Phosphate Remover and Pincushion

RiaanP

RiaanP

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I connected up my phosphate reactor last week. During the time I was away in June, my wife and son did slightly overfeed, I got cayno on the sand, not too bad and some algae started on some rocks. What is funny, it is especially the lower rocks. Less light areas. My back glass always had algae growth, that I leave for the herivorous snails.

Anyway, connected the phosphate reactor, and since then, my pincushions pulled back and does not extend at all. And today the big one (side plate size) is sloped forward. I did blow some water over it, and some fine white stuff did blow off it. It did pull back on reaction to the extra water movement. Everything else in the tank is fine. The big green brain coral looks good, where a week ago it was pulled back and looked bad. Actually was contemplating on removing it back to Lanzo for it to recover. But now, the brain is 100%. And the Pincushion is down.

Or do pincushions sulk for a week?
 
Hi Riaan

Remember i told you about he 2 types of Phos media you get:
Iron based phos media = Rowa Phos
Aliminium based phos media =Extrax phos

Most soft corals tend to close up when one uses Aliminium based phos media but in the long run it looked to me like they do get use to it and then close up for one day(after you changed the media)then shead and blossem.

The iron media....havent seen any negative effects only that the price is double that of the aliminium based media
 
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Yip, I recall reading the same thing that Lanzo said, it was on Advanced Aquarist I think.
 
If I remember correctly it because the Alu based remover pulls the PO4 out very quicky, slightly shocking the coral as they (softies) enjoy slightly elevated levels of PO4, They generally take 2~3days to bounch back.
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ok, thanks.
O switched off the phosphate reactor. And will give the pincushion a break until Saturday. If ut recovers, then I will put the phospate reactor on only a few hours per day, increasing slightly until all corals are happy.
I did not notice any other effect on any other softies. Not even on the big leather directly under the pincushion.

This pic is early June. Just to point out the location of pincushion.

10944c0cac1c2c7fc.jpg
 
u need to PROPERLY rinse the alu phos remover before using. I never had any issues with the softies when i used it but i washed it under a hard stream of tap water before i put it in.
 
Both pincushions are dead.
Nothing else.
 
Rowaphos is about the best you going to find. I never had a problem with the same corals you have. Try testing your phosphates, without the reacter maybe you dont need one at all.
 
Yip, turn out after one week that I do not need the reactor anymore.
With me being away twice for 2-3 weeks each trip, my wife and son did overfeed a bit. And Algae is starting to grow, especially lower rocks. So I wanted to be proactive. Phosphates are zero, algae still there, pincushions dead. Turns out the globes on my scrubber needs replacing, and I can not get 45W CFL. Got 20W in there for the time being and obviously not doing a good job.
 
i use both iron based and aluminum based and see no difference in my corals at all . how long does the aluminum based last for as i have my po4 down to .04 and before i dosed with this last batch four days ago it was .07 . i usually just keep testing and when it levels out then i replace but its getting expensive and i dont see any difference in my corals at all it started out at .26 a month and a half ago . any input ?
thanks Dave
 
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