New tank with phosphate

[Zone1090]

New biocube jr 14g. Bought actual live rock and sand and a bottle of pns deep cycle. Put it together added 125ml of deep cycle. Left it a week started to get diatoms.put in another 125ml
Left it a week. Saturday 1/24
Ammonia. 0
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate. 2-5

Added 2 clownfish. Next day did full test
Water test 1/27
Ammonia. 0
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate. 10
Ph. 8
Salinity. 1.024
Phosphate. 1
Mag. 1350
Calcium. 425
Why are my phosphate so high? What should I do? No response from Lfs.
Also didn't know better but put in chemipure elite ans small amount of purigen at start

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What is the source of the "actual live rock and sand"? It may be a significant source of phosphate if from a high phosphate ref aquarium.

 

[Zone1090]

What is the source of the "actual live rock and sand"? It may be a significant source of phosphate if from a high phosphate ref aquarium.

Came from a aquaculture farm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Came from a aquaculture farm

Not sure what that means. From the ocean? From someone's garage?

 

[Zone1090]

Bought it from pacific east aquaculture. Came out from his tanks

 

[Zone1090]

Bought it from pacific east aquaculture. Came out from his tanks

Should I do a water change or just wait? Waiting to add corals

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not do big anything yet. It might even be a test error. The chemipure elite has gfo in it that will very slowly reduce phosphate (unless you feed more than it binds each day).

Water changes are not best with phosphate since a lot is bound up in rock and sand, and even a 100% change will not drop it as much as you'd want.

 

[Zone1090]

I would not do big anything yet. It might even be a test error. The chemipure elite has gfo in it that will very slowly reduce phosphate (unless you feed more than it binds each day).

Water changes are not best with phosphate since a lot is bound up in rock and sand, and even a 100% change will not drop it as much as you'd want.

 

[Zone1090]

Ok. Thanks for getting back to me!
I'm trying not to overfeed them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Don't starve them. Some fabulous tanks have 1 ppm phosphate. :)

 

[Zone1090]

Don't starve them. Some fabulous tanks have 1 ppm phosphate. :)

When do you think it will be ok to add corals?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What type of corals?

 

[BryanM]

Bought it from pacific east aquaculture. Came out from his tanks

To get at the question if its a test error or not, you could ask them what the phosphate level is in the tanks the rock came out of.

 

[Zone1090]

What type of corals?

Soft and lps. Tank is stock smart biocube jr 14g so im limited on ligjts

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Soft and lps. Tank is stock smart biocube jr 14g so im limited on ligjts

I’d start with soft corals and then expand to hard corals.

 

[Zone1090]

I’d start with soft corals and then expand to hard corals.

Based on manufacturer specifications for the Coralife SMART BioCube Jr. 14-Gallon, the PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation) values are as follows:
PAR: 38
Peak PAR @ 12": 61

 

[Zone1090]

Based on manufacturer specifications for the Coralife SMART BioCube Jr. 14-Gallon, the PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation) values are as follows:
PAR: 38
Peak PAR @ 12": 61

What would you do on the phosphates then? Just wait??

 

[FindingNem0]

I normally cook the rocks in a tub, let rock leech out the po4. I have setup 3 tanks in my life with new and live rock and it has always leeched po4. Even once in my nano it was 0.78 water changes do help but not as much. Dont try to strip it out too quick because dinoflagellates can take over instantly. What you should do is just monitor it, if it keeps going higher. You might need to take the rock out and let it leech out where you can keep it in the dark tub with pump/heater/Phosphate stripper product.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What would you do on the phosphates then? Just wait??

Yes, I'd wait and see how it plays out.

 

[Zone1090]

Yes, I'd wait and see how it plays out.

With daily testing on ammonia nitrite nitrate and phosphate?