Why is my phosban clumping up?

[Nathan]

Ok I understand now.

I use the Salifert test kits exclusively. They are very good and they even recently (last year) modified their calcium kit to make a very sharp, noticable colour change (within 1 drop (5ppm)).

Do yourself a favour and just buy Salifert unless you have a specific reason to get a different kit. You won't be disappointed.

Accurately measuring calcium, alkalinity (and magnesium under certain circumstances (like yours!)) is critical to a healthy reef tank.

Good luck!

-Nathan

 

[Mike.B]

Ya I definetly need to get better test kits, I'll get them after I get my deltec. Thats the one thing left I need to get and its the most expensive, its all downhill after that damn deltec and I can finnaly say "I have everything". I guess when I get these kits I'll update this thread.

 

[Nathan]

You will never "have everything"; and the reason why I know that is because I said the same thing you did two years ago... and bling... another butt-load spent in the past 6 months on "stuff"...

Good luck though!

-Nathan

 

[Mike.B]

I know, Im in denial, I'll need a calcium reactor down the road ,However, I will have everything to finnaly start my tank. I'm going to start my tank thread in the upcoming weeks because I'll have about 90% of my equipment. I'll definetly send you a PM. Thanks for your help

 

[powdertang05]

normally when my phosban clumped up it was time to change it, normally it was having 90 gph or less through it also i tried the carbon and phosban together never worked i now use to seprate ones it work much better this way

 

[bureau13]

I've got my carbon and phosban separated out into two separate reactors as well. Now, TLF says one reactor with the entire 150g in it isn't enough for my 240 gal, but I figure it will do for now.

I was surprised to see the media all rise to the top of the reactor though. The directions say to flow just enough to see it move around but not enough to make it tumble....if its all stuck to the top how can you tell that? I don't know that its actually clumped like subzero420's but its definitely not floating suspended, and my flow is down quite a bit.

I also have the exit from the carbon-filled going into the input on the phosban-filled. Is it OK to do it that way?

jds

 

[Mike.B]

I would control them seperate because you could put a lot more flow through the carbon vs the phosban, the phosban should not all go to the top of the reactor, it should tumble at the level of the phosban media with no flow. So lets say your reactor 50% full of phosban, it should only rise to 60% and tumble to about 75-80%.