.
This latest build is the first time I've used totally dry rock. And there have been some challenges (this whole hobby is constrained by time, money, knowledge and availability). My first reef tank, back in the early nineties was totally established live rock from either Fiji or some other pacific-Indo islands picked up at the airport by myself. It was my best, totally self-sustaining tank. But it had a different set of challenges (perceived unwanted hitchhikers).
I just think its best to know the challenges you might face.
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
In Pukani, if its pulled out of water in 50lbs of actual rock I bet that somewhere between 8-10lbs of that would be water
