how do you manage your phosphates?

[ddc0715]

lol

 

[workhz]

I think I over feed so have been cutting back. Let it get it out of control since the zoas and lps didn’t seem to mind but over the last couple of weeks I’ve had a bubble algae explosion so got some phosguard and did a water change.

Down to 0.27 from around 0.5 over a couple of weeks. Hope to get it below 0.2 and close to .1-.15 over the next couple of weeks.

Now I need to go in and pull the danged bubble algae.

 

[minus9]

What to do when you struggle with 0.00 po4?

Feed more, take skimmer offline during the day. Then if that doesn't work, dose some PO4. Make a diy solution or buy some bottled PO4.

 

[minus9]

I think I over feed so have been cutting back. Let it get it out of control since the zoas and lps didn’t seem to mind but over the last couple of weeks I’ve had a bubble algae explosion so got some phosguard and did a water change.

Down to 0.27 from around 0.5 over a couple of weeks. Hope to get it below 0.2 and close to .1-.15 over the next couple of weeks.

Now I need to go in and pull the danged bubble algae.

Female emerald crabs and if you have a large enough tank, one spot foxface are usually pretty good with valonia. I had a one spot in my 90g, but he got too big (which I knew would happen) and re-homed him to a much larger tank, but he was one of the best algae grazers I've ever kept and always kept the tank clear of valonia.

 

[uscggirl]

lol

I feed super heavy and I know that. The food is all gone by morning because I also have too many snails. (Looking into getting a starfish to eat a few snails and take their place with detritus clean up….) But I have had Phosphate issues from time to time. Rather than dealing with crazy swings, I’ve started dosing Brightwell PhosphateE. That stuff will eliminate Phosphates in a quick hurry! I tried several other approaches first, but just doing my once a week dose has kept my levels below 0.3 without bottoming out. And let’s me continue to feed heavy, which I prefer. The other bottle and pad remedies did nothing for my tank, but I’ll never let myself run low on the Brightwell phosphate remover. Not to sound like a commercial or something, but it really does a great job.

 

[ddc0715]

Ok im going to get us back on track. On high pgos levels and a possible cause.

I auto dose red sea ab+ and just found this statement.

Reef energy has aminos, carbs, fatty acids, and vitamins. Brightwell amino has amino acids only, so no possible phosphates

could my red sea ab+ be part of my phos problem?

 

[SWherrey]

They also contain large amounts of protein, fiber, have no dirty stuff that does not get eaten and don't go to waste. No moisture and fewer go further. I could not keep my po4 to where I like it if I fed frozen only - pellets go a long way. The good pellets that you can get now are also loaded with vitamins and fatty acids and I credit them with having such healthy and disease free fish. Only downside for me is that not all fish will eat them and some can take many months to get on board.

How does a bacterial supplement like Probio lower po4? I am very excited to learn. I could see in a situation where no3 is so low that it is growth limiting, but this is rarely the case with anybody unless they are using media or chemicals for no3.

Which pellets do you feed?

Im having to dose nitrates and phosphates to keep detectable levels or else I’ll bottom out.

 

[SWherrey]

Ok im going to get us back on track. On high pgos levels and a possible cause.

I auto dose red sea ab+ and just found this statement.

Reef energy has aminos, carbs, fatty acids, and vitamins. Brightwell amino has amino acids only, so no possible phosphates

could my red sea ab+ be part of my phos problem?

I noticed when I was dosing Red Sea ab+ my nutrients were maintaining when I stopped I almost bottomed out. I switched to brightwell aminos

 

[Lavey29]

Ok im going to get us back on track. On high pgos levels and a possible cause.

I auto dose red sea ab+ and just found this statement.

Reef energy has aminos, carbs, fatty acids, and vitamins. Brightwell amino has amino acids only, so no possible phosphates

could my red sea ab+ be part of my phos problem?

I use red sea too. It says right on the bottle it may raise phosphate levels doesn't it?

 

[ddc0715]

I don't know. I throw away the bottle. I'm going to look in the trash...

 

[ddc0715]

The bottle says nothing.

 

[Lavey29]

Maybe I have it confused with another coral food but I do use AB plus weekly, anymore then that will spike my phosphate levels.

 

[LPS Bum]

I used frequent water changes and aggressive wet skimming to get the phosphate under .5. Then started running a little Phosguard in a mesh bag every day, changing it out weekly.

Still employ all three tactics (weekly water change, wet skimming, and Phosguard) and it’s worked well for me.

 

[Cool tangs]

GFO is unstable and really frustrating to use IMO. Big regular water changes ain't that fun and practical for heavily stocked tanks.

Use a great liquid phosphate remover, they work great and super controllable vs GFO and way more stable as you can control the dose. They work by bonding the phosphate to the liquid chemical and is pulled out from your skimmer. Here in aus we have one called coral solutions and this stuff is awesome! Be careful though cause you can strip your phosphate down to 0 in just a few hours and may upset corals.

After using liquid phosphate reducer I will never waste my time with GFO again, who wants to clean and repack a reactor when you can just dose liquid.

Hope this helps, Happy reefing

Oh and don't worry about what you feed just adjust the dose accordingly, super simple

 

[chipchipbro]

GFO is unstable and really frustrating to use IMO. Big regular water changes ain't that fun and practical for heavily stocked tanks.

Use a great liquid phosphate remover, they work great and super controllable vs GFO and way more stable as you can control the dose. They work by bonding the phosphate to the liquid chemical and is pulled out from your skimmer. Here in aus we have one called coral solutions and this stuff is awesome! Be careful though cause you can strip your phosphate down to 0 in just a few hours and may upset corals.

After using liquid phosphate reducer I will never waste my time with GFO again, who wants to clean and repack a reactor when you can just dose liquid.

Hope this helps, Happy reefing

Oh and don't worry about what you feed just adjust the dose accordingly, super simple

I guess you talk about this product, right?

PCS Phosphate Reducer | Ocean Reefs Marine Aquariums

Buy PCS Phosphate Reducer online from Ocean Reefs Marine Aquariums | Shop for Nutrient Removal in Perth online | Fast Shipping Australia-wide!

oceanreefsmarine.com.au

Not sure, never heard of it.

@Randy Holmes-Farley Do you know that?

 

[Cool tangs]

I guess you talk about this product, right?

PCS Phosphate Reducer | Ocean Reefs Marine Aquariums

Buy PCS Phosphate Reducer online from Ocean Reefs Marine Aquariums | Shop for Nutrient Removal in Perth online | Fast Shipping Australia-wide!

oceanreefsmarine.com.au

Not sure, never heard of it.

@Randy Holmes-Farley Do you know that?

That I the one hope you find a solution that works for you, would be great to see what Randy's thought are as well!

It is a great and easy product, but definitely go slow, as overdosing could have negative affects just like most things, and best to be dosed in a sump if you have one

Hope this helps, I know the pain as I had high phosphates as well and unfortunately carbon dosing is more affecting on nitrates.

GFO can be harsh but if not changed often enough stops being affective and becomes unstable, at least dosing eliminates the guess work once you find that balance and know the limits, test frequently at the start, but highly recommend it

 

[ddc0715]

yeah I've been using lanthanum from time to time to reduce phos. and the process to weigh out food and mix vitamins, is SOO long and drawn out when you compare to using a lanthanum drip. fill a bag with rodi water and lanthum DONE. which is the way i am learning.

 

[jda]

IME, high residual phosphate levels are still about export. I don't want to slow down import since that is what gets building blocks to my corals. I nearly never recommend cutting back on import in terms of fish food unless there is just lots of wasted food laying around. You can always cut back on import of coral food since there is little evidence that it does much in our tanks outside of NPS and some other fine filter feeders. If your residual P is high, then forget about the aminos, roids, etc.

Just like always, use some socks or rollers if you want. Skim heavy (I use multiple skimmers). Have a fuge. Change water a bit - not to reduce P much, but to keep traces and stuff in there for other things like macro to thrive. Get a fuge.

Chemicals and media can work, but figure out your process, get good at it and apply it slowly. If GFO, then small amounts changed very frequently - like daily if you are really high. If LC, then decide on if you are going to use a sock or dose the whole tank and use very little. Whatever you choose, go slow and allow the aragonite to unbind the P about as fast as you are removing it from the water column so that there are no spikes. Even with a steady regiment, this can take a few months.

 

[minus9]

IME, high residual phosphate levels are still about export. I don't want to slow down import since that is what gets building blocks to my corals. I nearly never recommend cutting back on import in terms of fish food unless there is just lots of wasted food laying around. You can always cut back on import of coral food since there is little evidence that it does much in our tanks outside of NPS and some other fine filter feeders. If your residual P is high, then forget about the aminos, roids, etc.

Just like always, use some socks or rollers if you want. Skim heavy (I use multiple skimmers). Have a fuge. Change water a bit - not to reduce P much, but to keep traces and stuff in there for other things like macro to thrive. Get a fuge.

Chemicals and media can work, but figure out your process, get good at it and apply it slowly. If GFO, then small amounts changed very frequently - like daily if you are really high. If LC, then decide on if you are going to use a sock or dose the whole tank and use very little. Whatever you choose, go slow and allow the aragonite to unbind the P about as fast as you are removing it from the water column so that there are no spikes. Even with a steady regiment, this can take a few months.

This^^^^ Also, aminos and carbs, etc... can contribute to N&P if too much is dosed.

 

[elysics]

You said you used nopox and it worked, but then the values went up again. Did you need to stop for some reason or did you just figure it worked and you'd stop? Or did they go up despite nopox?