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Phosphate
>Karen Wrote:
>
>"...Subject: Removing phosphates...
>
>>Excuse me if this has already been addressed recently, but what is the
>>best way to remove phosphates from the water...eg: especially after an
>>algae bloom, etc......thanks.
>
>Water changes!
John Haydt wrote:
>What about poor folks (like me) whose tap water contains 0.26 ppm PO4 on
>its best day?!
>
>PhosGuard!
It is extremely common in Europe for aquarists to have tap water phosphate
levels higher than that. If the plants are growing well, the plants should
be able to use that amount of phosphate when it is added with a water
change. After all, (if I did my math right) if you do a 25% water change,
you are only adding .065 ppm to the tank. With lots of fast growing
plants, they can soak that amount up pretty quickly.
I don't know your exact situation, but I often hear people obsessing about
a fraction of a ppm of PO4 in their tap water, when the PO4 level in the
tank is 3ppm or higher. In _most_ situations, water changes are the best
way to reduce PO4 levels. Only if the phosphate level in your tank is
lower than the level in your tap water and you're still having algae
problems. In that case, phosguard should be used to _pre-treat_ tap
water before using it in the tank.
Karen