0.7 Phosphates, time for GFO?

[One Reefing Boi]

As title says, I’ve been having Phopshates creep up and up with no luck on making it stop. Time for GFO? My sps are starting to lose a bit of color but still are growing and have good PE. Dosing nitrates as well and trying to get them above 10

Alk: 6 (raising slowly to about 9.5)
Calc: 410
Mag: 1455
PO4 0.7 (not 0.07)
NO3 6.0

All tested using Hannah testers

 

[reef guy 56]

Maybe you should keep on doing water changes and if that’s not working, then start using GFO (hey don’t ask me I’m just a newbie to.)

 

[reef guy 56]

Oops my bad just start using GFO.

 

[ReefingDreams]

A 50% water change will knock that down to 0.35. GFO is going to impact your trace as well.

 

[reef guy 56]

Like I said, I have no idea say.

 

[reef guy 56]

Maybe I should just keep quiet in this topic.

 

[reef guy 56]

Trace elements even matter at this point?

 

[Reef.]

A 50% water change will knock that down to 0.35. GFO is going to impact your trace as well.

That works with nitrates but not so much with po4, as po4 is stored in rock etc, as you remove it from the water, rock and sand etc will release their stores to balance the po4 again.

 

[ReefingDreams]

Trace elements even matter at this point?

They are keeping acros. Trace absolutely matters. Trace matters for all corals. Not to be a jerk, but you really need to gain some experience before making recommendations. I'd recommend listening and learning, then applying and experiencing before making recommendations.

 

[Reef.]

As title says, I’ve been having Phopshates creep up and up with no luck on making it stop. Time for GFO? My sps are starting to lose a bit of color but still are growing and have good PE. Dosing nitrates as well and trying to get them above 10

Alk: 6 (raising slowly to about 9.5)
Calc: 410
Mag: 1455
PO4 0.7 (not 0.07)
NO3 6.0

All tested using Hannah testers

Have you used rowa before?

I hate the stuff, just moved to Tropic Marin Bacto, highly recommend it, you would need to start with TM Elimi then move to Bacto when you are down below 0.1 po4.

 

[ReefingDreams]

That works with nitrates but not so much with po4, as po4 is stored in rock etc, as you remove it from the wster, rock and sand etc will release their stores to balance the po4 again.

It will reduce your phosphate in the water by 50%. What you continue to release to an equilibrium from rock/sand has to be dealt with regardless. Continued water changes will no doubt continue to reduce the number.

 

[Pistondog]

How big is your tank?
Lanthanum is more efficient at po4 removal, but most be used cautiously.

 

[Reef.]

It will reduce your phosphate in the water by 50%. What you continue to release to an equilibrium from rock/sand has to be dealt with regardless. Continued water changes will no doubt continue to reduce the number.

Correct, but that is not what you actually said, what I was replying to was your statement that a 50% water change would bring the OP’s po4 lvl down to 0.35 which wouldn’t be the case….maybe a few 50% water changes would start to see a reduction.

 

[crazyfishmom]

If you have acros, low dose of lanthanum every couple of days followed by large water changes would be what I would try to do until you get to 0.2 and then just watch and keep trying to lower slowly.

 

[Treefer32]

In my Opinion GFO is for when you don't have a problem. It's a maintenance tool not so much a reduction tool, but of course scale matters. If it's a smaller tank then use GFO to bring it down, just be careful that it doesn't come down to fast. I've killed more things by dropping too fast, than having things high.

That said, what worked for me to go from .65 to .05 was 4 months of time, a few water changes, and Phosphate E dosing (lanthinum chloride). Dose low and slow. In a 340 gallon I started with 5 ml twice a day. After a couple weeks I was up to 12 ml twice a day. And that started reducing it by around .05 ppm per day. However, as others said, those phosphates are heavily bound in rocks, so you must give it time for everything to leach out of the rocks. After phosphates dropped down to under .1 for me, I couldn't keep them up. I'm adding fish, feeding heavily and adding in coral food to try to keep phosphates between .05 and .1.

Slow and gradual and your reef will thank you!

 

[reef guy 56]

What does trace elements do besides color?

 

[Reef.]

What does trace elements do besides color?

Keeps stuff alive, who really knows is the truthful answer but some people swear a missing element is the reason some corals can’t be kept in some peoples tanks.

 

[Pistondog]

If you are considering lanthanum, please read this thread.
Thread 'IV bag to drip Brightwell PhosphateE' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/iv-bag-to-drip-brightwell-phosphatee.1040585/

 

[reef guy 56]

What’s honestly kind of ridiculous you do realize that there’s actually gold in seawater right???????

Keeps stuff alive, who really knows is the truthful answer but some people swear a missing element is the reason some corals can’t be kept in some peoples tanks.

 

[Pistondog]

What’s honestly kind of ridiculous you do realize that there’s actually gold in seawater right???????

You mean all the sunken pirate treasure?