Purigen and Phosguard for lowering already low nitrate and phosphate levels

[trilinearmipmap]

I have had problems with Anthelia growing all over my 120 gallon mixed reef.

I have a good skimmer plus refugium. My nitrate levels are about 1 to 1.5 ppm by the Salifert test. My phosphate level tested about 2 or 3 notches above zero on the Merc phosphate test, I forget what the number is.

I am thinking of using Phosguard and Purigen as a trial to see if it improves the anthelia situation. My theory is the nitrate and phosphate levels are low because the anthelia and other soft corals absorb these nutrients right away. If anyone has been in a similar situation can they let me know. And if anyone has a good reason to use an alternate phosphate or nitrate reducing medium please let me know. I want to use the media in a bag rather than set up a phosphate reactor because of space limitations.

[i have crabs]

are thier corals in the tank?,ive had bad luck using phosguard with some corals,i know for shure that toadstool type corals dont like it and i also had a problem with a colt coral but not always.

[trilinearmipmap]

Yes the tank is loaded with corals - soft corals, LPS and SPS as well as anemones.

The other question I had is: Can I use panty hose for the bag to hold the media or do I need to buy a micron filter bag. I have read some of these resins are too small to use the panty hose and some aren't.

[Jason McK]

Purigen is a synthetic carbon a good one mind you but it will not likly improve you phosphate problem. I might aid in your Nitrate but you don't appear to have an issue there.

The purigen is too small for sure I ran it for a long time and had to buy the very expensive "The Bag"

If you completely cut off the food source for the Anthelia will you not also be cutting off the food source for all your other Soft corals?

J

[trilinearmipmap]

If you completely cut off the food source for the Anthelia will you not also be cutting off the food source for all your other Soft corals?


Yes I am hoping to find a solution where I decrease nutrients without bringing them right down to zero. Hopefully I can slow or stop the growth of the Anthelia without wiping out all my soft corals.

[kwirky]

I think going for low nutrient levels might not help with a pest coral. My phosphates are at theoretical zero (rowaphos), and nitrates are either unreadable or below 0.2ppm (salifert kit), and my xenia still grow like weeds. I only have 3 small fish in the 120g setup so far, and I feed them like soviet farmers :mrgreen: .

Maybe you'll have resort to aiptasia-like treatments?

If you're considering a phosphate media, advancedaquarist.com has a VERY detailed analysis of rowaphos and phosban, both ferrous oxide phosphate media (versus the aluminum oxide ones which are harmful to inverts. phosguard's an aluminum oxide product). There are pros and cons and that article lists and explains some of them.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2004/review.htm

[BCOrchidGuy]

What about selling off the live rock with the Anthelia or trading it for other corals? If it's on the glass a razor blade scraper can remove it. I had a nice Anthelia in my 90 and I thought it was beautiful to watch but I wouldn't have liked it nearly as much had it taken over.

Doug

[trilinearmipmap]

The problem with the anthelia is it is invasive everywhere. It is on my big pieces of rock with large encrusted corals that have been growing for years.

The anthelia has completely wiped out my nice collection of zoanthids. This is what ****ed me off the most. The anthelia would grow in between the zoanthids so you couldn't remove it without destroying the zoanthids.