RowaPhos and Hair Algae?
- Thread starter GlassReef
- Start date
luther1200
Premium Member
Could be, or I also thought that since ROWA has to be rinsed so much that maybe its very hard to get all the fines out. And even if the water looks clear it might still have some trace iron in it. And maybe that trace iron could be fueling the algae. But that was just an thought I had. I have no proof or anything to back it up. But probably unlikely anyway, because people dose iron for the fuge's and aren't reporting algae out breaks from it. I would like to ask a chemist if either is a possibility.
Greatest thing since sliced bread!
Seriously ... it makes it very easy to maintain my supplement values within narrow (IMO) limits.
Alk is always 8.3 dKH +- 0.2 (LaMotte)
Ca stays at 440 ppm +- 20 (Elos)
Mg stays at 1350 ppm +- 50 (Elos)
When one of the values starts to stray, I just add or subtract a minute or two to the dosing time. Lately my coral growth has taken off and the tank needs more supplements. Dosing makes it easy to maintain the values. I'd never go back to a Ca reactor. I've read some say that dosing is inadequate for a large tank. My current total is approx. 350gals and I have no problem.
fijiblue
Active member
I burn through a full reactor in about 3 weeks! I was thinking that if I can eliminate the reactor and still keep up with demands, I could cut out yet another source of phosphates. My only concern is that it would be at the expense of adding chlorides with dosing. Have you tried that pure calcium used in Europe?
luther1200
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15536094#post15536094 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GlassReef
Greatest thing since sliced bread!
Seriously ... it makes it very easy to maintain my supplement values within narrow (IMO) limits.
Alk is always 8.3 dKH +- 0.2 (LaMotte)
Ca stays at 440 ppm +- 20 (Elos)
Mg stays at 1350 ppm +- 50 (Elos)
When one of the values starts to stray, I just add or subtract a minute or two to the dosing time. Lately my coral growth has taken off and the tank needs more supplements. Dosing makes it easy to maintain the values. I'd never go back to a Ca reactor. I've read some say that dosing is inadequate for a large tank. My current total is approx. 350gals and I have no problem.
I agree that dosing pumps are great. I recently got 2 and couldn't be happier with the outcome. I used to get a different value for my Alk every time I tested. Not dramatically different, but it is much more consitant now. Using Reef Crystals I haven't had to dose Mg in a long time. It stays at 1400(Elos) with just regular WC. My Ca was always stable but a little low (390) with the dosing pump its always 420-440. I never had a Ca reactor but I doubt I will get 1. And since I drip kalk too I don't think I will ever need 1.
GlassReef- what made you switch from a reactor?
luther1200
Premium Member
Any updates, GlassReef?
luther1200
Premium Member
Good luck.
vanillagorila
It stings the nostrils
I have a very similar problem with a different brand GFO (name of brand left out on purpose) after reading this I have shut my reactor off and removed the GFO. I will be placing a order to BRS.
jjk_reef00
New member
I wish I would have read all of this before... I ditched rowa-phos because I was having algea problems. I switched over to sea-gel and it is better than rowa phos but not seeing improvements.
Well my HA is definitely on the way out. At least, it is becoming much less of a problem. The HA on the sand bed has disappeared completely, over large areas.
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I don't have any experience with Phosban, but if it's wet it's very probably hydroxide.
vanillagorila
It stings the nostrils
well, after reading this thread. I stopped using (brand left out), turned the lights off for two days and all of my algae is almost completely gone.
jjk_reef00
New member
vanillagorila just tell us what you used... I'm very curious.
luther1200
Premium Member
If you do the math the HC from BRS is actually way cheaper than ROWAphos.
For $54 you get 1000ml of ROWAphos.
For $69 you get 2lbs of BRS HC.
The 2 lb bag from BRS is easily way over 2000ml. So for another $15 you get over twice the amount that you would get buying ROWAphos. And if you get in on a group buy its even cheaper. I think I payed about $55 for 2lbs on a group buy just a few weeks ago.
law086
Premium Member
Hi folks,
I understand the desire to not bash any vendors, but if you've had poor results with a specific brand of GFO it would be really nice to hear which brands so that the rest of us could avoid problems. I was always under the impression that GFO was GFO, regardless of the brand.
I understand the desire to not bash any vendors, but if you've had poor results with a specific brand of GFO it would be really nice to hear which brands so that the rest of us could avoid problems. I was always under the impression that GFO was GFO, regardless of the brand.
