0.25 phosphates in new tank

[devin.reed2000]

I’m about 2 weeks into the ugly phase and tested my phosphates with the hanna phosphorus checker (i converted correctly). Is it normal to have around 0.25ppm phosphate in the ugly stage or am i doing something wrong? Should I do daily water changes to get it down, or let it run its course? I don’t have coral now, just fish only. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Lavey29]

You should be doing weekly water changes and parameters will fluctuate a lot in new tanks. .25 is a little elevated but not high. Stuff like pellet fish food or reef roids spike the phosphate number. Hopefully you have sufficient nutrients export in place such as a skimmer.

 

[devin.reed2000]

You should be doing weekly water changes and parameters will fluctuate a lot in new tanks. .25 is a little elevated but not high. Stuff like pellet fish food or reef roids spike the phosphate number. Hopefully you have sufficient nutrients export in place such as a skimmer.

i left a small sheet of nori in my tank on a clip for like 24hr. would this cause a spike?

 

[Spare time]

Just put a pinch of gfo or some phosphate remover in. It could have leached out of the rocks if they were previously used.

 

[jda]

If you used dry/dead rock or rock from a tank with past po4 problems, po4 could have unbound from that rock.

I would not worry about po4 or no3 for a few months. Once you get through some of the early algae phases, then pay attention a bit more.

When you are further along and want to deal with higher po4, then post again. Water changes are not a good way to deal with them since rock and sand can be a large reservoir for bound po4 and there is not much in the water column compared to the rock/sand/aragonite.

 

[Reef Devils]

I’m about 2 weeks into the ugly phase and tested my phosphates with the hanna phosphorus checker (i converted correctly). Is it normal to have around 0.25ppm phosphate in the ugly stage or am i doing something wrong? Should I do daily water changes to get it down, or let it run its course? I don’t have coral now, just fish only. Thanks for any advice.

How many fish do you have? Adding corals could help because I think they use the best phosphate and nitrates as food.

 

[devin.reed2000]

How many fish do you have? Adding corals could help because I think they use the best phosphate and nitrates as food.

so i did the phosphate test wrongi redid it and got 1ppb (0.003ppm). makes much more sense especially bc i have fresh phosguard in.
i have a medium bio load for my tank and no coral at the moment.

 

[Lavey29]

so i did the phosphate test wrongi redid it and got 1ppb (0.003ppm). makes much more sense especially bc i have fresh phosguard in.
i have a medium bio load for my tank and no coral at the moment.

Cool but don't let numbers bottom out either. Little unimportant now on a new set up but over the next few months the try to bring numbers into proper ranges.

 

[devin.reed2000]

Cool but don't let numbers bottom out either. Little unimportant now on a new set up but over the next few months the try to bring numbers into proper ranges.

thanks!