Dealing with Phosphates?

[Rcpilot]

Originally Posted by RyanG

Dont forget about the competion that a macro algae can do for a phosphate problem

Yup! Macroalgae is cheap and it doesn't involve any chemicals or hardware. Put it under a light and the phosphates will disappear.
Cut it back once a month, shake the pods out of it a bit and toss it in the trash.

[simpleman]

Chaeto!!

[Pheeshes]

we've got a pretty big ball of cheato in our fuge so we are already rocking some macro algea. i think the reactor is our next step

[HeavyHittah]

So...
1. You either need to have macro algae or a phos. reactor??

2.is it better to have both??

3.if you have chaeto, do you always keep it in your fuge, or do you use to remove the phosphates and throw it away??

[NewbReefer]

Originally Posted by HeavyHittah

So...
1. You either need to have macro algae or a phos. reactor??

2.is it better to have both??

3.if you have chaeto, do you always keep it in your fuge, or do you use to remove the phosphates and throw it away??

• Both i would say is better. they both help to keep phosphates down which in turn helps avoid nuisance algae.

• always keep it in your refugium as your tank is always producing phosphates.

[HeavyHittah]

can you add it to a brand new tank set up or do you have to wait for the cycle??

[McCrary]

You can add a phosphate reactor to a brand new tank, but I wouldn't add chaeto for a couple months. Chaeto sometimes dies in new tanks.

[fatman]

RODI water, RODI Kalkwasser for all ATO water and no fish with my corals. As most people have fish, I recommend using no dry food, not flakes, pellets or freeze dried. Use only live food and good quality frozen foods. Thaw all frozen foods before use, and feed only the particles not the fluids. When phospahtes, despite your best efforts, are still a problem then use ferric hydroxide. I use Drs. Foster and Smiths store brand when needed, and only when needed. It is only a bandaid not a repair. If you do not fix the problem it will continue to come back. My only exception for this is when getting new rock and sand, then I use Ferric hydroxide constantly for 10 to 14 days.