[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #831



>BOLLING37 at aol_com (Andrew) writes:
>     There is a new product on the market called Aquamarine phosphate
>eliminator.  It is a freeze dried bacteria product that claims to lower
>phosphate levels by 90% in 7-10 days or so.

First off, it's "Acquamarine".
                  ^
                  Note the bonus "C"

But anyway.  I've just recently looked at my tapwater with a serious
eye as well and discovered that there was a whole lot of phosphate
in it.

According to my water company, it's in the 1 ppm range.  According to
my testkit, it's more like 5 ppm.  The algae agrees with the testkit.

That sent me on a quest to get rid of it.  I first looked at Reverse
Osmosis, but that's a really expensive option.  RO does not get rid of
phosphate, chlorine and amonia, which are the only things in my tapwater
that are really objectionable.  To get rid of those, you need a DI unit,
which is really expensive to run: between $10 and $30 a month to replace
the resin cartridges, depending on who you ask and where you are.

Then I found this Acquamarine stuff.  I only just got my shipment a
few days ago.  I set up a trashcan in my pantry just for this stuff.

Inside the trashcan is a pump connected to some PVC valves, pipes
and such.  The pump normally pumps water into the bottom of the
trashcan (which has a layer of gravel).  With a twist of a valve,
it'll send water into my Python Water Changer.

But back to the subject at hand:  The Acquamarine Phosphate Eliminator
definitely does something: 3 days after initial infusion we've got less
than half the phosphates the tapwater normally has.

What I wonder about is whether there was any sense at all in buying
the larger size.  In my experience, you have to work really hard to
kill bacteria, so I'm thinking I'll have that bacteria growing in my
trashcan and fishtanks forever.  (Perhaps with no need to re-seed it,
ever.)

I went ahead and got the big size anyway.  It was only a few extra
bucks and I wanted to make sure I gave the stuff all the opportunity
it needed to work.  According to the label, this'll be enough stuff
to last me a whole year even if I have to dose it every water change.
$30 a year sure beats $30 a month.

					- Steve

------
Steve Benz (steveb at tall-tree_com)   |   Tall Tree Software Co.
http://www.tall-tree.com            |   Ph/Fax: 512-453-4909