How Can I get Phosphates Down?

[Sir Alex]

So as of recently I found my phosphates are very high (like 6 ppm) which is probably why my snail died.

I'm trying to find why since I have chaeto and I've been doing fairly frequent water changes. It's probably that my big fat eel has too big an apatite for a tank this size.

What can I do? Do I need something like this? Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor

 

[ccCapt]

Running GFO in the reactor you linked to is your bet bet for getting rid of high phosphate.
This GFO works great.
1 pound (453 Grams) Bulk GFO "Pellets" Ferric Oxide - English

 

[Sir Alex]

Okay thanks, I'll order that.

Can I put carbon pelets in this?

And is this stuff any good? BRS Bio Pellets - English

 

[sen5241b]

I have used cheato to get mine down. Cheato needs strong light! Phosphate reactors also work well.

 

[Sir Alex]

I have used cheato to get mine down. Cheato needs strong light.

I've had chaeto for a long time and it grows pretty well.

I have a 70 watt HPS halide on it. That's good enough isn't it?

 

[fastrd400]

Okay thanks, I'll order that.

Can I put carbon pelets in this?

And is this stuff any good? BRS Bio Pellets - English

If you just run the GFO you'll be fine. Unless you have an SPS dominate tank I would steer clear of the bio pellets because they tend to clean the tank so well that your other LPS and doctors won't get the nutrients out of the water they need.

 

[Sir Alex]

Would it be okay if I mixed the GFO, Bio pellets, and carbon in the same reactor?

 

[fastrd400]

No, not at all. Each had different requirement for being in a reactor. Also each has a different life span.

 

[Sir Alex]

How's this reactor? I'd like to run carbon and it's only $20 more.

Dual BRS GFO and Carbon Reactor - English

 

[Dannyrb26]

rowaphos mate is good stuff till u get ur reactor

 

[Sir Alex]

Okay, so I ordered this, this, and this.

Did I make the right choices?

 

[Dannyrb26]

by my experience no....rowaphos is best out in australia atm

 

[Northstar24]

That should get you going. As fast said, I wouldn't mix the carbon and the GFO in the same reactor, they have different useful lifespans and flow requirements.

 

[Mandarin66]

That should get you going. As fast said, I wouldn't mix the carbon and the GFO in the same reactor, they have different useful lifespans and flow requirements.

+1 just do the phoshate one

 

[Sir Alex]

I set up the reactor yesterday morning and now the test is coming out almost 0.25 ppm. Is this possible?

 

[Mandarin66]

Well what was it before?

 

[Sir Alex]

About 5 ppm.

 

[Mandarin66]

Then yea it possible lol just remember to replace the thing inside the reactor every so often

 

[Sir Alex]

Wow does the BRS bio pellet reactor work so well?

 

[Mandarin66]

Idk why do they work so well?