Live phyto pushing PO4 off the charts?

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I've been going back through my records trying to figure out what could be going on with my tank. My phosphate numbers keep climbing and climbing at a crazy rate, with my Hanna checker telling me now I'm over 1.2 ppm. Needless to say I'm getting really alarmed. The only thing I can find that might be doing it is the addition of live phyto to my feeding routine. But searches tell me live phyto is often credited with reducing phosphate. Needless to say I'm going to stop feeding it to see if that helps resolve the issue but I'm still interested in feedback on the possibilities.

 

[taricha]

Live phyto? Homegrown on f/2 media or live bottled product?

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Live phyto? Homegrown on f/2 media or live bottled product?

Live bottled product

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Live phyto? Homegrown on f/2 media or live bottled product?

You know that moment when someone asks a question and you say, "well of course..."

I just checked it under the microscope. There is some movement, things zooming around, but there's a lot more stuff there not moving. My microscope is just a cheap thing so it's hard to get much detail but I'm thinking it shouldn't look like this. I guess I found my answer?

 

[taricha]

Maybe. It's kind of complicated. The fertilizer that phyto is grown on of course contains lots of phosphate, but if the phyto is harvested at the right time it should have essentially depleted the media, and then most quality commercial products will filter the phyto so that the cells are suspended in clean water when they go in the bottle. But even if all that goes correctly, when it reaches you it is obviously still not exponentially growing. It may still be viable and will grow and consume nutrients when put in the tank possibly. Or it could be in some phase of dying and decaying. My guess is most bottles you get are some combination. All the phosphate that was used for the cells to grow is still in the cells. If the cells are growing, or are eaten or skimmed, little PO4 will be added to the water. But if the phyto culture has a lot of dead decaying material PO4 will eventually be available to the system as the dead material is broken down.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Maybe. It's kind of complicated. The fertilizer that phyto is grown on of course contains lots of phosphate, but if the phyto is harvested at the right time it should have essentially depleted the media, and then most quality commercial products will filter the phyto so that the cells are suspended in clean water when they go in the bottle. But even if all that goes correctly, when it reaches you it is obviously still not exponentially growing. It may still be viable and will grow and consume nutrients when put in the tank possibly. Or it could be in some phase of dying and decaying. My guess is most bottles you get are some combination. All the phosphate that was used for the cells to grow is still in the cells. If the cells are growing, or are eaten or skimmed, little PO4 will be added to the water. But if the phyto culture has a lot of dead decaying material PO4 will eventually be available to the system as the dead material is broken down.

Really interesting and lots to consider here. Thank you for the great reply!