Trying PhosBond instead of GFO

[andrek787]

Hi guys.

I have been using BRS GFO in Phosban 150 reactor for the last couple of months but just run out. My phospate has been hovering around 0.16ppm and I am having diatom/dino issues. I have read\heard that alumina based products are better at controlling silicates so I wanted to try the hybrid product.

Stuff looks like small round granuels of feric oxide, compared to the much finer BRS GFO powder.

Seachems website mentions that it should not be tumbling, so I filled the reactor with about a 3rd of the 1L bottle, put in a foam ring and filled the rest with matrix carbon I had leftover.

If nothing bad happens in the next few days, I will fill the rest of the reactor with more PhosBond.


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[ReefCowboy]

If you don't like it, use Rowaphos. Will remove silicates and is much better than BRS . I've used BRS GFO and I hated it. It is IMO the crappiest GFO out there.
Some people don't like to use GFO and use a more natural approach but I've tried almost every GFO out there and don't have issues running this stuff.
I've switched to Seachem's Phosfiltrum and that is a great product with excellent po4 affinity and the consistency of carbon better manageable in a reactor.

 

[andrek787]

I was planning to go with Phosphiltrum, but my LFS suggested to try PhosBond first, as alumina oxide is supposed to be better at removing silicates. I think my LR is leaching phosphate as I was running a fuge, bio-pellets and GFO and it still in 0.12 - 0.16 range.

How often do you change phosfiltrum?

 

[andrek787]

Well, I have been running phosbond for a few days now and checking my phosphate levels for daily. Saturday phosphate was at 0.12, Sunday it dropped to 0.08 and yesterday it went down to 0.04. I am running it in Phosban 150, completely filled to prevent tumbling with about 150-200gph going through it.

As with starting to fresh GFO (and large amount of it), my alkalinity dropped by 1.5dkh, but part of that could on me for accidentally disconnecting dosing lines while cleaning out the socks. None of the corals seems to be bother about either change.

 

[EPRuss]

Just wondering if you are still using phosbond and how it is working out for you. Any negative effects to report?

 

[andrek787]

It has been working great and I haven't needed to change it yet. I am running allot of it though. I am going to try and mix it with matrix carbon when I replace it.

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

has your diatoms and other issues gone away

 

[andrek787]

My DT is spotless, but my fuge is a mess of algae, but that is really do to using a kessil to light it.

 

[codyreed29]

I have had a similar issue with diatomaceous because of silicate I use the phosban from sachet and have not had a problem at all.

I love it it keeps my phosphate undetectable with normal test kits.

 

[zachfishman]

If you don't like it, use Rowaphos. Will remove silicates and is much better than BRS . I've used BRS GFO and I hated it. It is IMO the crappiest GFO out there.
Some people don't like to use GFO and use a more natural approach but I've tried almost every GFO out there and don't have issues running this stuff.
I've switched to Seachem's Phosfiltrum and that is a great product with excellent po4 affinity and the consistency of carbon better manageable in a reactor.

+1 I was using BRS GFO and was unsatisfied. Switched to Rowa and am blown away. It stands up excellently to regeneration as well. My current batch (1kg in a Nextreef MR1 on a 700g FO system) is now on its third regeneration - haven't had to remove it from the reactor yet!

 

[andrek787]

How do you regenerate GFO?

I don't have diatoms, I have a mix of bryops, cyano and little bit of gha on the walls of the fuge, but I have not cleaned it in a couple of months.

 

[zachfishman]

How do you regenerate GFO?

I don't have diatoms, I have a mix of bryops, cyano and little bit of gha on the walls of the fuge, but I have not cleaned it in a couple of months.

The link is in my previous post. Be careful mixing in the lye, do it outside and wear goggles and a simple face mask so you don't breathe in the little bit of caustic mist that can bubble up.

 

[Remmers]

Could you use the phos or rowa in a dual brs reactor?

One side phos or rowa and the other carbon?

I want to set my dual reactor up but dont want to use gfo