GFO (PhosBan) - Just How Good Is It?

[JokerGirl]

Phosban is wonderful stuff. I have been plagued by this brown hair algae that nothing would touch (not even a sea hare) to almost having claimed my rocks back. Unfortunately, in the process, I've lost my acro and have almost lost my sun coral and Goniopora pendulus. I am confident that the sun coral and G. pendulus will make a recovery though with some babying.

My tank went from big fuzzy brown mass of hair algae (6/10/07)





To clumped masses of dying brown hair algae (7/3/2007)



To almost having my rocks claimed back (9/7/2007) (Don't mind my corals and anemones, they are upset from me having been in there picking stuff off the rock, I assure you they are fine at this point in time)




This has been a very long, drawn out process that has required a lot of work on my part as well. The dying algae masses have wreaked havoc on my water quality, but once they get to a certain point the clumps peel off the rock in 6" strips like band-aids leaving clean rock behind. It's a shame that my corals most sensitive corals have suffered, but the large amounts of algae weren't helping either.

[carlso63]

Got a question or 2:

1) I have been using DrsF&S own "store brand" of GFO for a few months after starting off with RowaPhos... IMO I don't see any differance in quality or efficacy - and their store brand is less than half the price... they even (visually) looked the same.

Anyone else try this brand?

2) I run my pO4 remover in a media bag inside one compartment of a Fluval 404 canister (340 gph claimed); I have never experienced any 'leakage' or pulverization. Upside was (originally) my pO4 was at .65 and the increase flowthrough of the Fluval IMO was responsible for dropping the pO4 to 0.05 in less than 24 hours (at this time their were no corals in the tank yet, and the 3 fish that were in it seemed unaffected by the rapid drop...)

I am wondering - for those that just drop a bagful into their sump - does that really work, and how long does it take to reduce your pO4 level appreciably using that method?

[JetCat USA]

most all of the GFO is bought as Bayoxide 33 all from the same MFG, PhosBan puts it in a bucket with a high price tag, Drs F&S put it in their own bucket with a different price tag, it's all the same thing comes from the same plant, if your local water treatment plant uses GFO it's Bayoxide 33p the peletized version of the same but used primarily for arsenic removal with the added benefit of PO4 reduction too.

just dropping it in the sump usually results in clumping as CaCO3 precipitates to it making a big cement block out of it in a short time, it does however remove PO4 during that time

[RCBruce]

OK, something been bothering me but had to go back through some posts to remind myself what it was. You stated to "get ready for an invert die off"? That scares me. I have 3 sea stars, 5 varieties of hermits, and 2 prized christmas tree worms. How will this affect them?

[sabbath]

Originally posted by carlso63
Got a question or 2:

1) I have been using DrsF&S own "store brand" of GFO for a few months after starting off with RowaPhos... IMO I don't see any differance in quality or efficacy - and their store brand is less than half the price... they even (visually) looked the same.

Anyone else try this brand?

2) I run my pO4 remover in a media bag inside one compartment of a Fluval 404 canister (340 gph claimed); I have never experienced any 'leakage' or pulverization. Upside was (originally) my pO4 was at .65 and the increase flowthrough of the Fluval IMO was responsible for dropping the pO4 to 0.05 in less than 24 hours (at this time their were no corals in the tank yet, and the 3 fish that were in it seemed unaffected by the rapid drop...)

I am wondering - for those that just drop a bagful into their sump - does that really work, and how long does it take to reduce your pO4 level appreciably using that method?

I use DFS home brand in a sump. I have it in a area (hanging off the side of a baffle )where the Protein skimmer output of water is hitting it pretty good. My Phosphates went from .5 to zero readable on a API high range kit. ( I know.. ) in about a week. I run it there all the time now.

[JetCat USA]

Originally posted by RCBruce
OK, something been bothering me but had to go back through some posts to remind myself what it was. You stated to "get ready for an invert die off"? That scares me. I have 3 sea stars, 5 varieties of hermits, and 2 prized christmas tree worms. How will this affect them?

ummm where exactly did you see that in this post??

[gary faulkner]

DrsF&S own "store brand" of GFO. I use this also. I have noticed a come back in my SPS colors.

HTH

[RCBruce]

Originally posted by JetCat USA
Yes, been flying almost as long as I've been reefing.

the reactor is just a way to fluidized the media, which makes the media more efficient. i wouldn't run a reef without one, it'll defiantly help with the hair algae you're having problems with, But keep in mind that your clean up crew is gonna drop off just like your PO4 levels will

on an already established system (with corals) you don't want to drop the levels to quickly so get the reactor and only put 1/4th the recommended media for the volume of water you have. keep an eye on things for the first few days to a week making sure none of your corals are stressed then the next time you fill the reactor up the dose.

What do you mean the clean up crew is gonna drop off???????????

[Emster]

I think what he means is that your algea will die off and there will be nothing left for the clean up crew to eat.

[JetCat USA]

exactly. if they die off depends on if you target feed them or not then.

[sabbath]

I would think that you might lose some snails, from less algae on the glass...

[JESUS VILLASEÑO]

WHAT ABOUT ALKALINITY? THAT IS A PRETTY LOT OF GFO IN A SYSTEM . PROBABLY IT WAS USED UP.

[JESUS VILLASEÑO]

WHAT ABOUT ALKALINITY? THAT IS A PRETTY LOT OF GFO IN A SYSTEM . PROBABLY IT WAS USED UP.

[JESUS VILLASEÑO]

Originally posted by sabbath
I would think that you might lose some snails, from less algae on the glass...

I CAN ASSURE YOU, SNAILS WILL NOT SUFFER, BUT IF ALKALINITY DROPS DRAMATICALLY, THEN THEY WILL DIE NONTHELESS.

[JESUS VILLASEÑO]

Originally posted by sabbath
I would think that you might lose some snails, from less algae on the glass...

I CAN ASSURE YOU, SNAILS WILL NOT SUFFER, BUT IF ALKALINITY DROPS DRAMATICALLY, THEN THEY WILL DIE NONTHELESS.

[RCBruce]

so am I in danger of loosing my hermit crabs and sea stars when I start using the reactor?

[JokerGirl]

You might lose a few here and there. I know that I lost a few snails and crabs along the way, but my linckia and linckia baby are still doing great.

[JetCat USA]

so it seams JESUS VILLASEÑO not only has a cap lock issue, he didn't bother reading the entire thread before commenting........but nothing new there

a clean up crews job is to clean up Leftovers, if you have them stocked to a level that they are intended to deal with unwanted/nuisance algae growth in the system, when you remove that algae you remove their food supply. i run a PO4 reactor on all my reefs (and even on the 90 FO at the moment) and all have a clean up crew for cleaning up leftovers.

is the reactor with the GFO going to kill your clean up crew??? NO. but you do need to have their numbers in check for the amount of detritus/uneaten food/etc... of Your system.

my 75 has several shrimp/snails/crabs in it as a cleanup crew, it has no nuisance algae growth, i hardly ever scrape the glass of anything but coralline and it also has a brittle star that can wrap around and touch the front and back glass at the same time making him 18+ inches, so don't think everything is going to die off your crew when you add it.

[img]http://i10.*******.com/62nv9y9.jpg[/img]

[Adam G]

Nice to see some difinitive answers on the effects of phosban. You see a lot of people saying things like "disconnected my phosphate reactor because it didn't seem to make a difference."

Seems that it really does. Nice thread! I tend to buy the expensive little bags of it at my lfs and but it under my returns with filter floss over it to help spread out the flow. My phosphates read 0 on a cheap test, guess I know why.

[RCBruce]

Thanks Jetcat. I was kinda worried there for awhile. I really prize my sea stars.
Now all I need is my reactor. Come on Fedex!

[K' Family Reef]

the phosphates in my 125 are around .048 last time it was checked. have a phosban reactor on its way to arrive wedn. attribute the high phosph # to lack of flow in my system for the first 3-5 mos the tank was set up = build up of detritus in dsb/sump/fuge (no filter sock).

havent had any problems w/ hair algae(one minor outbreak that once cleaned off never returned) or anything else in my system and surprisingly everything looks very good (LPS and softies). one of the only things i have noticed is a lack of coraline algae although surprisingly it still is showing growth just not very fast and my calcium levels have stayed high in the system

125 mixed reef
50gal display fuge
35gal sump
+/- 200# LR overall
dsb

i am wondering if one reactor is going to be enough. the one i purchased was the phosban reactor (marine depot 46$ w/ media included) rated for 150gal system. and any recoms as to how much media to use initially to not shock the system.

any thoughts?

thanks and regards.

[JetCat USA]

i doubt you'd see much shock to anything if your levels are in fact <0.05

on reactor size, it boils down to XX amount of media will remove XX amount of PO4, the less you're adding to the system the longer the media will go before exhaustion. on a system with 300g volume you may find you need to change the media more often is all.

[melev]

And according to Two Little Fishies, the Phosban 150 can be run on a 300g system. When I was setting up my 280g, I thought I'd need two (since each one would handle 150g), but later found out that was unnecessary. So I use one for fresh carbon, the other for phosphate removal.

[K' Family Reef]

JetCat
congrats on the thread of the month! just noticed... and thanks for the info.

Melev
when i asked marine depot when placing my order they recom going w/another reactor based on size of my system but going off reviews for phosban reactor (for what they are worth!) i decided to stay w/ phosban rxt and figured i would get another later if necessary. glad to hear it is working in your tank based on size etc

do you run the 2 reactors together (back to back in the same line?) -- or does it matter?

originally i was going to add some carbon to the phos reactor but after reading another thread i decided not to - based on the longevity/expense of (replacing) the phosban VS that of the carbon. and i read it was better to have the the phos reactor in the final stage of the sump (return) to incr the longevity of the phos media.

thanks and regards

[JetCat USA]

Originally posted by WarrenAmy&Maddy
.........when i asked marine depot ....they recom going w/another reactor

If i was selling to you, I'd want to sell you two of them too, I'd of even went so far as to say 'hey you might wanna think about getting two more so you can run carbon in those as well.'

when running two on the same system i use different pumps for each of them. i run the carbon at full flow and that'd be too much through the GFO.