Randy - I am having a very weird issue with my po4 at the moment in my system. Was hoping you could give an idea and or next step. My biggest confusion here is the changing #
1st system overview
90g - 35g sump - 5g fuge - 20g frag tank(all tied in) probably 120g or so total water volume for system
system has been up for 2 1/2 years and always ran .03 or so po4 (mixed reef sps heavy)
euro reef skimmer - cal rx - gfo reactor - carbon reactor
5g a week wc - also change out sock
hanna meter testing - ro/di unit - reef crystals salt
situation overview
my situation has taken place over a week and a 1/2 span of time. My normal po4 running .03 jumped up to 1.45 within a 72hr period. Here are the actions leading up to this event.
The cause I have put my finger on to blame is this. I had recieved a reef putty stick(the dark one that looks coraline in tank) from a friend. It was new in case and wrapped. He said it was quite a few months old tho. I thought nothing of it, and have used the red putty stick in attaching rock and coral many times before. I had a lot of new attachments needed as I have been out of putty for a bit. Over about 24hrs I had used up a good 1/3-1/2 the stick. Within 24hrs of this I could tell something was up. This was on 9/25
I had put in new gfo and carbon on 9/6 but as I wanted more clear water this round I ran 1/2 carbon 1/2 gfo in the gfo reactor along with the normal carbon reactor to bump up the amount of carbon for the month but also cutting my gfo reg in 1/2. I have been having an issue keeping my mag up so when I noticed the putty issue I took in a water sample to be tested. it was low around 1250 - they offered a po4 test so I said why not. It instantly went blue(hanna meter) and upon reading was 1.65. This was on 9/26 and I had checked my po4 2 weeks prior to this at home and it read .03. I went home and did a cross check test with my meter and sure enough I got a 1.45 reading. I did a 10% wc to start things off. Due to work it wasn't until 9/29 I was able to take action after a reading of 2.03. I than changed out my carbon and gfo and added double my normal gfo amount which brought it to right under 2 cups of gfo in the reactor. Along with a 10g wc.
Questioning the putty in this event I ran a test on it and added a putty sample to a 500ml water specimen container. The water before adding was tested and read .03. Within 45min after adding the putty the new test read .25. waited 1 day and the test held and read .24.
Now to the weird part.lol During this entire time line I have been experiencing diatom blooms and red slime obviously and know that plays a part in flucuiating #'s on my po4. Not super crazy crazy out breaks but enough to stop and go yuk in spots all over sand and a few up high.(I have killer flow in tank) Here are my #'s from start of event to today
9/26 1st sight po4 at 1.45 (day and 1/2 after using putty)
9/27 10% wc
9/29 2.03 changed carbon-add 1cup changed gfo- added 1 2/3 cups 10g wc
9/30 .37
10/1 1.25
10/2 .34 10g wc
10/3 .5 5g wc
10/4 1.48
A couple other things -
My prize fish died on 9/30 or 10/1 during all this - cant remember the day but he was well intact when I found him except for the puffy white eyes(which were still there) and the blown out stomach area. so I am guessing it hadnt been long after that I found him. Have many nassarius that would devour him with the over night chance - wonder if he nipped some of the putty as he was the only fish affected and all are healthy. seeing the blown out stomach area had me in question. po4 issue had started b4 this
I am a light feeder but have been hitting it a bit heavier lately looking to inturn feed some corals in my LNS
I have tested my make up water as I also questioned my salt. Tests came out fine on po4 and above in most departments. RO is running 003 at the moment.
This last month I have changed the way I do wchanges
used to add to last chamber in sump(return) while pulling from 1st chamber(overflow) at the same time. This would throw debrise into the dt due to adding water to that chamber.
I now add the 5g water to my 1st chamber and let it circulate for 1/2hr or so within the system and than pull out water back down to my normal levels out of the same chamber
(think this is a better way to do it)
Have been having light issues with a finicky ballast on the MH but no biggie here I would think for the situation. New bulbs - just dont fire every day until I mess with it.
Had issue with cal rx on 10/2 - took appart cleaned and rinsed media - added some new. Figured out my ph probe in the reactor had become uncalibrated and made the dreaded milk shake effect within the reactor in case that would play a part in this. This issue has been resolved.
levels
alk runs high 7 - to low 8 (7.9-8.3)
cal runs in the 400 range
SG 1.025
mag 1250-1300
ph daily swing in ranges 7.9-8.2 8.0-8.3 ( was having weird ph issues a while back tho dropping low to 7.6-7.7)
temp swings 78-80
I have been able to remove some of the putty but with my scape there is a lot that is impossible to get to and set like stone. WC dont seem to be helping so I am stumped to continue with heavy wc or?? Could the 2 cups of gfo be exhausted already and need changed after 5days?? Should I try a different export media for this crazy po4 for the time being like the sponge media?? Will it exhaust leaching at some point ya think?? So many questions with no answers.lol
sorry for the book but thanks for reading - any insight into my situation would be very appreciated.
Thanks Drew
1st system overview
90g - 35g sump - 5g fuge - 20g frag tank(all tied in) probably 120g or so total water volume for system
system has been up for 2 1/2 years and always ran .03 or so po4 (mixed reef sps heavy)
euro reef skimmer - cal rx - gfo reactor - carbon reactor
5g a week wc - also change out sock
hanna meter testing - ro/di unit - reef crystals salt
situation overview
my situation has taken place over a week and a 1/2 span of time. My normal po4 running .03 jumped up to 1.45 within a 72hr period. Here are the actions leading up to this event.
The cause I have put my finger on to blame is this. I had recieved a reef putty stick(the dark one that looks coraline in tank) from a friend. It was new in case and wrapped. He said it was quite a few months old tho. I thought nothing of it, and have used the red putty stick in attaching rock and coral many times before. I had a lot of new attachments needed as I have been out of putty for a bit. Over about 24hrs I had used up a good 1/3-1/2 the stick. Within 24hrs of this I could tell something was up. This was on 9/25
I had put in new gfo and carbon on 9/6 but as I wanted more clear water this round I ran 1/2 carbon 1/2 gfo in the gfo reactor along with the normal carbon reactor to bump up the amount of carbon for the month but also cutting my gfo reg in 1/2. I have been having an issue keeping my mag up so when I noticed the putty issue I took in a water sample to be tested. it was low around 1250 - they offered a po4 test so I said why not. It instantly went blue(hanna meter) and upon reading was 1.65. This was on 9/26 and I had checked my po4 2 weeks prior to this at home and it read .03. I went home and did a cross check test with my meter and sure enough I got a 1.45 reading. I did a 10% wc to start things off. Due to work it wasn't until 9/29 I was able to take action after a reading of 2.03. I than changed out my carbon and gfo and added double my normal gfo amount which brought it to right under 2 cups of gfo in the reactor. Along with a 10g wc.
Questioning the putty in this event I ran a test on it and added a putty sample to a 500ml water specimen container. The water before adding was tested and read .03. Within 45min after adding the putty the new test read .25. waited 1 day and the test held and read .24.
Now to the weird part.lol During this entire time line I have been experiencing diatom blooms and red slime obviously and know that plays a part in flucuiating #'s on my po4. Not super crazy crazy out breaks but enough to stop and go yuk in spots all over sand and a few up high.(I have killer flow in tank) Here are my #'s from start of event to today
9/26 1st sight po4 at 1.45 (day and 1/2 after using putty)
9/27 10% wc
9/29 2.03 changed carbon-add 1cup changed gfo- added 1 2/3 cups 10g wc
9/30 .37
10/1 1.25
10/2 .34 10g wc
10/3 .5 5g wc
10/4 1.48
A couple other things -
My prize fish died on 9/30 or 10/1 during all this - cant remember the day but he was well intact when I found him except for the puffy white eyes(which were still there) and the blown out stomach area. so I am guessing it hadnt been long after that I found him. Have many nassarius that would devour him with the over night chance - wonder if he nipped some of the putty as he was the only fish affected and all are healthy. seeing the blown out stomach area had me in question. po4 issue had started b4 this
I am a light feeder but have been hitting it a bit heavier lately looking to inturn feed some corals in my LNS
I have tested my make up water as I also questioned my salt. Tests came out fine on po4 and above in most departments. RO is running 003 at the moment.
This last month I have changed the way I do wchanges
used to add to last chamber in sump(return) while pulling from 1st chamber(overflow) at the same time. This would throw debrise into the dt due to adding water to that chamber.
I now add the 5g water to my 1st chamber and let it circulate for 1/2hr or so within the system and than pull out water back down to my normal levels out of the same chamber
(think this is a better way to do it)
Have been having light issues with a finicky ballast on the MH but no biggie here I would think for the situation. New bulbs - just dont fire every day until I mess with it.
Had issue with cal rx on 10/2 - took appart cleaned and rinsed media - added some new. Figured out my ph probe in the reactor had become uncalibrated and made the dreaded milk shake effect within the reactor in case that would play a part in this. This issue has been resolved.
levels
alk runs high 7 - to low 8 (7.9-8.3)
cal runs in the 400 range
SG 1.025
mag 1250-1300
ph daily swing in ranges 7.9-8.2 8.0-8.3 ( was having weird ph issues a while back tho dropping low to 7.6-7.7)
temp swings 78-80
I have been able to remove some of the putty but with my scape there is a lot that is impossible to get to and set like stone. WC dont seem to be helping so I am stumped to continue with heavy wc or?? Could the 2 cups of gfo be exhausted already and need changed after 5days?? Should I try a different export media for this crazy po4 for the time being like the sponge media?? Will it exhaust leaching at some point ya think?? So many questions with no answers.lol
sorry for the book but thanks for reading - any insight into my situation would be very appreciated.
Thanks Drew
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