what phosphate remover are you using?

does anyone know what types are rechargable. and what temp to bake them too and for how long. is there a difference in the powderd type vs the ball type. what brands is everyone using and which brands should i avoid.after hearing some good advice about running some additives from the start of a tank. i think i'm going to look at putting a regimen together and want to get some suggestions on what everybodies favorite phosphorous and carbon types are.
 
cap- I think "Matrix Carbon" is the carbon of choice for a lot of these guys. I use commonly found "regular GAC" {granular activated carbon} that is phosphate free since the only place I know of locally selling the Matrix stuff is Tom at TRS and he's outta my way. I've been running a little bit of Carbon and changing it out weekly now.
So far I've used the phosphate removers by Kent and Seachem. I've seen only positive results. I would like to try Rowa, though. I've read that the phosphate sponges are good for only three or four days- then they need replacement or recharging. I've yet to bake any of the stuff to recharge... just too much grunge covering the stuff for my oven. {I'm in the middle of sand removal which causes a lot of crud to settle in the sump where I run the carbon and PO4 remover.}
 
The type that is the tiny white balls is usually the rechargeable type. I baked some of it once, about six years ago after I first got into the hobby and had some algae problems. In retrospect, the real problem was all the fish I had in that 29 gallon tank.

Some of the other types might be rechargeable too, I'm really not sure.

Stupid question, but where does the phosphate go when you bake them?
 
Gary... I have also used the White stuff a few times in my 65g. Its been pretty touchy though, this tank is primarily leathers and shrooms. Most inhabitants show no signs of stress, however I have a few toadstools that really clamp down once I use it. I run it in the media chamber of my canister filter occasionally, and I have found that it takes about 5-6 hours for the toadstools to clamp down once I start, so I usually limit the time I am running it to that, but it has helped out a great deal at keeping the levels down in my tank.
 
Flanders said:
Stupid question, but where does the phosphate go when you bake them?
Click to expand...
Not a stupid question. I'm assuming it dissapates into the atmosphere or my wife's meatloaf. I've heard that skimmers 'blow off' phosphates and I've always assumed this meant they are going into the atmosphere. Any chemists have a real answer to Flanders question?
 
Gary-

I'm running Rowa in a coralife fluidized bed. I've read that anything else turns it into a useless brick. So far so good, P04 has gone from trace to unmeasurable (for what that's worth).

I did not rinse the media when first starting up, and let the finings go into the tank. It clouds for an hour or two, no harm done, and then your skimmer starts putting out lots of rusty brown skum which I have to believe is full of complexed phosphate.

So far I like it better than PhosBan, much finer particles.

John
 
gary I ordered 3- FB300's and should be here monday or tuesday..... Now i have to get my hands on some phosphate remover....
 
John at MO now stocks Rowaphos. It ain't cheap. The 250 ml. size Rowa has a micron bag inside it for placing the Rowa directly in an area of low flow {like a sump}. I got the 500 ml. size. I never would have guessed I could get so excited over phosphate remover.:rolleyes:
 
so how long?

so how long?

so how long does phosphate removers last and whats the best way to run it?? any opinion's and links to stuff needed will be helpfull
 
I included a link to the best way to run Rowaphos a couple of posts back on this page.;)
Brief PO4 remover overview: Aluminum based PO4 removers {white} leach aluminum, which may negatively affect corals. Iron based PO4 removers {reddish} are better for reef aquaria. I've not personally noticed any negative reaction from any Al based PO4 removers I've used so far- but who am I to argue the experts?
Most PO4 removers are thought to be exhausted rather quickly- after 3 days use. Rowa supposedly lasts longer. I'm sure all of this depends on the phosphate levels in a particular system.
I plopped a micron bag full of Rowa into my sump for the time being while I futz with hooking up a used Rainbow/Lifeguard fluidized bed filter I got sitting here. Who the heck designed this thing? It's even patented! Unbelievable.
 
update

update

WARNING: THIS IS A NEW POST TO AN OLD THREAD

I've experimented with a lot of different PO4 removers since first posting this thread. I realize it's an anecdotal observation, but I've yet to see anything work as effectively as Rowaphos.
The Rainbow/Lifeguard fluidized bed filter is long gone. It's time to try Rowa in a TLF Phosban reactor.
 
I have been using the red iron based in a phosban reactor, works wonders PO4 has been non detectable ever since.

Have used the brand name "phosban" and more recently dr. foster smith's 'knock off' both seem to work equally well and the Dr. Foster Smith stuff is cheaper.
 
I've been using Phosban in a TLF Phosban reactor for about a year. Works great. I feed it with a MJ400 dialed down so the surface of the media just starts to dance.

I'll have to check out DR. Foster Smith's knock off.
 
anyone use these PURA Filtration Pad.if so how good do they work? I am thinking about useing them in my hob power filter, along with carbon.

Ron
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11333066#post11333066 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by angelfishman145
anyone use these PURA Filtration Pad.if so how good do they work? I am thinking about useing them in my hob power filter, along with carbon.

Ron
Click to expand...
Ron- I'm sure the PURA pad will "work" but the amount of PURA contained in one of those pads can't be very much. Most of us posting to this thread are talking about a much larger quantity of PO4 remover than what is contained in a PURA pad.

This is just my experience- I've never seen any product cause the rapid demise of nuisance algae like RowaPHOS did for me.

500 ml. of ROWA in my 225 literally caused nuisance algae to disintigrate over night. I'm talking about Bryopsis and Derbesia. Valonia and Cyanobacteria.
Rowa is very pricey, no doubt about it- but it's very effective.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=2442747#post2442747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gary Majchrzak
Not a stupid question. I'm assuming it dissapates into the atmosphere or my wife's meatloaf. I've heard that skimmers 'blow off' phosphates and I've always assumed this meant they are going into the atmosphere. Any chemists have a real answer to Flanders question?
Click to expand...

Good question, funny answer! Did anyone ever find out? I'm assuming the white balls are referring aluminum, which might be making it a mute point anyway. But I'm still curios.
 
no doubt the "white balls" are an Al based PO4 remover. I'll never bake any PO4 remover (my wife would killl me if I put something like that in our oven!), so it doesn't really concern me but the phosphates must gas out during the baking/heating process- where else could they go? (Besides the meatloaf? :lol: )
 
I've been using the pura phos lock in my TLF phosban 150 reactor, also run it with an mj400.

stuff works well..

what intervels are ya'll changing your media out at ??

3-4weeks?
 
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