PO4 Remover

[geoffrey]

Hi Gentlemen,

Like to know if zeolite removes PO4? Any other additives that I can use that will do the job without hurting my plants/shrimps/snails/fishes at the same time not suck up other nutrients?

Remember reading somewhere that additional Fe can help, appreciate help in refreshing that information?

[Allen_1971]

Geoffrey,

I'm not sure if zeolite works on PO4, but it will take up your NH4, which is important for your plants... generally we don't recommend zeolite for planted aquaria. If you really need to use an additive to remove phosphates, you could try phosguard from seachem... though I vaguely recall someone having problems with this... For me, I would recommend reduced feedings and water changes.

[Goondoo]

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For me, I would recommend reduced feedings and water changes.
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Not trying to be funny....
But do you mean reducing feedings and water changes? As in reducing water changes as well?

[geoffrey]

Allen,

Thanks for the info. I doubt water change and lower feeding can help. I have been doing twice weekly change of 50% and feed lowered too for the last 2~3 weeks and nothing has changed.

Will search under phosguard for implications.

[Simon]

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On 2/28/2003 9:22:29 AM
Not trying to be funny....
But do you mean reducing feedings and water changes? As in reducing water changes as well?
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Billy, u too dun try to be funny... u shld know it[]

[Allen_1971]

grrrrr... *smack billy with frozen tuna*

what I mean is reduce feedings and do more water changes...

[Allen_1971]

Geoff,

what are your PO4 levels at the moment?

[PeterGwee]

Geoffrey, may I know what are you feeding to your fishes? Did you reduce your feeding to once per 2-3 or 3-4 days?

[geoffrey]

Allen,

It's 2ppm and hasn't moved at all.

Peter,

I feed once a day with 2 heapful of Tetra Bits using a MacDonald's stirrer.

[geoffrey]

Peter,

You think I should reduce frequency to once/3~4days?

[PeterGwee]

Ermmm..cannot say for sure but you can try to see if it helps (just make sure they consume it all before adding more...if not the rest will drop to the bottom and rot). Or maybe you can try washing your filter to see if it helps (accumulation of rotting stuff inside and not breaking down fast enough?). I solve my rising NO3 problem by changing the type of food (previous food was those $2 brown powder type and now is Sera Vipan flake food) as well as giving by canister filter a wash (kinda choke as the output flow slowed down).

[geoffrey]

Washed my 2028 already. As for feeding, I usually see my fishes devour everything within 5mins and crumbles are usually taken up by shrimps.

Up CO2 to accelerate plants growth to uptake more PO4 too. Other nutrients maintained in levels to ensure deficiency does not arise as a result of the accelerated growth. However, did not up light as this may lead to more BBA.

[PeterGwee]

Perharps one of your nutrient is missing or limited which is slowing down the uptake of the other nutrients. Did you add K to your tank (20ppm)..?

[FC]

Geoffrey,

"I feed once a day with 2 heapful of Tetra Bits using a MacDonald's stirrer."
Try 1 heapful a day or 2 instead. Fishes are happy too with less feeding.....less lao sai [] .

Nothing beat a natural healthy tank.
If you do not have algae, then let the PO4, plants love them. If not, change water weekly 40% and try driving the free PO4 uptake with enough light and photo period. Do you have enough K, Mg to balance it and traces to motivate?

[Allen_1971]

Geoffrey... keep you feedings as they are, but reduce the amount in each feed... feed as much as can be eaten in one minute with no scraps

[benny]

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On 2/28/2003 9:03:59 AM

Hi Gentlemen,

Like to know if zeolite removes PO4? Any other additives that I can use that will do the job without hurting my plants/shrimps/snails/fishes at the same time not suck up other nutrients?

Remember reading somewhere that additional Fe can help, appreciate help in refreshing that information?
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Seachem phosphate guard removes PO4. Retail at S$14 list price before discount.

Cheers,

[geoffrey]

Peter,

Yes I dose K too. Don't think I have nutrient deficiency. Plants look good. NO3@10ppm, [email protected], and CO2@20~30ppm (pH=6.5;kH=4).

Dosing with Dr M's aqua and micro regularly.

BTW, like to know the definition of fish load. Which is more important? The no. of fishes, size or the amount of pooh they produced? Pooh can be controlled thru feeding even though fish nos. are high.

[geoffrey]

FC,

I'm doing 50% twice weekly. Feeding in my opinion is not going to help much.

[juggler]

I told Geoffrey that his soil-based substrate could be contributing to the PO4. Since he doesn't dose PO4 nor feed the fish a lot.

Should planting heavy root feeding plants help? Since P is best absorbed at the roots.

[geoffrey]

Forget to mention, base is 2 packs of JBL and 2 pack of potting soil. Don't you tell me it's leaching from the soil cos I know 2 other tanks that used only soil and more and their plant load is smaller.