Reducing phosphates without chemicals possible RO in fresh tank

[Undertheradar]

I used a product called Phosguard with great success. My algea problem almost completly disappeared.

Im in the uK and the chemical i have used is by API prevent algea which probably is ok on a 40 gal tank but would have to remortgage my house to use on every water change. What size tank are you dosing and what intervals etc? thanks

 

[Undertheradar]

Why not just go to a uv setup? Usualy this knocks out algea issues. If your phosphates are that far out why not use a reactor as well?

hi im using a uv filter on my back up canister ( sump performs work canister is incase of pump failure to keep the water turning over the sump), was thinking of using a pond grade uv as have 1 1/2" returns or 1 1/4" feed but my water isnt green its a case of algae stick to glass wood plastic plants etc. Would the increased UV help?

 

[Undertheradar]

Actually in this case hardness doesnt matter. Thus why i wasnt worried about it for plants. From reading the OP's original post he isnt doing live plants in the tank due to the inhabitants living in the tank and he has tried them in the sump but the issue there is the flow so it makes it hard for them to work in there. Just an algae issue. He also mentions lots of issues with light. Thus why im curious about if he runs lights on the tank. If the light coming in the windows are there for enough hours and intense enough and then the OP runs lights on top of that during that time or when it gets dark he turns on the lights for a few more hours, your going to end up having a algae issue no matter what your Phosphates are at.

As far as hardness and plants, it can be done. Ive got several tanks I had that were on well water. GH around 18 and KH around 15 and I grew plants in it just fine. Of course there are some plants that did better and some that didnt. BUT still I had thriving tanks low light and high light with Co2 and doing dry ferts EI dosing method.

Hi im running lights in the tank , and it had occured to me to reduce the amount of time but i leave for work early in the morning ( which i really enjoy having a cup of tea and watching after waking up) and late in the evening. I was thinking of using the timer twice in the morning and evening with the exception of weekends but un -natural light patterns could un settle the fish, want to truy and get 20 yrs out of the aro!

 

[Undertheradar]

Why not just go to a uv setup? Usualy this knocks out algea issues. If your phosphates are that far out why not use a reactor as well?

Also I travel in the winter and leave the person i live with in charge so have desighned systems to be easy to maintain for example i pump 300 ltrs out with a pump ( marked level) and put hose pipe straight in to the tank with conditioner. I use to fill a 250 ltr water butt and use a pond bubbler to boil off chlorine and use an emershion heater to heat before adding but have found for the last 18 months that the above method works with no side effects and water change is done in less than 23 minutes with no hard work which means more regular waterchanges!

When i have read into the nitrate/phosphate reactors they seem complicated and most of the consumables seem to be non existant here as an everyday fish keeper, un less you can enlighten me , baring in mind at the end of the year i will be leaving a less enthusiastic keeper.

thanks for you help