Idea---Phospot.

[TexasTodd]

Here's a strange one for you all.

I love my Calcium Reactor, but they do add a fair amount of phosphates to the system....even with good media like ARM.

Now that I'm bare bottom supposedly you are not suppose to use Phosban etc. I also had some of the bad experiences that people link to this media in my last tank. I was probably using too much. :unsure

Regardless I noticed increased algae growth on both systems as I brought the CA reactor on line. There was also noticable improvements to the corals, but then more algae.

So I want to run my effluent through the media, but I don't want to run my tank system water through...just the CA reactor effluent. Those that have them know this is a low flow of 30-70 or so ml/minute usually. It's also a low pressure out and can't be hooked up to a phosban reactor as it just wouldn't work.

I surfed around on RC and found a couple of people treating their effluent. Some piped it in to a TLF reactor and cleaned it with the rest of their water...not what I want to do. One guy has it running in to a dish, across the top of the media, and drips out the other side......not very good contact.

I was trying to come up with a small cyclinder tube and then have some rigid airline tubing attach to the bottom and then bend up along side and out like a spout at a level lower than the top of the main tube. So, the effluent would drip in the top, work it's way down through the media, and then as the water level rose, it would fill the rigid tubing and spill out before the main cyclinder was full.

Well today I figured two things. First that it would be a pain in the arse to make it. And Second, it sounded an awful lot like a tea pot. :o

So, off to GoodWill. $2.15 (with tax) and I have a ceramic (pretty) teapot with a long enough neck on the spout that if tipped it will spill out the spout before the main body overflows. ;) And it's nice and small, just about the right size for about 200 grams of Phosban.

I'll modify the spout to hold a filter to keep any floating particles from escaping.

What do you all think?

Todd

[GaryP]

I say go with it. You could have probably done the same thing with a plastic jug though. I just mix my phosguard with the carbon in my carbon unit. I'm not sure why you want to run the effuent through the phosban instead of just absorbing it from the bulk water. The bulk water would seem to be a lot easier. Are you sure ARM is the culprit and its not just from having a new tank and cycling? I know your LR is cured, but you are still going to have some die off as a result of restacking the rock. Something is going to end up in the shade or otherwse arranged so that it won't survive.

How much phosphate do you think you are getting from your ARM? Why aren't you supposed to use Phosban with a BB system. That seems couter-intuitive to me.

The one thing I would be concerned about is what's going to happen to the Phosban at the lower pH the effluent is going to be going through the phosban reactor at. At some pH its going to be dissolved, I just don't know what that pH is.

[NaCl_H2O]

What do I think? ... I think you need to change your login name:

TeapotTodd :D

Sounds interesting, hope the ceramic isn't cracked anywhere where you would get heavy metal leaching? Maybe spray the inside with some type of rubber sealant first?

[CD]

Regardless I noticed increased algae growth on both systems as I brought the CA reactor on line. There was also noticable improvements to the corals, but then more algae.


I'd be interested to see how many other people had or are having this problem. Our CA reactor was brought on line about a week after the tank itself...haven't had a lick of algae in the display, however I will mention that our macroalgae grows like CRAZY, and the feather dusters in the 'fuge are pretty thick too. Obviously, the corals are happy. ;)

Todd - sounds like you came up with a good idea...I've just GOT to see a pic of your teapot though :pics :P

W. :)

[Tim Marvin]

Is it "short and stout" ? LMAO, sounds funny.

[vic318]

I think I know what your looking for. This was posted on MARSH back in December 04 and then on RC. RC is bogged down right now and won't let me perform a search. Do a search for invincible569 and you should find what your looking for. He is also on www.zeovit.com


www.marshreef.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=4990&high light=reactor


http://marsh.webreefs.com/images/2502.jpg[/url]

[::pete::]

:innocent :innocent :innocent ;) :innocent .... :D

[captexas]

I'm with Gary, I'd be curious how the phosphate removing media will react to the effluent, especially sitting with such a low flow rate through it. If you really think it's that big a deal, why couldn't you just place a small phophate remover in-line with your calcium reactors recirculation pump to help give it a boost and better contact? You could even T off of the recirculation line that way you could have valves to control the flow rate through the media and also close it off so you can remove/clean it.

[TexasTodd]

YES PETE, YOUR IDEA IS BETTER! :roll

You know you should start a business building stuff. :blink

I think the teapot should work well though. I am glad Gary brought up the ph level and it's affect. I'll e-mail TLT tomorrow to get the question answered. My ph is only 6.8 since I use a dual, but still good to check.

Hey, I don't have THAT much algae! Really just about none, but I don't want ANY. :angry

Todd

[GaryP]

Phosban is Iron Hydroxide. Metal hydroxides are very stable at high pH's such as we see in saltwater. I'm just not sure what's going to happen at a lower pH. I'm afraid you are just going to end up with a very high cost iron supplement for your macro algae.

FeOH + acid = soluble iron + water

[don-n-sa]

Correct me if I am wrong Todd....Gary, I don't think that he has fuge with macro in it....hmmm... :D

[GaryP]

He did in his old system and I haven't seen the new system since we moved it, but I was assuming he did. If you want to add iron to your tank, just go down to Home Depot and get some Ironite. :)

[TexasTodd]

Not supposed to run a fuge with BB. Kind of goes against the whole model.

I'll e-mail Two Little Fishes today.

Thanks all,

Todd

[captexas]

Really? Who is making up these rules? :huh I thought the main reason for going BB is to keep the tank clean and prevent a build up of excess nutrients in the sand bed. I don't see how a fuge growing macro algae in it hurts this idea in any way, I would think it would be of great help as the macro would absorb the excess nutrients that are forced to stay in the water column.

[don-n-sa]

who says that you have to have sand in your fuge????

one of mine is BB with a rolling ball of cheato in it.

[GaryP]

It doesn't make sense to me either. It would seem that any help you could get in nutrient control would be beneficial.

[javajaws]

I think I know what your looking for. This was posted on MARSH back in December 04 and then on RC. RC is bogged down right now and won't let me perform a search. Do a search for invincible569 and you should find what your looking for. He is also on www.zeovit.com


Here's the thread on RC for these:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=488819&highlight=biopho s+reactor

The guy who makes (made) these goes by kevinn on RC, but I don't think he is making these anymore. I've got one though if anybody wants some other pictures of one so they can built it themselves.

[GaryP]

Todd,

I'm still mystified why you aren't supposed to use a phosphate absorber or a fuge with a BB tank. Can you direct me to anything on this?