phosphates

[mark the shark]

How do you guys remove phospates?
I will soon have a refugium and want to use it to reduce phospates in my tank.

I don't really fancy a mangrove plant so maybe chaetomorpha/chaeto?
I don't know if I have ever seen chaeto so any pics would be sweeeeet?

Also do any of you use ROWAPHOS? What are the pro's and con's etc.?

Thanks

 

[kay-bee19]

I use a granular ferric oxide (GFO) product for phosphate removal. It's utilized in a phosban reactor.

Rowaphos is also comprised of GFO, and is efficient at reducing phosphates. The only con I see with it is cost (it's typically more expensive than other GFO products).

I've used rowaphos and other GFO products (phosban, pura phoslock, etc), but have since shifted over to pelletized GFO products since I did notice some media clumping and channeling with the others.

 

[mark the shark]

Thanks, I think I will go for some chaeto after doing some really quick research. I'm not sure why but I'm favouring the natural approach. When I eventually get a sump I will put some marine oysters in there too.
I've read a few articles where people have managed to complete the eco system without any human intervention other than the light switching and a 25% water change every 6 months! they didn't even add food as their refugium was so good as producing it.

 

[TRe]

i use both cheato and rowaphos ive been using cheato for a while now but my phosphates wer never at zero till i started using rowaphos