High phosphates in new setup

[jwwoodjr]

I bought a new to me 150 gallon tank and got it started last week. I moved over the corals, fish, and inverts from my JBJ 28 and thought very little about nutrients for a week. I tested nitrates and phosphates last night and was shocked. My nitrates were at 0.3 ppm using the Hanna high range nitrate tester and 200+ using the Hanna ulr phosphorous tester. I rechecked the phosphate using a 50/50 dilution with RO/DI and it still read 200+. I then checked with a Salifert phosphate test and it's above 1.0 ppm and below 3.0 ppm. My assumption is that the phosphate is coming from the rock. I checked fresh salt water and my RO/DI using the Salifert test and they showed 0 ppm phosphate.

At this point the only algae I have is what appears to be the expected diatom bloom. I had a batch of hair algae that came over on a rock from my former aquarium and it's gone. My corals aren't thrilled but other than my acans not wanting to open they seem ok along with the fish and inverts.

I threw two bags of carbon/gfo in the sump last night and will do my weekly 20 gallon water change this afternoon after work. It got missed because I started testing and retesting phosphate.

Is there any reason to start up a GFO reactor or other means of phosphate removal at this point? I'm not wanting to get too aggressive with the removal but I don't think 20 gallon water changes will cut it.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I'd resolve the issue before adding more livestock. Lanthanum chloride would be the most direct route. Did the new to you tank come with new to you rock?

 

[blaxsun]

First, if we're going to look at phosphates - let's compare apples to apples, ie: ppm is the standard. So a 200+ result on that particular checker is basically > 0.2ppm - which doesn't necessarily tell us much if the Salifert is testing over 1ppm.

Second, when you say "coming from the rocks" - do you mean the rocks from your existing tank or rocks that came with the new tank? (I wasn't clear on this)

So yes, GFO will help - but you may want to look at something like Two Little Fishies PhosBan-L. This can really bring phosphates down substantially in a very short timeframe.

 

[jwwoodjr]

I'd resolve the issue before adding more livestock. Lanthanum chloride would be the most direct route. Did the new to you tank come with new to you rock?

The rock was new to me from the existing setup. It had been in the tank many years.

 

[jwwoodjr]

First, if we're going to look at phosphates - let's compare apples to apples, ie: ppm is the standard. So a 200+ result on that particular checker is basically > 0.2ppm - which doesn't necessarily tell us much if the Salifert is testing over 1ppm.

Second, when you say "coming from the rocks" - do you mean the rocks from your existing tank or rocks that came with the new tank? (I wasn't clear on this)

So yes, GFO will help - but you may want to look at something like Two Little Fishies PhosBan-L. This can really bring phosphates down substantially in a very short timeframe.

Thanks for the response.

I'm measuring phosphorous so 200+ ppb means the phosphates is above 0.613 ppm and 200+ ppb at a 50/50 ratio is above phosphate above 1.2 ppm. I may do a 1:4 ratio later to get an actual number so I can say my phosphates got this high one time.

95% of the rock came from the old tank. I didn't do a muriatic wash which I won't make that mistake again.

I hadn't thought about PhosBan. I may look at using it initially and then switching to GFO for control.

 

[The Farmer]

I believe it’s fine let it go through the cycle. A lot of things were disrupted with the move
A water change or 2 should help if needed

 

[ReefGeezer]

I'd resolve the issue before adding more livestock. Lanthanum chloride would be the most direct route. Did the new to you tank come with new to you rock?

Thought that might be the case. So... the rock has a whole bunch of phosphate loosely bound to its surfaces. When water with a lower phosphate comes into contact with it, than some of the bound phosphate dissolves into the ater until the level in the rock and level in the water are in equilibrium. Every time you drop the phosphate level in the water, more phosphate will dissolve from the rock. This will continue until the phosphate bound to the rock is so low that it in equilibrium with the water at the level you desire.

Lanthanum Chloride is a way to lower the phosphate level quickly and inexpensively, over and over again, until the equilibrium level is low enough. Done right, it is safe for your fish and corals as well.

 

[blaxsun]

Thanks for the response.

I'm measuring phosphorous so 200+ ppb means the phosphates is above 0.613 ppm and 200+ ppb at a 50/50 ratio is above phosphate above 1.2 ppm. I may do a 1:4 ratio later to get an actual number so I can say my phosphates got this high one time.

95% of the rock came from the old tank. I didn't do a muriatic wash which I won't make that mistake again.

I hadn't thought about PhosBan. I may look at using it initially and then switching to GFO for control.

When you say "old tank", do you mean the JBJ 20? I'm assuming the phosphates must've been uber-high in that tank if they're still above 1.2ppm after moving to a much larger tank.

 

[jwwoodjr]

When you say "old tank", do you mean the JBJ 20? I'm assuming the phosphates must've been uber-high in that tank if they're still above 1.2ppm after moving to a much larger tank.

I'm sorry, I meant the 150. I have no idea what the nutrients in that tank was when it was taken down. The phosphate in my JBJ was 0.03 - 0.05 ppm.

 

[blaxsun]

I'm sorry, I meant the 150. I have no idea what the nutrients in that tank was when it was taken down. The phosphate in my JBJ was 0.03 - 0.05 ppm.

Yeah, ok - this makes more sense now. It's almost definitely leaching from the rocks from the new system. Give TLF PhosBan-L a try. Read the instructions carefully, as you need to dilute it significantly before adding. And I'd go with half the recommended initial dosage.