Lowering PO4 in an AIO

[One Reefing Boi]

in one of my systems, I have had high high phosphates (0.5-0.7) and want to try and lower it a bit. I think it’s impacting some of the colors of my coral and my nitrates are lowww (sub 5.0 ppm) but I’m dosing NeoNitro to get them up and it’s been working pretty well.

The issue is that the system is an AIO system so I don’t have room for a reactor or anything. I want to try and get my P04 lower, so what’s my best bet?

Use GFO in a bag in one of the filter chambers?
I was looking more into dosing, and see Blue Life Phosphate RX and Brightwell Phosphate-E. Any recommendations on those products?

Which is the best route to slowly bring it down and not drop my nitrates further? I feel like my SPS aren’t as vibrant as they had been in the past.

Thanks!

 

[Formulator]

GFO in a bag in the rear is my recommendation. Its tried and true, minimal risk, and relatively cheap. The additive products you mentioned are Lanthanum Chloride (LaCl). Personally, I’m not a fan of the stuff as it precipitates and will permanently be in your tank. There is not a lot of research on lanthanum effects to our inhabitants, but we do know some tangs can be very sensitive to it and can even die from exposure to the precipitate particles. Dosing LaCl should be done very carefully into a skimmer neck and/or through an extremely fine filter sock. If you want to explore it further, there are plenty of articles and threads on the topic.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

GFO in a bag in the rear is my recommendation. Its tried and true, minimal risk, and relatively cheap. The additive products you mentioned are Lanthanum Chloride (LaCl). Personally, I’m not a fan of the stuff as it precipitates and will permanently be in your tank. There is not a lot of research on lanthanum effects to our inhabitants, but we do know some tangs can be very sensitive to it and can even die from exposure to the precipitate particles. Dosing LaCl should be done very carefully into a skimmer neck and/or through an extremely fine filter sock. If you want to explore it further, there are plenty of articles and threads on the topic.

Any idea if Phosguard is the same thing? Saw something about it being aluminum oxide or something that leaches into the tank and maybe I should use a different kind?

 

[Formulator]

Any idea if Phosguard is the same thing? Saw something about it being aluminum oxide or something that leaches into the tank and maybe I should use a different kind?

Phosgaurd is more similar to GFO in that it is a media that binds phosphate, then you remove the media. It is an aluminum based product, while GFO is iron oxide. Both have the potential to leach a small amount of their component metals into the tank, but it is typically nothing to worry about when the media is used correctly and regularly changed.

 

[Uncle99]

Any idea if Phosguard is the same thing? Saw something about it being aluminum oxide or something that leaches into the tank and maybe I should use a different kind?

I use phosguard in a bag to bind phosphate slowly for years without issue.

Try and consider what may cause that imbalance. For me, I found 20ppb in my RODI and 40ppb out of the tap. So I mop that in my RODI, so it’s not a contributor.

With .7ppm, and LC treatment could be considered until say .3ppm, then a week rest, then something like phosguard to lower it again and maintain.