Could somebody recommend a regime? I am fighting phosphates Help!

[Steph1]

Tank looks great, corals are doing fine, fish are doing well.

 

[nukemdanno]

Stump remover is what I dose.

 

[nukemdanno]

Sorry its made from Potassium Nitrate

 

[GemsAreAGirlsBestFriend]

Personally - I would worry less about dosing nitrates (you can really mess up a system by doing that) and focus on finding the source of Phosphates and then correcting them. Raising your Nitrates will not magically fix your phosphate issue.

DId you set the tank up with new, dry rock? Sometimes rock will leach phosphates due to dead organic materials imbedded deep inside the pores of the rock. If this is the case, it will probably take several months, but the issue will correct itself.

Do you feed dirty frozen, flake food, or coral food? These are also big sources of phosphates.

Two things that I can recommend to combat high phosphates (besides water changes) are:
(1) A GFO/rowaphos/phosban reactor. I personally prefer High Capacity GFO. You can get a hang-on-the-side Phosban reactor for the time being. It won't be pretty, but it will work magic.
(2) A Lanthanum Chloride based additive like TLF Liquid Phosban-L. The key is slowing adding this to your system so as not to drop the levels too quickly.

I would invest in a Hanna ULR Phosphorus Checker so that you can monitor your Phosphate concentration to the PPB. This will allow you to maintain better control over them.

I do have a question though - considering the the size of the system, why are you targeting a dKh of 10? Do you intend on running a high light, high nutrient system?
Alkalinity is one of those things that, if not stable, can really really mess your system up. I would think keeping a 16 gallon AIO, it would prove to be a challenge. By dropping that goal even 1.5 points, it would give you considerably more "room for error" as far as levels go.

 

[kharn101]

I use this too.

However, at 6 weeks you shouldn't really be dosing anything. Your biome will be changing so much every month for the next 12 - 18 months. Your bacterial colony balances will be bouncing all over the place.

Just maintain temp, salinity. Change 20% water every 2 weeks. Let nature do its thing.

Agree this is the best advise...no need to chase numbers right now take it easy. It will get there

 

[Steph1]

Personally - I would worry less about dosing nitrates (you can really mess up a system by doing that) and focus on finding the source of Phosphates and then correcting them. Raising your Nitrates will not magically fix your phosphate issue. OK But I have racked my brains on that no practical way of investigatin that I know

DId you set the tank up with new, dry rock? Sometimes rock will leach phosphates due to dead organic materials imbedded deep inside the pores of the rock. If this is the case, it will probably take several months, but the issue will correct itself. I was considering that also, yes new dry roc and about 20% of it recyled

Do you feed dirty frozen, flake food, or coral food? These are also big sources of phosphates. I feed the fish every 3 days 2 adolescent clowns with an average of 5 tiny pellets each and I feed one at a time and I would loose about 20% to the bottom I also feed mysis shrimp thawed and throw away the liquid and use about a 0.1 of a block. Just started feeding corals every 3rd day with reef roids about a smaller that a match head amount targeted each time

Two things that I can recommend to combat high phosphates (besides water changes) are:
(1) A GFO/rowaphos/phosban reactor. I personally prefer High Capacity GFO. You can get a hang-on-the-side Phosban reactor for the time being. It won't be pretty, but it will work magic. I will look into that but also get rid of it ASAP Aesthetics is an issue for me, although perhaps on the back
(2) A Lanthanum Chloride based additive like TLF Liquid Phosban-L. The key is slowing adding this to your system so as not to drop the levels too quickly. I was going to buy some this weekend but the shop shut on me I think I may go with this option and do realise "easy does it" I will be extremely carfull an anal about the application

I would invest in a Hanna ULR Phosphorus Checker so that you can monitor your Phosphate concentration to the PPB. This will allow you to maintain better control over them. I use a hanne URL tes kit as mentiond in my original post

I do have a question though - considering the the size of the system, why are you targeting a dKh of 10? Do you intend on running a high light, high nutrient system? Here in Western Australia (Perth) most marine aquarium shops run at that My logic was to run at the same so my stock is aclimated, Happy to listen to others on this though
Alkalinity is one of those things that, if not stable, can really really mess your system up. I would think keeping a 16 gallon AIO, it would prove to be a challenge. By dropping that goal even 1.5 points, it would give you considerably more "room for error" as far as levels go. Do you mean running the dkh at say 8.5?

Oh and thank you for your detailed reply, very considered much appreciated

Have included a pic of my 10 day old tank "early days

 

[Steph1]

Ah! "Stump remover" AMFO cratering charge I should have known

 

[blasterman]

I've set up a dozen tanks the past five years....some with LR and some from dry. Very rarely have I seen nitrate creep up until the tank is at least a couple months old and I rarely do water changes. I think the OP is parameter chasing on too young a tank.

I also don't get the phosphate issues. I strongly suggest testing fresh mixed salt water you are using to see if its your source water. I feed the heck out of my tanks and if I turn my skimmer off I can quickly send nitrate to the moon even with a light bioload. I cant ping a phosphate test without adding plant fertilizer and it doesn't stay long.

 

[Steph1]

I've set up a dozen tanks the past five years....some with LR and some from dry. Very rarely have I seen nitrate creep up until the tank is at least a couple months old and I rarely do water changes. I think the OP is parameter chasing on too young a tank.

I also don't get the phosphate issues. I strongly suggest testing fresh mixed salt water you are using to see if its your source water. I feed the heck out of my tanks and if I turn my skimmer off I can quickly send nitrate to the moon even with a light bioload. I cant ping a phosphate test without adding plant fertilizer and it doesn't stay long.

Hi and thanks For getting back
It is not the source water I buy sea water from a professional marine aquarium shop that also use that water and I have tested their tanks with my Hanna tester and it is are fine
" I cant ping a phosphate test without adding plant fertilizer and it doesn't stay long" sorry I dont understand that mate

 

[bigjgmac]

Just start using something like rowaphos (GFO) in a reactor which will remove phosphate from the system. You will need to change it regularly to start as it becomes spent otherwise it won’t work.

Its also not very effective in socks, it really needs to tumble in a reactor

I use it 24/7 in both my tanks, and ‘heavy’ to keep phosphate locked down at less than around 0.03

Agreed. That’s what I would do.

 

[spacey]

Just get yourself a bottle of the "miracle cure" - NoPoX. The best thing since sliced bread and Vibrant.

 

[Steph1]

Thanks Spacey, will have a look at nopox. I thought Vibrant was a rip off (overpriced) until I found out it was hand made in zero gravity on the international space station, by the Queen of England

 

[MartinWaite]

Firstly by doing all the water changes you are messing with your tanks ability to settle down and starting to produce nitrates so I would stop the water changes.
Your phosphates stop feeding the po4riods (reef roids) yes they raise your po4 for fun you are throwing away good coral food when you pour the liquid from your thawed frozen food away. It was proven that all the quality frozen foods had less phosphate in them than your fish need to live and grow. So I would suggest t give the reef riods to someone with a large tank and you pour the thawed food completely into your tank. My final word og your phosphate is do not use a Lanthanum based phosphate remover unless you have a good skimmer running and a wavemaker pointed to the surface of the water so that it gives a good agitation to the water surface as Lanthanum will remove the oxygen from the water and fish don't like it. Good luck and give it 6 weeks to settle and catch up with its self.

 

[Steph1]

Thank you for the advice. I have reduced my water chnges to 10% one day per week. I do have a good skimmer and am dosing very conseratavley @ 0.4mL every second day

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Spacey, will have a look at nopox. I thought Vibrant was a rip off (overpriced) until I found out it was hand made in zero gravity on the international space station, by the Queen of England

Yes, that makes it far better than the vodka and vinegar equivalent DIY. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It was proven that all the quality frozen foods had less phosphate in them than your fish need to live and grow.

Where did you see that claim?

call me beyond skeptical. The majority of the phosphate in food passes through the animal (whether it is you or a fish) and ends up in the water column as free phosphate. Fish do not need much at all (either do you). Phosphate in food is not a limiting resource. It has much more than people or fish need.

as Lanthanum will remove the oxygen from the water and fish don't like it.

Fish may not like it for other reasons, but lanthanum does not interact with O2 in any way at all.

 

[Scott's reef]

Bring your nitrates up around 5-10 ppm. 2. If you have room set up a refugium with cheato and 3, dose bacteria weekly to raise your bacteria levels. Microbacter or Dr Tim's something like that. Keep skimmer running 24 hrs a day.

 

[Steph1]

thanks, could you or others please explain why I need to raise my nitrates?

 

[Steph1]

Have been thinking on the drive home, is it concern that the colony spectrum of bacteria that deal with nitrates is not being sustained?

 

[Steph1]

Just an update, thought I would detail it so I can be corrected with my regime by you guys to find out if my thought process is on the right track. Thanks in advance

Phosphates 0.18
PH= 8.1
KH= 6????
Nitrates=it is about 10 PPM Have not added any I think I am more carefull with my testing technique Will do a 20% water change tomorrow
Skimmer ran itself in about 4 days ago But is just bubbling/fizzing now I am assuming no more protien so will feed the fish with about an 8th of a block of mysis shrimp Including the juice for the corals.
Will dose with half a teaspoon of KH buffer disolved in RO