Cheap way to remove phosphates

[cptcaveman]

So I decided to up my game about a month ago and got a few hermit crabs and an anemone.

Everything was ok until about to weeks ago when the BTA started turning brown and not expanding fully.

I finally got a phosphate test kit (API) yesterday and it was .25. I also got a pack of phosguard at the same time so I put it in my canister filter. It seems to have help some, but I need more of a permanent solution.

Before I got the BTA my nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia were 0. So I'm guessing the increase in feeding is doing it.

Currently I do about 10% a week, and before I was doing 20% every two weeks.

The phosguard is just a quick patch until I can figure out what's wrong or find a cheap chemical/media to add.

Does anyone have suggestions?

[devonjohnsgard]

My experience is keeping the pH as stable as possible. Are you dosing any alkalinity supplements? You should be dosing about twice a week.

A pH can swing through the day and night from light and oxygen and as acids build up, it can swing more. pH swings are the harshest on the amemone/corals.

Here's some helpful info:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Basic_Saltwater.html

[cptcaveman]

Does instant ocean reef accelerator count? I put some of that in from time to time.

[devonjohnsgard]

I cant tell because the label just says salts and talks about calcium. Usually, there's a two part solution to dose, one being calcium, one being alkalinity. Alkalinity is what is needed to make the pH stable.

[cptcaveman]

Which would be carbonate hardness?

I got an API reef kit. I know it's not the best but hopefully it'll work.

[Carl]

KH would test carbonate hardness

Further Reading:
www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2016/02/reef-chemistry-maintenance.html

As for phosphates.
A Phosphate Reactor with Phosbond would be a good long term solution and if you are getting phosphates from new water, using RO Water to mix salt water would be suggested.

Product Resources:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/FluidizedSandFilter.html
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Seachem.html#phosbond
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/ReverseOsmosisSystem.html

Further Reading:
www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2016/01/use-of-ro-di-softwater-in-aquariums.html

Carl

[cptcaveman]

Ya I've got a ro/di setup and tested it.

0 phosphates and nitrates.

Kh is 9.5-10ish.

I've done 2 water changes in three days and it looks some better. I guess I'll be doing 87 water changes a month.



So what's the cheapest way to remove phosphates and nitrates?

I've got phosguard, puregin, and matrix in my 704B.

How often do you need to change the media in a reactor?

[Carl]

I simply recommend changing the phosphate remover ina reactor when numbers start to creep up.

BTW, I think you might find better results with Phosbond over PhosGuard when you run out of the former product.

Carl

[devonjohnsgard]

phos .25 and nitrate 0? So, sounds like the way your removing them now is working just fine. I wouldn't worry about the little amount of phos.