Why is my phosban clumping up?
- Thread starter Mike.B
- Start date
marcrothschild
Active member
Sounds like calcium precipitation? Do you dose Kalk near the reactor? Thats my guess.
Nathan
Premium Member
hehehe...
Nice pic!
I can't really tell what that picture shows, but...
I do know that I had some phoslock (the iron based phosphate media) clump up with I had it in a bag.
I would advise increasing the flow through your phosban, or using only a couple of table spoons of the media. How much of the phosban did you use? The entire jar?
Phosban produces locally high pH, which causes precipitation of calcium carbonate. This could be what you are seeing as far as the white stuff goes.
-Nathan
Nice pic!
I can't really tell what that picture shows, but...
I do know that I had some phoslock (the iron based phosphate media) clump up with I had it in a bag.
I would advise increasing the flow through your phosban, or using only a couple of table spoons of the media. How much of the phosban did you use? The entire jar?
Phosban produces locally high pH, which causes precipitation of calcium carbonate. This could be what you are seeing as far as the white stuff goes.
-Nathan
dj synystr
New member
dude you have WAAAAAY to much phosban in there imo. i use about 1 tablespoon for every 20/25 gallons in my fully stock mixed reef wuth plenty of fish and my phosphates are undetectable. but all that was said so far adds up too.
Nathan
Premium Member
There is an article somewhere (or maybe it's a thread) about using too much of that stuff too fast. It can cause major problems to SPS corals (STN).
Read this article too. It does explain a lot:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php
-Nathan
Read this article too. It does explain a lot:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php
-Nathan
dj synystr
New member
dito on the flow. too. but i think you should empty it out. get the carbon out of there and just use it for the phosban. you need water movement. my phosban reactor holds the particles suspended in the water colum to avhieve more contact time with the phosbane media.
Nathan
Premium Member
Oh, and since you have experienced a precipitation event, you should check your alkalinity and your calcium, also check your magnesium; it could be that low magnesium in your tank makes it easier for it to precipitate. All three of those need to be in the correct ranges for success.
-Nathan
-Nathan
surfnvb7
Premium Member
on the phosban container, it gives dosing recomendation in grams. anyone got any idea how many gallons per tablespoon, or teaspoon?
i have about a 50g system volume. so i just took 1/3 of what was in the container since it was rated for 150g.
also, how often do you all change it out? i'm running it tightly packed in a filter bag that is in an eheim canister filter.
i have about a 50g system volume. so i just took 1/3 of what was in the container since it was rated for 150g.
also, how often do you all change it out? i'm running it tightly packed in a filter bag that is in an eheim canister filter.
Mike.B
New member
I'll check the alkalinity, calcium and magnisium when I get off work, I mashed it all up and it looks like new, I got a third phosban reactor coming, so I'll be putting the carbon in that and phosban in its own.
I thought a slower flow would be better and a read a few people say that because then the water has more contact time with phosban. Also that if a higher flow was given there would be phosban in your display. It makes sense but if causes the phosban to clump then I guess its BS. I'm still thinking its something that was in my tank from the startup such as dust from the sand, phosphates in my tap water or hard water. The tests tonight will give a better idea.
I thought a slower flow would be better and a read a few people say that because then the water has more contact time with phosban. Also that if a higher flow was given there would be phosban in your display. It makes sense but if causes the phosban to clump then I guess its BS. I'm still thinking its something that was in my tank from the startup such as dust from the sand, phosphates in my tap water or hard water. The tests tonight will give a better idea.
TimFountain
New member
I thought this stuff lasted like 6 months?
Nathan
Premium Member
TimFountain,
In ideal circumstances it can maintain low phosphate levels for quite a while, but it gets used up faster the more phosphate you have. Over the past 9 months I was battling phosphate (it turned out to be my calcium reactor media that was causing the phosphate) and I changed it every two weeks.
Now I a usually change it every 3-4 weeks and my levels are very low.
subzero420,
What didn't work out? What brand of test kit are you using, Salifert? Did you follow the directions?
Testing for calcium and alkalinity are the two most basic ions that need to be tested. If you don't test then your levels could be very high which could cause precipitation onto the phosphate media.
-Nathan
In ideal circumstances it can maintain low phosphate levels for quite a while, but it gets used up faster the more phosphate you have. Over the past 9 months I was battling phosphate (it turned out to be my calcium reactor media that was causing the phosphate) and I changed it every two weeks.
Now I a usually change it every 3-4 weeks and my levels are very low.
subzero420,
What didn't work out? What brand of test kit are you using, Salifert? Did you follow the directions?
Testing for calcium and alkalinity are the two most basic ions that need to be tested. If you don't test then your levels could be very high which could cause precipitation onto the phosphate media.
-Nathan
Mike.B
New member
Im using the master test kit from hagen and I cant tell the difference in the colors.
For example: when it turns from pink to violet, umm k well is it pink or is it pinkish violet, k now its fully violet, or was it when it was just a little violet. My point is the color matching bs sucks. :furious:
For example: when it turns from pink to violet, umm k well is it pink or is it pinkish violet, k now its fully violet, or was it when it was just a little violet. My point is the color matching bs sucks. :furious:
