Changing sponge

[Country joe]

I 've been bothered with brown algae so ive bought a sheet of phosphate sponge which they say helps but it says on the packaging change every month, do you think this is correct or just to get you to purchase more of their product.

 

[Essjay]

I would not use this unless I knew the phosphate level was too high. The brown algae which can be easily wiped off is diatoms. It is not caused by high phosphate but by ammonia in new tanks. It goes away by itself.

You have live plants which need phosphorus to be healthy (think of the NPK which garden plants need). Unless your phosphate is high, removing phosphate will deprive the plants of a nutrient they need. You could buy a phosphate tester to check.

 

[Country joe]

Once again I should have asked on here before I bought it, I will know the next time.

 

[AJ356]

Every day is a school day! Especially in fish keeping