ROWAphos

[Ben1]

I recently saw a topic on this stuff and checked it out. $50 is so expensive. Do some of you buy this every month? Seems way to expensive for a qiuck fix, is it worth the money?

 

[hillbilly]

It's around $20 for the size I use at Marine Depot. I only change it 1 1/2 to 2 months most times. You really could use it until it quits absorbing. It's just I want to keep the phosphate levels as near to nothing as possible for the stonies. It really depends on how much phosphate you get into your tank as to how often you need to change it. Yes, it really is worth the money IMO. It seems to work even better than PhosBan in my experience, and is only about $4 more. I've not used all the media out there, it's seems everyone is making one now, but Rowaphos is the best one I've used.

 

[Ben1]

I have a 150 mixed reef with a small 20 gal long sump filled 1/2. Total water volume after live rock and sand can't be more then 135. I don't have any hair or cyno but haven't been impressed with the coraline algea/sps growth. Seems calcification has been slow.

I have tested the water at 450 ppm CA using salifert test kit and am confident of the level. I use a kalk reactor when its working and turbo CA to mantain the calcium.

I use RO/DI water for everything and do a 30 gal water change twice a month with tropic marin salt. In anycase this leads me to believe some ROWAphos in the sump couldn't hurt, but for a 150 I think Ill need to get the $50 500mg one. What else would slow calcification?

FWIW, I use 2 x 250 10k and 2 x 96 watt pc actinic for lighting. Am going to add 2 more 175 watt mh 10ks when I get the money probably in the fall.[/b]

 

[Mikef1]

Ben, what does your alkalinity look like?

 

[Reef Guy11]

I am too amazed how good Rowa Phos works my tank. I haven't check in a few days but That last time it was just about zero. and I had high phosphates according to Salifert test kit. My tank is 135 gal I just used 5 spoonful in a mesh media bag and dropped it in my sump.

Also thanks to Hillbilly I know how to use it and how long to keep it in for.

 

[Ben1]

Alk seems to be around 4.o meg/l but that test kit is old. I am going to the LFS later and will pick up a new kit.

I think what I really need is a calcium reactor. If only they weren't so expensive. I will see if they have ROWAphos at the LFS. Power was out all night last night so I guess I better go fix all the timers.

If its not CA/ALK then it must be trace amount of P02 messing up the calcification?

 

[-JB]

I've been using it a little over a year. Works great at keeping PO4 down. I change mine every 3-4 months. I use 500ml on my total system volume of around 280 gallons.

 

[Ben1]

Ok I went ahead and got the RP-50, I give a report after I use it to let you know what I think.

BTW, Premium Aquatics had it cheaper then Marine depot by $13.

 

[Reef Guy11]

That is were I got mine was from Premium Aquatics. Way cheaper.