rowaphos

[b-ridge]

ok I just got my rowaphos in when I got home from work today. My question is how much should I use in my reactor for the first time? I keep getting different suggestions. I've heard to use a couple teaspoons for the first time. The directions says to use 250g for up to 250 gallons of salt water. My tank water volume is 300 gallons. What do you suggest?

 

[SteveZ15]

Start with half or even less then bump it up,sometimes too much when first adding it can have negative results on some corals.

 

[b-ridge]

yes I read that somewhere that you don't want to strip the phosphates to quickly cause it could harm the fish. I don't have any fish so I'm good. I also was told that most of the phosphates will be reduced within 24 hours therefore needing to change it out. After changing it out the phosphates should be reduced significantly. Possibly under 0.3

 

[lnevo]

It doesn't hurt fish...coral will stress if too quick, but fish could give a damn. I've always seen the recommendation of starting at 1/2 recommended dosage and going up slowly from there. I would add each time. I changed the media until I got to full dosage.

 

[b-ridge]

ok so I should start with a 125g of rowaphos then? What could I use to measure grams with?

 

[b-ridge]

and how soon would I change it out?

 

[lnevo]

Food scale. Thats 4.4oz but a lot can switch between grams and oz.

 

[lnevo]

and how soon would I change it out?

When phosphates start to rise. Anywhere from 2 weeks to 8 weeks.

 

[b-ridge]

looks like I will be running to home depot or walmart to find something that measures in grams. Something told me I should of bought the bigger rowaphos. I bought the 250g which is suitable for 1,000 liters of salt water which is approxiametley 264 gallons

 

[lnevo]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Taylor-Digital-Kitchen-Scale-Set-of-6/23162534

 

[lnevo]

This is a good article on rowaphos...it supports your instinct to have bought the bigger one (despite the name of the article...)

http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/rowaphos-why-waste-your-money

 

[b-ridge]

lol. I just read that article

 

[lnevo]

Yeah I wasn't sure if rowaphos was a GFO or something similar so wanted to confirm and it was the first google hit

 

[b-ridge]

yes it was a very interesting article. I will follow this method to the best of my ability or what I took from it

 

[b-ridge]

How fast is to fast when reducing phosphates? Rowaphos has worked for me in the past but I now have phosphates at 2.0 after taking it offline. I will start up again with half the recommended dosage and work my way up changing it out every 2 weeks. Realistically would half the dosage bring my phosphates down to detectable levels within 2 weeks or is that stripping the phosphates too fast therefore stressing out my corals?

 

[duke62]

I use half the recommended dose all the time. My tank calls for 180 grams. I use 90 grams for 6 months now

 

[b-ridge]

And it keeps your po4 at what levels duke? How often do you have to switch out?

 

[duke62]

Stays at about .04 to .08. I switch it out when the effluent coming out of my reactor is at .01 to .02. That's when I know it's exhausted

 

[b-ridge]

And that takes how long? Couple weeks?

 

[duke62]

It's always different. 4 to 7 weeks