Phosban Application

[Rcpilot]

Can I just hang a mesh bag of Phosban in the tank? That would be passive IMO.

I ask the question because I don't really have another place to put the bag. I tried to put it in the return section of my HOB refugium and it promptly plugged the outlet tube. :frustrat:

I can tie it to the bracket for the MJ1200 and hope some of the suction from the MJ1200 will pull water through the bag.

Can I put it inside a small canister filter? I've heard Phosban is fragile and crushes easily. I have one of those tiny Rapids canisters that I load up with carbon once a month. Could I just put the media bag full of Phosban in there? It's probably only about 60gph, so flow is not going to be all that fast.

What happens to my tank if I put the media bag in the canister and all the Phosban crystals bust up in the flow? Does it crash my tank or just make a mess?

Thanks

 

[RyanG]

IME rinse the Phosban well. Let it dry and drop it in front of a fan on low(will blow all the crap off it) Ive ran mine in a canister(when I was keeping rock in a stock tank). Just putting it in the tank would be a waste IMO, put it somewhere where its going to get constant flow IE at the end of the overflow in sump or at the skimmer out put.

 

[Altohombre]

small canister filter would work well.

 

[reeffreak]

Sure that little canister will work.I know we all had a dust storm from the phosphate granules.Mine is ran similar to a canister design but the flow is controllable.It is sandwich between floss.

 

[Rcpilot]

I've only used the Phosban once. I'm currently battling hair algae in the DT and the frag tank. I know it's a hard question to answer but,

How long do you have to run the Phosban before you start seeing positive results? I realize that in order to get rid of all the algae it will take time, but I am looking for a rough guestimate on how long I'll need to hang the canister on the tank before I see some reduction in algae. Are we talking just a day or two? Or is this going to take weeks of running the Phosban?

Thanks for the replies so far.

Perhaps it's time to purchase a TDS meter and check my RO/DI filters? I might be introducing them from the tap if my filters are spent. The RO unit is about 1yr old. I've probably run about 700-1000g of water through it.

 

[reeffreak]

The cyclinders I use holds alot of media and it needs to be filled.If I don't the media tumbles causing a dust storm.I only run it one week a month to prevent algae from coming back.

I honestly think its easier to scrub the rocks and use the phosphate remover to prevent it from coming back.

 

[yote]

+1 for Reef.
Of course thats easier said than done when you've corals attached to the rocks.

 

[Rcpilot]

I put about 1/4 cup of Phosban in a media bag and stuffed it in the tiny chamber of my Rapids mini canister. Then I stuffed another small media bag full of carbon and put it on top of the Phosban. Fired up the canister about 6pm last night.

GAWD I love carbon!! :bounce: I do it once a month and I'm always amazed at how clear my tank looks the next day. The water looks almost shiny.

No results on the Phosban yet. I was tempted to do manual removal as Reef suggested, but Yote is right. My live rock is pretty much glued together with coraline algae at this point. Colonies of zoas and mushrooms have bridged any gaps between rocks. The best I could do is put my hand in the tank and gently try to tug and pull the hair algae out while trying to avoid uprooting any corals. I decided to skip it. :mrgreen:

I went and bought a lawnmower blenny tonight on the way home from work. And I managed to snag an emerald crab out of the 10g fragano. They are FAST and strong as hell!! I got him though...... snuck up on him and slipped a finger under his belly. Mine!! Muahahahahahahahahahaaaaa!!! Dropped him in the 30g tank. No acclimation. Just plunked him in there. He'll be okay.

That leave one rather overgrown emerald in the 10g tank and he LOVES hair algae. He'll eat himself outta food soon enough and I'll have to trap him and plunk him in the 30g too.

I'm hoping the combination of Phosban, a new emerald crab and the lawnmower blenny will put some kind of dent in the algae. It's embarrassing.

I need a TDS meter....... like really bad. I have no idea how clean/dirty my RO water is. For all I know, it could be pumping out straight tap water. I'm on the same filters and DI resin from when I bought it new last year. I'm sure it's time to change them out. If I can sell some corals form the fragano I this week could finance the filters. They're $25+shipping.

 

[yote]

Sounds like you worked up a plan.
Which reminds me.I need to pick up some carbon and phos-ban myself.

 

[Rcpilot]

I just spotted the emerald in the 30g tank. His body is maybe 3/4" across. With legs he's maybe 1.5" at the most. He's hiding under a 4" green fuzzy mushroom with one claw sticking out to prune algae off the rocks. It looks funny as hell. You can't see anything but a little claw sticking out and picking at algae.

:mrgreen: