Nature 2 Phosphate Remover Cartridge

[bassadict69]

I was at the pool store double checking my test numbers & they had some Nature 2 Phosphate removing cartridges sitting on the counter. I made the mistake of asking about it since I struggle with phosphate problems & ended up enduring a sales pitch. I explained to them that the LAST thing I want to add to my pool are metals & regardless of how small the levels, I was not going to do it.

Now, does anyone know anything about this cartridge? Could I buy the Nature 2 & ONLY use the phosphate removal cartridge in it without using their tablets or anything else you are supposed to run in the Nature 2?

 

[JasonLion]

There isn't normally any point in removing phosphates, as appropriate FC levels will prevent algae anyway. If you do want to remove phosphates I would use a conventional product, like PhosFree. It gives you much more precise control over the dosing and costs less.

 

[bassadict69]

You said the key word...NORMALLY!

Do a search for my past posts & you will see I fight phosphates every year & they are so high that even FC levels well above shock levels for my CYA levels will not keep the pool from turning green! Let's just say after following everything on here & the old poolforum, I have come to the conclusion that phosphate can & does matter in my pool. This conclusion did not come to me overnight or at the spur of the moment...a couple of years fighting this battle before making this decision.

I have tried phosfree but it only removes small amounts of phosphates...I also use Phosfloc every year but using it, I have to vacuum to waste after letting everything settle, then fill back up with my community water which is extremely high in phosphate due to some metal removers they use in the water system. Two treatments a year usually cures the problem for the time being but the next year it starts up all over again.

I seen the Nature 2 cartridge for phosphate so I thought I would ask about it.

I did a little internet research today & found that SeaKlear offers a phosphate remover that you pour into the pool, let it recirculate, the switch to filter & everything is filtered out rather than having to vacuum to waste.

My poolstore is checking on that for me but he also came up with something else that is supposed to remove 3000 ppb of phosphates from a 20000 gallon pool. He is getting a bottle in tomorrow for me to check out & if I want to try it, he will sell it to me at cost since his store has never sold the stuff.

He also said he has some industrial strength Phos free coming in from Natural Chemistry. He said he normally only sells to pool cleaners, etc. but will sell it to me if I want to try it. He said it is supposed to knock out 3000 ppb also. He said he sells alot every year to our city pools. I am thinking about trying it also.

I know everyone's first instinct here is to say not to worry about the phosphates, but I could use some input if anyone knows anything about any of the above phosphate removers!

 

[Guest]

Most phosphate removers are either lanthanum chlorine or lanthanum carbonate. Lanthanum carbonate will cloud the water. Lanthanum chloride, in theory, will collect on the filter and then convert to lanthanum carbonate so, once again in theory, it will not cloud the water. In actual practice this is often not the case. The lanthanum carbonate is what actually scavanges the phosphates by converting to lanthanum phosphate that is then removed by filter cleaning. There are other chemicals such as aluminum oxide and iron oxide that can also remove phosphates (this one is commonly used in aquariums but then you are putting iron in your water and that can be a problem in a pool). The N2 phosphate remover is a new product and I have no details about what they are using but I suspect it is not a lanthanum compound because it would clog quickly if it was.

 

[bassadict69]

I do remember that on the box for the cartridge it said it was lanthanum based.

I will have to check the MSDS for the phosphate removers I am working on getting...I don't want to add more metal if I don't have to. But, I am thinking they are lanthanum also because both say the water will cloud up upon adding it.

 

[Guest]

Allthe phosphate removers for pools that I have seen (and I have checked out just about all of them) are lanthanum based. Natural Chemistry has one called phos-floc that will remove a lot of phosphates if you can vacuum to waste.

 

[JasonLion]

Phos Floc's MSDS says that it is ammonium sulfate.

 

[Guest]

Phos Floc's MSDS says that it is ammonium sulfate.

very possibly since it's a floc. It's one of the NaturalChemsitry products that I don't have a MSDS on. They make it a bit difficult to get the MSDS at times. You have to email them.
Are you sure it's ammonium sulfate? Aluminum salts are often used to precipitate phosphates and aluminum sulfate and ammonium aluminum sulfate (one of the alums) are common ones used; and the alums are what are commonly used as 'flocs'.

 

[bassadict69]

Allthe phosphate removers for pools that I have seen (and I have checked out just about all of them) are lanthanum based. Natural Chemistry has one called phos-floc that will remove a lot of phosphates if you can vacuum to waste.

Vacuuming to waste is what I am trying to avoid...my fill water is full of phosphates so I am just putting them back into the pool after using the phosfloc. I have used it several times & it does help for a while...at least until I top off due to evaporation & a small leak several times a month. Then the phosphates are back up & the problems start all over again!

My guy at the pool store called today & said he had me two bottles of the SeaKlear Phosphate remover in. According to the bottle, it should remove up to 3000 ppb phosphates. Here is a link to their page & info if anyone is interested... http://seaklear.com/seaklear_2.0/p_2phosphate.asp

 

[bassadict69]

I got my first bottle of SeaKlear Phosphate remover in yesterday & dumped it into the pool yesterday evening. It comes with a small bottle of clarifier which is supposed to help the filter to filter everything out. I added it after adding the Phos remover. The pool immediately turned cloudy & is still cloudy this evening but not quite as bad as last night so hopefully, the filter is clearing up the water. As far as the phosphates go, I will recheck them tomorrow...it says to recheck after 48 hours.

I did a phosphate check of my fill water & it is WAY above the 2500 ppb color on the comparator. I then tried mixing 1 part my pool water with 2 parts distilled water & it still read darker than the 2500 ppb on the comparator so, there is no telling exactly how high my levels are!

I have a feeling I will be doing several bottles of this treatment!