No Phosphates but Nitrite and nitrate

[PaDDy Killer]

Hello all! Here are my current water parameters. I stopped my dosing pumps to my mag and calcium till they come down a bit. I am having a hard time bringing my phosphates up. I do use Chemi pure elite in the sump, I always have on my last tank. The new tank has been up about three weeks. Do you think I should remove the bags till phosphates come up? I only have two bags of it, half the recommended amount for a 200 gallon system. I have tried feeding heavier. Here are the parameters as of this morning.

 

[Snowxcross]

Hello all! Here are my current water parameters. I stopped my dosing pumps to my mag and calcium till they come down a bit. I am having a hard time bringing my phosphates up. I do use Chemi pure elite in the sump, I always have on my last tank. The new tank has been up about three weeks. Do you think I should remove the bags till phosphates come up? I only have two bags of it, half the recommended amount for a 200 gallon system. I have tried feeding heavier. Here are the parameters as of this morning.

Hi - if you mean 3 weeks total, it's going to swing - did you bring your bio from your prior tank, was this a pure "transfer" tank thing or brand new everything?

 

[PaDDy Killer]

I did bring some bio from the old tank, rocks and water. We put new sand as recommended by the company who installed and got the tank set up. Old tank was a less than half the size of the new tank. So lots of new dead rock in the new tank.

 

[PaDDy Killer]

Hi - if you mean 3 weeks total, it's going to swing - did you bring your bio from your prior tank, was this a pure "transfer" tank thing or brand new everything?

Also, I have a light load of fish currently. I am thinking of removing the chemi pure elite and changing it to one of there other ones. I like using it as it keeps my water clearer.

 

[twentyleagues]

Also, I have a light load of fish currently. I am thinking of removing the chemi pure elite and changing it to one of there other ones. I like using it as it keeps my water clearer.

New sand will bind phosphates. Was it actual dead rock from a tank was it cleaned in any way? Rock can bind phosphates also especially clean dry stuff like marco rock. They will pull from the water until saturated.

 

[PaDDy Killer]

New sand will bind phosphates. Was it actual dead rock from a tank was it cleaned in any way? Rock can bind phosphates also especially clean dry stuff like marco rock. They will pull from the water until saturated.

The new rock that was added was two different batches of rock. I had about 25 pounds of previous live rock that I removed from the tank over the years as my toadstools required more room. I put this rock in a container with a pump for about a month with saltwater and a little sand from my display tank. Then there was more rock dry that was purchased from the aquarium store. Purple in color but not alive.

 

[twentyleagues]

The new rock that was added was two different batches of rock. I had about 25 pounds of previous live rock that I removed from the tank over the years as my toadstools required more room. I put this rock in a container with a pump for about a month with saltwater and a little sand from my display tank. Then there was more rock dry that was purchased from the aquarium store. Purple in color but not alive.

The rock you kept wet is probably not going to bind it may leach a bit but its a very small amount in 200g of water. The purple stuff will bind so yeah your phosphates will probably continue to test low for a while. If you are feeding the fish there is probably available phosphate in the water its just low.
What test kit are you using? I would also remove the chemi pure I think it has phosphate binders in it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, stop the Chemipure elite.

 

[PaDDy Killer]

The rock you kept wet is probably not going to bind it may leach a bit but its a very small amount in 200g of water. The purple stuff will bind so yeah your phosphates will probably continue to test low for a while. If you are feeding the fish there is probably available phosphate in the water its just low.
What test kit are you using? I would also remove the chemi pure I think it has phosphate binders in it.

I am using a Hanna checker. Should I be concerned about the Nitrate and nitrite readings? All test are done with Hannas.

 

[twentyleagues]

I am using a Hanna checker. Should I be concerned about the Nitrate and nitrite readings? All test are done with Hannas.

No. I think nitrite ulr is in ppb so thats not a lot and should be with in normal parameters considering normal processes in the aquarium. 10 nitrate is fine. Keep testing make sure they are not increasing to fast. Obviously they will increase in a new aquarium just do some water changes to help bring them down. Do you run a fuge or ats? Corals will also consume some of the "nutrients" in the system.