Can't get my Phosphate down- help?

[DracoKat]

My phosphate is high at .16ppm, higher than it was last week when tested at .12ppm. I tested with both API and Red Sea. API is such a deep blue it goes off the color card and the Red Sea is also a deeper color which makes me feel its higher than .16ppm.

All corals look happy enough in my tank with polyp extensions. BTA healed up nicely in the tank after being accidentally torn. I did get some turf algae, and still have it but not as bad as it was before. No other algae that I can see.

Chaetos are growing with regular trimming.

I have a carbon and GFO running in a reactor along with my protein skimmer
I have Phosguard in a mesh bag as well, and dose Vibrant (just had second dose today of it)
I did a 50% water change last week.
I tested my RO water, 0 phosphates.
All other water testing is normal.

and my Phosphate is still rising.

I don't know what else to do other than even more water changes? It came on quite suddenly for years I never had a phosphate problem until now. How can I get this down? I am not TOO worried or fussed considering everything seems to be happy enough in the tank, but I'd like to get it regulated.

Current pic of the tank

 

[Montiman]

All I will say is that this wouldn't worry me at all. My PO4 plan is leave it alone until it is above .5 then add lanthanum to drop it down. I only need to do this about 4 times a year. I would not worry about a PO4 of .16 especially if everything looks happy.

 

[Dan_P]

My phosphate is high at .16ppm, higher than it was last week when tested at .12ppm. I tested with both API and Red Sea. API is such a deep blue it goes off the color card and the Red Sea is also a deeper color which makes me feel its higher than .16ppm.

All corals look happy enough in my tank with polyp extensions. BTA healed up nicely in the tank after being accidentally torn. I did get some turf algae, and still have it but not as bad as it was before. No other algae that I can see.

Chaetos are growing with regular trimming.

I have a carbon and GFO running in a reactor along with my protein skimmer
I have Phosguard in a mesh bag as well, and dose Vibrant (just had second dose today of it)
I did a 50% water change last week.
I tested my RO water, 0 phosphates.
All other water testing is normal.

and my Phosphate is still rising.

I don't know what else to do other than even more water changes? It came on quite suddenly for years I never had a phosphate problem until now. How can I get this down? I am not TOO worried or fussed considering everything seems to be happy enough in the tank, but I'd like to get it regulated.

Current pic of the tank

Some thoughts.

I recently purchased an API phosphate test kit and the results were off the charts for 0.5 ppm PO4. Clearly, the I test kit quality has suffered lately.

If you are using GFO and PO4 concentration is increasing, the amount of GFO is insufficient or it is completely used up. Check the effluent of the reactor. If it is working it should be very low in PO4. There is no trick to running a GFO reactor.

 

[DracoKat]

Some thoughts.

I recently purchased an API phosphate test kit and the results were off the charts for 0.5 ppm PO4. Clearly, the I test kit quality has suffered lately.

If you are using GFO and PO4 concentration is increasing, the amount of GFO is insufficient or it is completely used up. Check the effluent of the reactor. If it is working it should be very low in PO4. There is no trick to running a GFO reactor.

I also used Red Sea (indicated in first post too). I used both to compare. If both are high, then I know I have high Phosphates

Think I should double up on GFO? I replenished it about 2 weeks ago. I guess its time to change it out and up the dosage of that

 

[malacoda]

IMO — worries over "high" PO4 are very overblown ... and I wouldn't even consider 0.10 - 0.20 to be "high."

Up above 0.30 or 0.40, maybe I'd consider take steps to slowly bring it down...

But my 65g would ran from 0.07 - 0.22 the better part of two years ... right up until a few weeks ago when I swapped it for a 120g. That was just the range it naturally settled into. And there were never any problems.

If you we're dealing with severe algae issues ... or chronic coral health problems, then there might be reason to get it lower.

But it looks and sounds like your tank is healthy and doing really well, so I wouldn't worry about it.

In fact, IMHO pushing too hard with GFO, Phosguard, etc. to force it down runs far more risk to causing shock or harm to your tank than just leaving it be.

 

[DracoKat]

thank you @malacoda for reassuring me that I shouldn't be panicking. My tank looks happy enough as it is, no overgrown algae that I can see.

 

[Dan_P]

I also used Red Sea (indicated in first post too). I used both to compare. If both are high, then I know I have high Phosphates

Think I should double up on GFO? I replenished it about 2 weeks ago. I guess its time to change it out and up the dosage of that

Yes, freshen up the GFO and monitor it. It can become saturated quickly. You could take the conservative approach and just add the same amount of fresh GFO as before and see when it poops out. Maybe two weeks is too long to wait to change it.