Rowaphos dead after using 6 weeks

bucfan · 08/12/2017, 01:39 PM

I've been using Rowaphos for sometime and it's been working great. Recently I've had issues with PO running high despite running Rowa. I added new Rowa 6 weeks back and PO dropped from 0.5 to 0.1 in a week. 2 weeks back it was 0.03. Now PO back up to 0.57! Reactor is working fine so I can't understand how Rowa can be dead in 6 weeks and PO that high.

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Potatohead · 08/12/2017, 01:46 PM

It only holds so much phosphate. If it removes a lot from the water it won't last very long but if the water is low in PO4 already it will last quite a while.

Reeferparty · 08/12/2017, 01:59 PM

6 weeks is a pretty good amount of time imo. I use rowa and I typically change it every 4 weeks if time allows

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mcgyvr · 08/12/2017, 02:18 PM

How much did you use?
How much water volume?
Or just do the math yourself..
100 g/100 mL RowaPhos will remove 3ppm of phosphate from 100 US gallons of saltwater.
250 g/250 mL RowaPhos will remove 3ppm of phosphate from 250 US gallons of saltwater.
500 g/500 mL RowaPhos will remove 3 ppm of phosphate from 500 US gallons of saltwater.
1000g/ 1 L RowaPhos will remove 3 ppm of phosphate from 1000 US gallons of saltwater.
5 kg/5 L RowaPhos will remove 3 ppm of phosphate from 4500 US gallons of saltwater.

bucfan · 08/12/2017, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Potatohead

It only holds so much phosphate. If it removes a lot from the water it won't last very long but if the water is low in PO4 already it will last quite a while.

Figure I need to switch it out. Strange why recently it's depleting a lot quicker than before. I have not changed my feeds.

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bertoni · 08/12/2017, 08:16 PM

Also, after a month or so, the GFO surface probably is coated with bacteria, so even if it's not full of phosphate, it's not going to adsorb anything.

jda · 08/12/2017, 08:46 PM

What likely happened in that when the water column level got low, that aragonite unbound phosphate back to "equilibrium" with the water. When this happened, then GFO was already used up and it rose again.

There is more to phosphate than just what is in the water column.

bucfan · 08/12/2017, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reeferparty

6 weeks is a pretty good amount of time imo. I use rowa and I typically change it every 4 weeks if time allows

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Thought Rowa lasts 3 months or do I have this wrong?

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jda · 08/12/2017, 10:46 PM

It lasts until is has bound all of the phosphate that it can bind. That could be a few hours if they concentration in the water is high.

mcgyvr · 08/13/2017, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucfan

Thought Rowa lasts 3 months or do I have this wrong?

yep.. you have that wrong..

tmz · 08/18/2017, 03:39 PM

IT may also bind calcium carbonate precipitant.

08/12/2017, 01:39 PM	#1
bucfan Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 415	Rowaphos dead after using 6 weeks I've been using Rowaphos for sometime and it's been working great. Recently I've had issues with PO running high despite running Rowa. I added new Rowa 6 weeks back and PO dropped from 0.5 to 0.1 in a week. 2 weeks back it was 0.03. Now PO back up to 0.57! Reactor is working fine so I can't understand how Rowa can be dead in 6 weeks and PO that high. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro __________________ 205G Custom SPS dominated reef and 55G Red Sea Reefer 250 mixed reef

08/12/2017, 02:18 PM	#4
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	How much did you use? How much water volume? Or just do the math yourself.. 100 g/100 mL RowaPhos will remove 3ppm of phosphate from 100 US gallons of saltwater. 250 g/250 mL RowaPhos will remove 3ppm of phosphate from 250 US gallons of saltwater. 500 g/500 mL RowaPhos will remove 3 ppm of phosphate from 500 US gallons of saltwater. 1000g/ 1 L RowaPhos will remove 3 ppm of phosphate from 1000 US gallons of saltwater. 5 kg/5 L RowaPhos will remove 3 ppm of phosphate from 4500 US gallons of saltwater. __________________ Who me?

08/12/2017, 08:16 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Also, after a month or so, the GFO surface probably is coated with bacteria, so even if it's not full of phosphate, it's not going to adsorb anything. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/18/2017, 03:39 PM	#11
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	IT may also bind calcium carbonate precipitant. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

08/12/2017, 01:46 PM	#2
Potatohead Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Vancouver Posts: 1,596	It only holds so much phosphate. If it removes a lot from the water it won't last very long but if the water is low in PO4 already it will last quite a while.

08/12/2017, 01:59 PM	#3
Reeferparty Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 386	6 weeks is a pretty good amount of time imo. I use rowa and I typically change it every 4 weeks if time allows Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08/12/2017, 08:46 PM	#7
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	What likely happened in that when the water column level got low, that aragonite unbound phosphate back to "equilibrium" with the water. When this happened, then GFO was already used up and it rose again. There is more to phosphate than just what is in the water column.

08/12/2017, 10:46 PM	#9
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	It lasts until is has bound all of the phosphate that it can bind. That could be a few hours if they concentration in the water is high.