Duke Posted February 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Now that was the best answer of the lot ...... I have a Deltech 1250 skimmer and LR in my sump. So the answer to the above post is NO I don't have one of the above methods. Next question which of the 3 are simplest to setup and run ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Phosphate removing resin is the easiest. Buy it, put it in a sock and clip it somewhere in your sump or overflow. Macro algae is a great option but requires more work. Zeovit, well its zeovit. If it was me, I probably wouldn't use anything until I get my tank under cotroll (cycle). By then you may decide if its worth the effort of phosphate export (your skimmer does this, and may do it very well depending on overall size of the tank vs. the skimmer). Newbies (sorry you know what I mean) often make mistakes around adding to much livestock, overfeeding etc. If this is you the above systems became far less effective. Think of them as 'finishing moves' but not essentials. Good luck Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 One thing, live rock does not store phosphates like sand beds. Bacterial turgor insures that live rock is continually purged of phosphate. Where as in a sand bed it is largely stored, and then released into the water column once saturated. Duke, do you have a problem with either phosphate or nitrate at the moment? If not, I would not change anything. You can run a successful reef without using macro algae, zeovit, and phosphate removers. Only use them as a last resort. Also, remember tanks take time to stabilise and reach an equilibrium, any change you make can prolong the time it takes for a tank to settle. So give things a chance. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Layton you do not need to wrongly contradict everything I ever said. That is what started that whole zeovit thread mess. Time for you to let go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 I'm not going there. How does live rock store phosphate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Sorry - not going to bite I think I can feel your high blood pressure from here. It really is time to let go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 quit winding him up, as you say, its time to drop it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Lets put it this way. Once he chills and stops looking for an argument, I'll happily answer his questions. But I'm not moving from a zeovit argument, to a live rock argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 22, 2005 Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 Phosphate storage in live rock works like a creek (river). Once you full up the dry bed, there is a continual and steady trickle. ie. It will absorb phosphate to around the phosphate level in surrounding water. Then ,through bacteria turgor, it is pushed out (and replaced to approximately match water levels) over time at a relatively constant rate. Running a sand bed, however, is like putting a sub-standard dam across the creek. It will work for a while storing phosphate. Then it will fail, releasing this pent up phosphate relatively quickly. The point is the continual trickle from the live rock is able to be processed by a skimmer, where as the sudden release from a sand bed can easily saturate the skimmers ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 22, 2005 Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 I am not going to argue it, but I don't belive either of these things to be particualry true: Running a sand bed, however, is like putting a sub-standard dam across the creek. It will work for a while storing phosphate. Then it will fail, releasing this pent up phosphate relatively quickly. The point is the continual trickle from the live rock is able to be processed by a skimmer, where as the sudden release from a sand bed can easily saturate the skimmers ability. I wouldn't be afraid of the sand bed, there are some examples of them crashing, however I often wounder if the sandbed can truely be to blame, often its in a tank that is a 'toy' in that it is consistantly played with. EB has tanks with sandbeds over 15 years old, still going strong. Pies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 22, 2005 Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 I wouldn't be afraid of the sand bed, there are some examples of them crashing, however I often wounder if the sandbed can truely be to blame, often its in a tank that is a 'toy' in that it is consistantly played with. EB has tanks with sandbeds over 15 years old, still going strong. There is plenty of evidence to suggest this is true. Don't get me wrong sandbeds have there uses. I run one myself. They do wonders in reducing nitrate. But the fact is they absorb phosphate which does get released eventually. Whether or not it "crashes" your tank or not is irrelevant. The release is undesirable. Given another couple of months I'll dump the sand in my DSB and start again, to avoid this potential problem. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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