High phosphates

[jenniferreichardt]

What do you feed? Frozen or pellets? Coral food?

I feed frozen (reef frenzy) daily
coral food twice/week (reef chili, tdo)

 

[jenniferreichardt]

Ok I think my tanks all good I’ve done several water changes and gotten more snails. Thanks

I’ve been reading that LC is safe with tangs if dropped diluted into a 5-10 micron sock, before the skimmer. I think I’m going to try this.

 

[Reef.]

I feed frozen (reef frenzy) daily
coral food twice/week (reef chili, tdo)

reef chilli has a ton of PO4, I would stop feeding that straight away unless it’s essential. Your frozen should be enough for the corals too.

 

[jda]

I have dosed LC into a tank with no socks - it was fine... even long term (it was like two years ago, so medium term). Socks are probably better, but we did not do it. The stuff is powerful and strong... go slow. I would take like 3 months to lower this all of the way.

 

[BVF]

Most main causes of high P are dead/dry rock being bound with terrestrial phosphate which is now unbinding in your tank. Older tanks can have problems because the rock and sand bound it for a long time and disguised poor export/husbandry - this can sometimes take years.

In any case, if you have a lot in the water column, you can bet that there is a ton more bound to the rocks and sand. Once you remove some from the water column, some will unbind from the aragonite and it will look like you did not do anything, but you did... this can take a long time to get down and stay down. Try and avoid removing so much that the tank level drops really low in a spike and then spikes back up once the aragonite releases.

I would use Lan Chloride for large amounts. It is cheaper and easy to use, but you must have a good skimmer. Go slow. A drop once or twice a day might be enough - this can take months, but it did not get high overnight, so just embrace the journey.

Also, if you are going to chase P lower, get a good testing tool like Hannah Ultra Low.

Thanks for this, it is very interesting. My PO4 has been in the .37-.31 range since I started checking (Hannah). I suppose it’s on the high side, but everything is growing, nothing is struggling, no real algae issues, and it’s been really consistent for months.

I feed Reef Roids, often but in very small amounts, and don’t dose anything. Maybe it’s the dry rock and life rock leaching out.

Not sure if I need to try to lower or roll with it. I’d rather not create a new problem trying to solve a current non-problem. Thoughts?

 

[attiland]

Thanks for this, it is very interesting. My PO4 has been in the .37-.31 range since I started checking (Hannah). I suppose it’s on the high side, but everything is growing, nothing is struggling, no real algae issues, and it’s been really consistent for months.

I feed Reef Roids, often but in very small amounts, and don’t dose anything. Maybe it’s the dry rock and life rock leaching out.

Not sure if I need to try to lower or roll with it. I’d rather not create a new problem trying to solve a current non-problem. Thoughts?

That po4 is taken down by algae scrubber/ reactor in no time permanently

 

[jenniferreichardt]

I have dosed LC into a tank with no socks - it was fine... even long term (it was like two years ago, so medium term). Socks are probably better, but we did not do it. The stuff is powerful and strong... go slow. I would take like 3 months to lower this all of the way.

I’m going to start dosing on Jan 1. I’ll be honest I’m very nervous that I’ll drop it too fast. My water volume is 180 gallons. I’m using phosphate rx. Would you help me by explaining to me how much to use/dilute/frequency of dosing?

 

[mofebubi]

So I just texted for phosphates and they are highest color on the measurement thing. I know how to get them down through water changes and stuff but are they as bad as nitrates when the nitrates are high? Or should I change the water as soon as possible? Cause my fish and inverts seem to be doing fine.

This product is 100% effective and gets your PO4 down till 0.04.

Ultra PHOS 0.04, Fauna Marin (475 y 950g)

Ultra PHOS 0.04 es un novedoso granulado mixto, que extrae de forma segura los fosfatos, silicatos y sustancias amarillas de la circulación del acuario. Lo mejor de este producto es la seguridad al usarlo, ya que no deja caer el valor de PO4 a 0. Por lo tanto, Ultra PHOS 0.04 es seguro y muy...

www.cetamar.com

 

[jda]

Get a dropper bottle and do like maybe 5 drops a day and measure for a week, or so. You can drop it down the overflow into your sock, or even into the sump so that the skimmer has the first crack at the flocculant. Maybe 10 drops (about .5 ml) a day if that works?

You should barely be noticing the levels go down day to day but they should be going down week to week. Spend several months on this. Removing P is no issue, but removing it too quickly can be. It did not get high overnight, so don't lower it overnight either.

The instructions are to dilute it down and stuff, but I don't... just add small quantities direct. You can dilute it, but still go slow.

 

[jmichaelh7]

If you need to remove it immediately run GFO. If you want a long term solution run some Chaeto and let it pull your phosphates naturally

 

[jda]

There is no way to remove it immediately. All that you can do is to remove a lot from the water quickly, but the rock and sand will unbind and fill the water back up again. This kind of roller coaster swing is exactly what harms corals. Wether using GFO or LC, you have to go slow so that you absorb about as fast as the rock releases.

 

[jenniferreichardt]

How do I know fast the rock releases po4?

 

[Deezill]

I do feed pellets to my fish but they eat all of them I have a pretty huge clownfish and threee pajamas. And a ywg eats them too. Actually everything in my tank eats the pellets. So I don’t think that’s the problem.

I feed pellets to my fish too and my po4 is thru the roof. I stopped and the po4 went down after gfo. I don't feed pellets every day like I used to I am frozen and flake. Pellets maybe once a week and I run gfo. now instead of seeing 0.50 I am @ 0.03 - 0.07

 

[jda]

You don't know how fast the rock releases. There is no way to know - depends on concentration, surface area and other things that are not measurable. That is why you go slow and measure.

 

[CloniKo]

So I just texted for phosphates and they are highest color on the measurement thing. I know how to get them down through water changes and stuff but are they as bad as nitrates when the nitrates are high? Or should I change the water as soon as possible? Cause my fish and inverts seem to be doing fine.

I think that one it´s cheeper and better, it´s the one I allways use:

https://acuariosyestanquesacuatica....marinos/1578-5071-power-phos-fauna-marin.html