GFO (PhosBan) - Just How Good Is It?

[JetCat USA]

Kurt

2 cups fills the reactor close to 3/4 full. on this system there are no corals so there would be no shock from the sudden drop in PO4 levels so that amount of media was what i figured would give me the most bang and still be easily fluidized without pushing it out the top of the reactor (which i've done in the past).


on an established reef system with already low PO4 levels a few tablespoons of media may well be more then enough to keep the levels in check, at near 3ppm in 225g of volume it wouldn't of did much at all for dropping the levels in any reasonable length of time.

i did not post pics of the reactor, figured most everyone owns one or has seen them in action before. it's just an acrylic tube with an in and out, nothing to fancy. the reactor does come with instructions and i believe the suggested media is 1 gram/gallon one of the local guys buys his media in the 150g containers and his reactor is only slightly below the level of mine with two cups for a comparison of the amount recommended you use.

[Hifiguy]

Hey JetCat USA,

Great thread.

One quick question. I was wondering how much flow you had running through your reactor. I have some reactors now and need to get a pump for them. I was curious what you were running through the reactor. The info is great but didn't see that one bit posted anywhere.

I do see that your running a mini-jet400 and from what I can find that is about 18- 108 gph which is very little flow. Can you give us a sense of how open the pump is? I saw the part about how you "slowly cracked open the valve till a mini-jet400 started to fluidized the media." but I wanted to see what you thought about the flow. 20 gph or maybe 80 gph? Just curious as to what your thoughts were on this.

I was thinking of putting a maxi jet 250 on mine but that seems now like it may be too much.

Curious as to what you think on all this.

Thanks a ton
Shaun

[szwab]

I'm curious if similar results could be obtained using smaller amounts of media as recomended by TLF.

[JetCat USA]

@Hifiguy

it's not allot of flow, here is the control valve:

[img]http://i10.*******.com/4pl5pb7.jpg[/img]

@szwab

my reactor with 2c of media is only slightly more full then the guy i gave my 120g setup to and he has a 150g container in his, TLF suggests 1g/gallon I'd say I'm at less then that with 2c.

they also say to use a Minimum of 130g in the reactor and a Maximum of 200g, i think I'm well within that range.

[Hifiguy]

Thanks for the info.

Shaun

[einsteins]

I turn up flow until the media is just barely moving on top...you dont want to have it tumbling aggresivly in there as it will get ground up and possiblt get out to the system.

I use 1 tablespoon for every 20 gal which is 7 for my 138 gal volume.
That is the suggested dosage for the phospure.

I have read many places that using to much can be irritating to corals whether its from rapid decline of PO4 or from the media itself.

Great thread!!

einsteins

[jdieck]

Hifiguy:

Note that too much flow and agitation may grind the media and smaller particles be carried over to the main tank.
Too little flow will not prevent caking of the media and cause channeling thus lowering the performance.
Ideally you want enough flow to produce uplifting of the media and a very small movement on the particles at the surface of the media.

Also note that different products may require different flow.
The above guideline is OK for most products as it will allow for the adjustment to the different shapes and densities.
Products like PHOsR HC which is dosed at 1 gram per three gallons can take a bit higher flow as it is denser and does not break so easily.
Products like Phosban and RowaPhos require slower flows.
Regular PHOsR which is pelletized can take lower flow as it has less tendency to channeling and caking.

[JetCat USA]

It's nice to see someone appreciate the effort I've went through for them in the attempt to make their house (or tank) a much nicer, cleaner home. with the now much more cleanly environment my Dusky damsel has decided to spawn. she must like allot of flow, that 1.5" bulkhead has a ReeFlo Hammerhead hooked to the other end of it.

[img]http://i10.*******.com/52zth00.jpg[/img]

[gary faulkner]

I run Phospure sandwitched between Two layers of carbon inside an Ehime canister filter. Anything risky about this as far as flow goes?

[jdieck]

Originally posted by gary faulkner
I run Phospure sandwitched between Two layers of carbon inside an Ehime canister filter. Anything risky about this as far as flow goes?

Nothing risky but if completely packed with no movement there might be channeling and caking.
You may want to try the pelletized PHOsR for that application, I think that because of the shape you might get more uniform flow.

[JetCat USA]

had the 90g going for two days now and decided to go ahead and stick a PO4 reactor on it, rather then using the 1/4c scoop i had been using (and they were above the rim cups) i carefully measured out the 2 cups leveling the top of the 1c measuring cup off, here is the result.

[img]http://i16.*******.com/4r9mvzn.jpg[/img]

[szwab]

let me clarify my statement from before. you have obviously shown the dramatic ability for ferric oxide to remove po4 from a system. I'm curious regarding the lesser amounts because on a 200 gal tank at a gram/gal would be .87 of a cup. I believe that in the first set your media was not exhausted, but slowing down due to the lowered amounts of P04 available. Which mathmatically would make the resulting reading less dramatic, but at the same time more impressive. It was not meant to be a knock on you or the methods used.

[JetCat USA]

sometimes having a drug dealer living across the street isn't such a bad thing. a level cup of PhosBan weighs 85.24 grams.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by JetCat USA
A level cup of PhosBan weighs 85.24 grams.

That is equivalent to about 1.8 grams per teaspoon or 0.359 grams/ml

[michika]

Thanks for the thread JetCat!

I do however have a question for you, when I have purchased phosban, phoslock, rowaphos, etc. all of the instructions say that the product must be put in a micron filter sock, and then in the reactor. May I ask why you've just put the media straight in the reactor?

[coralnut99]

I think if you re-read the instructions, you'll see that the nylon sock is an alternative method to using a reactor. With the inlet tube running down the center of the reactor, there's no possible way to insert a nylon sock filled with media unless the smallest quantities are used, and even then the sock would be somewhat restrictive to water flowing evenly throught the media.

[michika]

I just went back and re-read the instructions and it does say that you need to use both. I was just curious as to how JetCat was running their reactor, as it may be pertinant to the results we are seeing.

[KurtsReef]

Originally posted by JetCat USA
Kurt

2 cups fills the reactor close to 3/4 full. on this system there are no corals so there would be no shock from the sudden drop in PO4 levels so that amount of media was what i figured would give me the most bang and still be easily fluidized without pushing it out the top of the reactor (which i've done in the past).


on an established reef system with already low PO4 levels a few tablespoons of media may well be more then enough to keep the levels in check, at near 3ppm in 225g of volume it wouldn't of did much at all for dropping the levels in any reasonable length of time.

i did not post pics of the reactor, figured most everyone owns one or has seen them in action before. it's just an acrylic tube with an in and out, nothing to fancy. the reactor does come with instructions and i believe the suggested media is 1 gram/gallon one of the local guys buys his media in the 150g containers and his reactor is only slightly below the level of mine with two cups for a comparison of the amount recommended you use.

Thanks again, mine will arrive on Monday...then I will get too play (without the fancy meter though)

[andrewsk]

JetCat USA

Thanks for this great thread.

Can I ask where you got your meter from. Did you order from Hanna directly?

Is this the Low Range Meter?

I am thinking of getting this and the Nitrate on as well.

Let me know.

Thanks!

[jdieck]

Originally posted by andrewsk
JetCat USA

Thanks for this great thread.

Can I ask where you got your meter from. Did you order from Hanna directly?

Is this the Low Range Meter?

I am thinking of getting this and the Nitrate on as well.

Let me know.

Thanks!

Note that the Nitrate one is only for fresh water. It will not work for salt water.

[andrewsk]

Thanks jdieck.

I owe you a beer or something for that.

[jdieck]

[shred5]

Originally posted by Serioussnaps
No, it means your API test kit is worthless as is salifert. The only way to test PO4 accurately is with one of the Hannas he is using or something at a lab that most people dont have access to. If your API kit is showing phosphates you have TONS of them. The more you have the faster the media exhausts. I change mine every three weeks.

merk and hach make low range test kits that work very well and better than anything out there...... Only problem is phosphate tests kits or anything within reason for this hobby read only orthophosphate so no one really knows how much phosphate they have.

A low range test kit is a must for to measure phosphate but still can only be used as a guide like it is being used in this thread..

By the way awsum thread to the thread starter and thanks for spending the time to post your findings.

Dave

[JetCat USA]

been in a bit of a rush most of today so i can't go into allot of detail..............

i got the meter from DFS, it is the low range. I've always ran the media in the reactor without a filter bag, thought that's the way it was intended, otherwise it wouldn't need the foam pieces in there that are included with it

i don't know how they say it is supposed to run, as on most things i don't read the instructions. Instructions are just the manufactures SUGGESTED way you do something

[lakee911]

Very nice thread. How was the the source for the GFO found in India or Turkey?

Thx
Jason