Advice for phosphate problems

[ytsejam02]

Hi all,

I'm measuring .13 on my Hanna low range checker. Some of my corals are acting a little funny... not fully puffing up, some brown strings from polyps. No bleaching tho.... Not sure if it's connected.

I also reintroduced all my fish (4) after a 3 month fallow period.

Additional parameters:
Nitrates 2ppm
Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.5
Alk 8.6
Ca 385

I've trimmed feedings down to once every two days. I did a 20% water change last Sunday, which brought it from .14 to .1. I bought some seachem phosphate remover. That's been in since Monday night.

I also lowered my photo period from 12 hours to 11.

I'm assuming the phosphate is the reason I'm getting some brown slime.

One thing to keep in mind. I use a canister. No skimmer. I'm wondering if I should invest in something like an aquamaxx hob-1?

Any advice?

As always, thank-you!!
Jay

 

[Ari21]

I would get a GFO reactor and get a skimmer

 

[ytsejam02]

It might also be worth mentioning that I switched carbon a couple months ago. Same brand, marineland premium activated carbon. Just switched from bags to bulk.

 

[ytsejam02]

I would get a GFO reactor and get a skimmer

Would I even need the canister at that point?

 

[Awesome Dennis]

How are you running the phosban?

 

[ytsejam02]

How are you running the phosban?

Phosguard in a fine mesh bag in the canister.

 

[Ari21]

Would I even need the canister at that point?

You would still need some sort of mechanical filtration

 

[ytsejam02]

You would still need some sort of mechanical filtration

That's unfortunate since I'm sumpless. :-/

 

[greenhorn reefer]

Calc. Is a little low. What's the temp? Ammonia? Nitrite? Add all four fish at the same time? Size tank? What are you feeding?

 

[Zack K]

Just dose PhosphateRX. Doesn't take much and works wonders

 

[ytsejam02]

Calc. Is a little low. What's the temp? Ammonia? Nitrite? Add all four fish at the same time? Size tank? What are you feeding?

Yeah I know, I'm rebalancing thanks to FFM.

I'll have to test ammonia and nitrite. Haven't done it in awhile because they were always zero.

Yeah, readded all 4 at once. Two clowns, a long tail fairy wrasse, and Bartlett anthias. Again, there were none before.

Tank is 55gallon. None of the fish are bigger than 2-3"

I'm feeding kelp flakes every other feeding, and mix of frozen mysis and brine shrimp on the other feedings.

 

[greenhorn reefer]

Your nitrifying bacteria may have died off considerably during fallow. The fish are small but imagine a ten gallon with a low population of bacteria getting a new fish... Might lead to having ammonia present. The frozen shrimp, are you straining it or adding directly to the tank? I was adding it directly but switch to thawing in R/O and straining.

 

[ytsejam02]

Your nitrifying bacteria may have died off considerably during fallow. The fish are small but imagine a ten gallon with a low population of bacteria getting a new fish... Might lead to having ammonia present. The frozen shrimp, are you straining it or adding directly to the tank? I was adding it directly but switch to thawing in R/O and straining.

I thaw in a cup of tank water. What are you using to strain? Cheese cloth?

 

[ytsejam02]

Also, I was feeding the tank a couple of times a week for the CUC. Plus feeding the corals reef roids.

Either way, I'll check ammonia and nitrite.

 

[miyags]

Let your clean up crew fend for themselves. Invest in a hang on skimmer. I do 10 gal a week WC on my 55. I use a eshopps HOB skimmer. And adding fish back all at once.Your tank should be just fine.

 

[ytsejam02]

Let your clean up crew fend for themselves. Invest in a hang on skimmer. I do 10 gal a week WC on my 55. I use a eshopps HOB skimmer. And adding fish back all at once.Your tank should be just fine.

Thx. I know the majority of people use skimmers. I hadn't run into issues until now. So I would certainly do what I need to do.

Is a skimmer the appropriate first step, or should I try a gfo first?

 

[ytsejam02]

Nitrites and ammonia reading zero.

 

[rvlcf]

Just feed frozen, no flake food until you get the phosphates down. A skimmer will help a lot.

 

[Frop]

Hi all,

I'm measuring .13 on my Hanna low range checker. Some of my corals are acting a little funny... not fully puffing up, some brown strings from polyps. No bleaching tho.... Not sure if it's connected.

I also reintroduced all my fish (4) after a 3 month fallow period.

Additional parameters:
Nitrates 2ppm
Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.5
Alk 8.6
Ca 385

I've trimmed feedings down to once every two days. I did a 20% water change last Sunday, which brought it from .14 to .1. I bought some seachem phosphate remover. That's been in since Monday night.

I also lowered my photo period from 12 hours to 11.

I'm assuming the phosphate is the reason I'm getting some brown slime.

One thing to keep in mind. I use a canister. No skimmer. I'm wondering if I should invest in something like an aquamaxx hob-1?

Any advice?

As always, thank-you!!
Jay

Last I tested (with a Hanna checker) my nano is at .122ppm. Corals don't look that bad..

My only filtration is chaeto and some fine polish filter.

 

[ytsejam02]

Last I tested (with a Hanna checker) my nano is at .122ppm. Corals don't look that bad..

It's the only thing that's different. Plus I'm getting excessive brown algae (presumably diatom???) that is coming to rest on my corals.