Accidental Phosphate overdose >5ppm

[Brad_95]

hey everyone, I was preparing my new phosphate concentration for dosing and without thinking I accidentally turned on my dosing pump and accidentally dumped the entire container into my tank. It’s 230g total water volume and the mixture I made was 10g trisodium phosphate in 150mL of RODI water. If my math is right, my phosphate level inside the tank is probably hovering around 7ppm. I was dosing phosphate to help keep my nutrients balanced after a nasty round of dinos. I’m planning on running right to the pet store first thing in the morning to get some GFO, but I don’t know what else to do currently. I’m in the process of making more saltwater to do a water change but I’m worried that won’t be enough.

 

[rishma]

hey everyone, I was preparing my new phosphate concentration for dosing and without thinking I accidentally turned on my dosing pump and accidentally dumped the entire container into my tank. It’s 230g total water volume and the mixture I made was 10g trisodium phosphate in 150mL of RODI water. If my math is right, my phosphate level inside the tank is probably hovering around 7ppm. I was dosing phosphate to help keep my nutrients balanced after a nasty round of dinos. I’m planning on running right to the pet store first thing in the morning to get some GFO, but I don’t know what else to do currently. I’m in the process of making more saltwater to do a water change but I’m worried that won’t be enough.

I did the same thing this weekend but not that much. That is quite a bit.

Here is my experience, FWIW. I dosed enough to raise my tank from about 0.1 to 0.8 ppm. Randy expected it would drop considerably in 24 hours and he was right. It fell pretty quickly to about 0.2ppm. It’s been stable there for a couple of days now.

Your rock and sand will bind at lot of what you dosed. It will be much lower by morning. Maybe do a test tonight, and then in the morning if you can.

Your dose is big enough that I’d like others to weigh in.

I am not sure how experienced you are with GFO, but use caution. The cure can be worse then the disease if you go too fast.

 

[braaap]

Tropic Marin Elimi-phos. It works rapidly. Just dose it in the skimmer neck or a filter sock. I’ve done it with tangs with no issues. But do it in steps. 1/4 your goal each time. Wait 3-4 hours then go again.

 

[bubbgee]

Tropic Marin Elimi-phos. It works rapidly. Just dose it in the skimmer neck or a filter sock. I’ve done it with tangs with no issues. But do it in steps. 1/4 your goal each time. Wait 3-4 hours then go again.

Agree, I'd go with the Lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) route, dosing 25% of the recommended dose through a sock or roller at night. Test in the morning and repeat the process until it's back within range. I'd go the daily approach than the hour approach since sudden drop can cause more problems and you're feeding fish and will contribute PO4 anyway.

 

[Reef.]

You need a very low micron filter sock for the LC to work, 5 micron or lower would be best.

 

[Brad_95]

You need a very low micron filter sock for the LC to work, 5 micron or lower would be best.

Any recommendations on where to get them at? I’ve never seen filter socks that low.

 

[Brad_95]

Agree, I'd go with the Lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) route, dosing 25% of the recommended dose through a sock or roller at night. Test in the morning and repeat the process until it's back within range. I'd go the daily approach than the hour approach since sudden drop can cause more problems and you're feeding fish and will contribute PO4 anyway.

I heard it negatively affects tangs, I have a hippos, scopas and tomini. Should I be concerned?

 

[braaap]

I heard it negatively affects tangs, I have a hippos, scopas and tomini. Should I be concerned?

It can. I’ve never had an issue though. Small doses and I found it’s most effective in the skimmer neck. I also did it in standard BRS socks with zero issues.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I heard it negatively affects tangs, I have a hippos, scopas and tomini. Should I be concerned?

I personally would be very concerned dosing LaCl at the levels needed to bring that amount of phosphate down.

I can’t tell you if the LaCl reacts at the gill plate or the resulting precipitate accumulates there, but I dosed LaCl extensively a decade or so ago and it was devastating to my Scopas tang. Open sores, gill damage, hard breathing, etc. the effect was cumulative.

I dosed numerous different ways in attempt to do it safely. Diluted into the skimmer and output through cascading socks, dripped into the intake of a power filter, etc.

Other people have reported similar findings, and yet others no issues.

I personally would err on the side of caution, but you can do your own research and decide accordingly.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have you measured the level in the water?

How do corals look?

 

[Brad_95]

Have you measured the level in the water?

How do corals look?

I tried but my Hanna checker flashed 0.99 last night. At the store currently grabbing some phosguard and GFO.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I tried but my Hanna checker flashed 0.99 last night. At the store currently grabbing some phosguard and GFO.

Yes, you’ll need to test a mix of new salt water and tank water to get it on scale.

Lower slowly. The drop may be more problematic than the rise.

 

[Brad_95]

Yes, you’ll need to test a mix of new salt water and tank water to get it on scale.

Lower slowly. The drop may be more problematic than the rise.

Thanks. Currently making a new batch now. I’ll let yall know what it reads.

 

[Reef.]

Any recommendations on where to get them at? I’ve never seen filter socks that low.

EBay or Amazon just type in 5 micron filter sock.

 

[KrisReef]

Thanks. Currently making a new batch now. I’ll let yall know what it reads.

You should try to match Alkalinity and You might want to add nitrate to the water change- just posting to remind you if you are moving too quickly, one fix at a time.

With that much TSP your tank should be shiny until the algae starts eating the nutrients!

 

[Brad_95]

You should try to match Alkalinity and You might want to add nitrate to the water change- just posting to remind you if you are moving too quickly, one fix at a time.

With that much TSP your tank should be shiny until the algae starts eating the nutrients!

Haha I wish. Been battling a monster case of dinos, so everything is brown currently.

 

[Brad_95]

Yes, you’ll need to test a mix of new salt water and tank water to get it on scale.

Lower slowly. The drop may be more problematic than the rise.

Finally got a reading. After diluting the tank water with 9mL of fresh saltwater with matching salinity, reading came back at 0.26ppm.

 

[rishma]

Finally got a reading. After diluting the tank water with 9mL of fresh saltwater with matching salinity, reading came back at 0.26ppm.

2.6…

I saw a similar percentage drop doing nothing. Perhaps a coincidence

 

[Brad_95]

2.6…

I saw a similar percentage drop doing nothing. Perhaps a coincidence

Unfortunately two of my stag acros RTN’d overnight from it. My LPS and zoas are happy as hell though

 

[rishma]

2.6…

I saw a similar percentage drop doing nothing. Perhaps a coincidence

Unfortunately two of my stag acros RTN’d overnight from it. My LPS and zoas are happy as hell though

Sorry to hear that.