High Phosphates now showing zero

[ArchXIII]

So, I've been having some issues with my tank. Nitrates for me were reading zero (red sea) and I had nothing to check phos. After talking to my lfs, I brought in a water sample to check phos, and make sure my Nitrate readings were right.

My testing was wrong and nitrates were about 12. My phos capped out their test, which were guessing is why I've had little coral growth, and algea issues.

They suggested rowaphos, which I got and put some in a mesh bag and is now in my filter (aqua clear hob used for floss and chemipure, I have no sump). I also purchased a Hanna to check on phos myself, as well as buying a refill for my Nitrate since it was clearly wrong.

I did a 15% water change and added the rowaphos, after about 5-6 hours I went to check my phos and it measured at 0.26, I tested again (this time twice) and both tests read 0, it's been about 10 hours since I added the rowaphos. Should I remove it, or is it more likely my Hanna is wrong? I'm nervous about not only having 0 phos, but also at how fast it took it out.

36 gallon tank, I feed roughly half a cube of frozen a day, inhabitants are two clowns, a starry blenny, and a handful of inverts. Six coral, mostly LPS, no sps.

 

[lelandmarine]

Give a little bit more information about your tank, size, how old, lighting, what you have in the tank, how often you feed....

 

[ArchXIII]

Give a little bit more information about your tank, size, how old, lighting, what you have in the tank, how often you feed....

36 gallon, fish first added 9 months ago, I have two kessils that max out at 45 intensity. Fish wise two clowns and one starry blenny. Handful of cowrie and trochus snails, a few blue legged hermits, four LPS corals, a toadstool, and one small mushroom. I feed everyday, almost always frozen, best guess is about half a cube a day.

 

[lelandmarine]

So the high Phosphate it’s probably from the frozen food. I think it would be reasonable to pull the Phosphate absorber from the tank and feed a little bit less often and recheck phosphate every three or four days. i’m not sure how quickly the phosphate will go back up after you pull the rowaphos. You might give it a day after you remove it and before you feed anything more, recheck the phosphate to see if it has gone back up. Hopefully someone else can also give imput

 

[Reef.]

I would trust your own testing, if your nitrates were only 12 I would not expect your PO4 to be off the charts.

If Hanna says zero I would remove the rowaphos and keep checking daily so you get a feeling of how much PO4 is produced over time then you will have a better idea on how much Rowa to use to keep it where you want it.

I only feed frozen, my tank is only 14g and I feed 5-6 times a day, I do not think the frozen is the issue or that you are feeding too much, maybe not enough if your PO4 is really zero.

 

[lelandmarine]

What frozen food are you feeding?

So, I've been having some issues with my tank. Nitrates for me were reading zero (red sea) and I had nothing to check phos. After talking to my lfs, I brought in a water sample to check phos, and make sure my Nitrate readings were right.

My testing was wrong and nitrates were about 12. My phos capped out their test, which were guessing is why I've had little coral growth, and algea issues.

They suggested rowaphos, which I got and put some in a mesh bag and is now in my filter (aqua clear hob used for floss and chemipure, I have no sump). I also purchased a Hanna to check on phos myself, as well as buying a refill for my Nitrate since it was clearly wrong.

I did a 15% water change and added the rowaphos, after about 5-6 hours I went to check my phos and it measured at 0.26, I tested again (this time twice) and both tests read 0, it's been about 10 hours since I added the rowaphos. Should I remove it, or is it more likely my Hanna is wrong? I'm nervous about not only having 0 phos, but also at how fast it took it out.

36 gallon tank, I feed roughly half a cube of frozen a day, inhabitants are two clowns, a starry blenny, and a handful of inverts. Six coral, mostly LPS, no sps.

 

[ArchXIII]

I would trust your own testing, if your nitrates were only 12 I would not expect your PO4 to be off the charts.

If Hanna says zero I would remove the rowaphos and keep checking daily so you get a feeling of how much PO4 is produced over time then you will have a better idea on how much Rowa to use to keep it where you want it.

I only feed frozen, my tank is only 14g and I feed 5-6 times a day, I do not think the frozen is the issue or that you are feeding too much, maybe not enough if your PO4 is really zero.

I'd have to say I do trust this Hanna is accurate, I saw my test at the fish store, the Hanna checker they used the test water turned color super quick, to the point they said they knew it'd be high. Would question it more if I didn't see the test myself. And my first Hanna test showed 0.26, so I'm guessing the rowa just striped it away super fast.. Which I didn't think it would, since they suggested I wait a couple of days to test my phos again.

Doesn't sound like I'm feeding too much? I do know my fish don't eat it all, and my cuc isn't that big.. I was partially wondering if it was coming from my rocks.

 

[ArchXIII]

What frozen food are you feeding?

Hikari frozen mysis, and brine. Which I alternate.

 

[ArchXIII]

So the high Phosphate it’s probably from the frozen food. I think it would be reasonable to pull the Phosphate absorber from the tank and feed a little bit less often and recheck phosphate every three or four days. i’m not sure how quickly the phosphate will go back up after you pull the rowaphos. You might give it a day after you remove it and before you feed anything more, recheck the phosphate to see if it has gone back up. Hopefully someone else can also give imput

I'm about to head over and take it out. Figuring maybe I should test after it's been out for 24 hours?

 

[lelandmarine]

Aquarium Chemistry: Phosphate And Math: Yes You Need To Understand Both

Foods are by far the most important source of phosphate in most aquariums. In considering whether sources of phosphate other than foods are important, one must carefully look to the actual amounts involved to determine whether other sources are even worth trying to minimize.

reefs.com

probably more than you want to know about phosphate in foods but a really good article. Yes I think it would be reasonable to recheck in 24 hours.

 

[lelandmarine]

It looks like from that article that frozen Brine shrimp has more phosphorus than mysis. You might try just feeding Mysis for a while and see if your phosphorus goes back up. If it doesn’t then start using the brine shrimp again and see if it goes up after that. That would be an interesting experiment

 

[Reef.]

Hikari frozen mysis, and brine. Which I alternate.

that’s probably why they don’t eat it all, not a very wide range of food there, mine don’t like mysis, and brine is not very nutritious, I would pick up some different frozen foods, you can even buy raw octopus, clams etc from the store and feed those.

spread the feds out throughout the day too, they only have small stomachs.

 

[Reef.]

No use just looking at the PO4 in frozen, you need to compare it to pellets and flake and I bet those have way more than frozen.

Pellets also sit on the sand bed, where as frozen tend to go over the overflow so are removed from the tank, not sitting breaking down in the sand.

 

[ArchXIII]

Aquarium Chemistry: Phosphate And Math: Yes You Need To Understand Both

Foods are by far the most important source of phosphate in most aquariums. In considering whether sources of phosphate other than foods are important, one must carefully look to the actual amounts involved to determine whether other sources are even worth trying to minimize.

reefs.com

probably more than you want to know about phosphate in foods but a really good article. Yes I think it would be reasonable to recheck in 24 hours.

That looks very interesting! I'm about to head to bed but will without a doubt look through it after I'm up.

 

[ArchXIII]

No use just looking at the PO4 in frozen, you need to compare it to pellets and flake and I bet those have way more than frozen.

Pellets also sit on the sand bed, where as frozen tend to go over the overflow so are removed from the tank, not sitting breaking down in the sand.

I very rarely feed pellets, maybe once a month. Other than the LPS pellets I feed my corals twice a week.

I, sadly, don't have an overflow as my stand wont fit a sump so I don't have one. I have a reef octopus hob, and an aquaclear which uses filter floss, chemipure blue, and I added the rowaphos to earlier.

 

[ArchXIII]

that’s probably why they don’t eat it all, not a very wide range of food there, mine don’t like mysis, and brine is not very nutritious, I would pick up some different frozen foods, you can even buy raw octopus, clams etc from the store and feed those.

spread the feds out throughout the day too, they only have small stomachs.

I did pick up reef frenzy which I planned on starting tomorrow.

 

[Reef.]

I very rarely feed pellets, maybe once a month. Other than the LPS pellets I feed my corals twice a week.

I, sadly, don't have an overflow as my stand wont fit a sump so I don't have one. I have a reef octopus hob, and an aquaclear which uses filter floss, chemipure blue, and I added the rowaphos to earlier.

same thing, it will still get taken into the filter floss then removed by you, watch when you add some, it doesn’t sit on the sand bed...well at least mine doesn’t.

 

[Reef.]

I did pick up reef frenzy which I planned on starting tomorrow.

good that you are trying new foods.

depending on the size of the clowns, they tend to like the smaller foods in my experience, I can’t get reef frenzy so never tried it, but mine love lobster eggs, cyclops, Copepods, brine shrimps, plankton etc

Wish I could get a hold of reef frenzy it sounds amazing.

 

[ArchXIII]

good that you are trying new foods.

depending on the size of the clowns, they tend to like the smaller foods in my experience, I can’t get reef frenzy so never tried it, but mine love lobster eggs, cyclops, Copepods, brine shrimps, plankton etc

Wish I could get a hold of reef frenzy it sounds amazing.

Saw it and actually thought today I should do more variety. I did smell it, odd as that may be, it does smell.. Richer, I guess you could say. I'm actually excited to feed it tomorrow. And hoping to get my phos stable so I can see more coral growth..

 

[Reef.]

Saw it and actually thought today I should do more variety. I did smell it, odd as that may be, it does smell.. Richer, I guess you could say. I'm actually excited to feed it tomorrow. And hoping to get my phos stable so I can see more coral growth..

Richer is being nice I’m guessing lol

They do two sizes I believe, one with smaller bits for smaller fish.