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phosphate removal

hi. i don't currently own a phosphate filter. what advantage does it have when you are removing phosphate....

is it preventing unwanted algae only or does it actually make your corals more healthy. also what if any effect does it have on softies as i only keep softies....
 
From an article by Randy Holme Farley in Reefkeeping

"If allowed to rise above natural levels, phosphate can cause two undesirable results. One is inhibition of calcification. That is, it can reduce the rate at which corals and coralline algae can build calcium carbonate skeletons, potentially stunting their growth.

Phosphate can also be a limiting nutrient for algae growth. If phosphate is allowed to accumulate, algae growth may become problematic..."

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php


I don't think PO4 is as problematic in a tank with soft corals as long as algae growth is kept in check. I keep soft coral & LPS, but I don't use any PO4 filter media. Other than dosing Kalkwasser daily and rinsing my frozen food before feeding I don't worry about it because I have good growth with my LPS and very little nuisance algae.
 
jeff. thanks man. that was helpful. as long as i keep the algae in check then i should be okay with the softies....

take it easy
 
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