microbacter 7 lower phosphate too much?

[KevinC]

I have a diatom bloom in my lps tank. a week ago the test was 25 nitrate and 0.1 phosphate.
3 days ago i started dosing phosphate, now my tank is sitting at 0-0.03 phosphate.
isn't this way too extreme?? I have always been running GFO in the tank too
Now should I take out the GFO and stop dosing or what should I do

 

[Daddy-o]

I have a diatom bloom in my lps tank. a week ago the test was 25 nitrate and 0.1 phosphate.
3 days ago i started dosing phosphate, now my tank is sitting at 0-0.03 phosphate.
isn't this way too extreme?? I have always been running GFO in the tank too
Now should I take out the GFO and stop dosing or what should I do

I am confused here.

 

[KevinC]

I am confused here.

basically, since dosing microbacter 7, my phosphate dropped to 0.03 in 3 days.

If I want to maintain 0.03 phosphate, do I need to stop dosing or take out my GFO. I wasn’t expecting my phosphate to drop so much

 

[Daddy-o]

basically, since dosing microbacter 7, my phosphate dropped to 0.03 in 3 days.

If I want to maintain 0.03 phosphate, do I need to stop dosing or take out my GFO. I wasn’t expecting my phosphate to drop so much

Ok, I was confused 'cause you said you dosed phosphate and your phosphate dropped. I would stop GFO and see how it levels out.

 

[KevinC]

Oh lol my bad!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I doubt the MB7 is having much impact on phosphate. i personally don't think it does much at all in most situations, so dropping it sounds fine.

The current level is fine , but i wouldn't want to see it drop below 0.02 ppm.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I doubt the MB7 is having much impact on phosphate. i personally don't think it does much at all in most situations, so dropping it sounds fine.

The current level is fine , but i wouldn't want to see it drop below 0.02 ppm.

So what does microbacter really do? On the bottle it says reduce/lower nitrate and phosphate. I have been dosing 20ml daily in my 120g since I have high nitrate and phosphate.

 

[Marc Pardon]

You know that diatoms are triggered by silicate? The source is likely to be your RO water. Lately there also reports of high silicate leaching from artificial dead rock .....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So what does microbacter really do? On the bottle it says reduce/lower nitrate and phosphate. I have been dosing 20ml daily in my 120g since I have high nitrate and phosphate.

it adds bacteria. Whether they do anything useful is a different question. Perhaps they do something useful in some context, but I do not believe phosphate lowering is a general result.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

it adds bacteria. Whether they do anything useful is a different question. Perhaps they do something useful in some context, but I do not believe phosphate lowering is a general result.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Benefits​

1. Rapid reduction of organic carbon, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate.

 

[Hincapiej4]

Benefits​

1. Rapid reduction of organic carbon, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate.

It seems like its just buzz words....

I've used it before, it doesnt do anything to nitrate and phosphate..

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I have high nitrate, low phosphate and prob dose vinegar.

Then on another tank it has high on both, so maybe I will dose nopox since it advertises that it will reduce both.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Benefits​

1. Rapid reduction of organic carbon, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate.

lol

Don't believe every manufacturer claim. As to Brightwell, they have track record of misleading claims, IMO.

perhaps that's is what comes from letting a "marine biologist" mix chemicals. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have high nitrate, low phosphate and prob dose vinegar.

Then on another tank it has high on both, so maybe I will dose nopox since it advertises that it will reduce both.

Again, not the best plan, IMO. Read up on user experiences, not manufacturer claims.

Organic carbon dosing does a much better job on reducing nitrate than phosphate for well understood reasons (the denitrification process that organic carbon drives lowers nitrate and does little for phosphate).

Vinegar dosing and NOPOX are both organic carbon dosing and are accomplishing the same thing.

 

[GrimReefer51]

it adds bacteria. Whether they do anything useful is a different question. Perhaps they do something useful in some context, but I do not believe phosphate lowering is a general result.

This has been my experience as well, I've tried using MB7 to reduce my phosphates in the past with very little success.

In a 7 gallon pico, would doing a large water change be a good course of action? I've implemented the same strategy before when one or more parameters are out of balance with great success.

There have been certain individuals that have mentioned doing water changes do not lower phosphates. I don't understand how that could be true and thus my the reason for my question.

This is my tank, its about 2 years old.

 

[Natural_Reefer]

Same here! I used a whole gallon of MB7 for extended period of time and barely see any benefit of lowering Phospate. The only things seem to help were cut back on feeding (also rinse frozen food, and less dry food) and vacuum the sand bed when doing water change.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This has been my experience as well, I've tried using MB7 to reduce my phosphates in the past with very little success.

In a 7 gallon pico, would doing a large water change be a good course of action? I've implemented the same strategy before when one or more parameters are out of balance with great success.

There have been certain individuals that have mentioned doing water changes do not lower phosphates. I don't understand how that could be true and thus my the reason for my question.

This is my tank, its about 2 years old.

Nice tank! What is the phosphate level now?

 

[GrimReefer51]

Nice tank! What is the phosphate level now?

Thanks Randy!

Its .29 at the moment and I usually keep it at .08
My nitrates are always kept at 10 btw.

My suspicion is that I accidentally mixed tap water with RODi water to mix my salt. I live in California and the TDS from the faucet is 600+

This is the only thing I can't think of seeing that my weekly regimen stays the same. I can do an 80% water change if necessary today unless instructed otherwise. I would match the nitrate level adding sodium nitrate to the newly mixed water that way my nitrates stay the same after the water change and hopefully lower my phosphates. Could this work?

 

[GrimReefer51]

Update:
After contemplating what I should do about lowering my phosphates, I decided to do a 70% water change matching my nitrates in the freshly mixed salt water with my tank.

I'm happy to say that my phosphates are now sitting at a .15 while my nitrates stayed at 10.

It's been two days and all the corals look much better. Specially the Riccordeas and Acans