phosphate and nitrate

[harkey]

Hey guys, I am new to the hobby and I have a 20 gallon that's been running for a a few months now and all cycled. I am having problems with green hair algae and I have been removing it manually to prevent it. It's not a lot yet but it grows on the aquarium glass. I've read that it might be how much im feeding so i cut down on feeding, I have also just been turning my lights on for just 6 hours. Can it be my phosphate is way too high? Any advice is appreciated thank you so much!

Phosphate - 1.0
Nitrate - 10ppm

 

[Uncle99]

Phosphate to high at 1.0ppm
In a newer tank, say 0.03-0.05ppm.
Lower light intensity especially the white green red stuff.

 

[harkey]

Phosphate to high at 1.0ppm
In a newer tank, say 0.03-0.05ppm.

How would I lower my phosphate? Would phosguard by seachem work or is any other method that is more effective?

 

[Lavey29]

How would I lower my phosphate? Would phosguard by seachem work or is any other method is more effective?

I like phosguard because it walks phosphate down slowly. New tanks are going to have unstable parameters and ugly stages. Reducing light to 6 hours with blue and uv only ly no white will help. Manual removal and a diverse cleaner crew. You need to identify what is raising your phosphate? Pellet food and coral supplements will raise phosphate. Frozen food much better. Add a bag of phosguard to your sump and monitor what you feed.

 

[Uncle99]

How would I lower my phosphate? Would phosguard by seachem work or is any other method that is more effective?

I use Rowaphos myself, comes with a bag, in a flow area.
But yes, GFO that down but really slow and make sure you don’t mop all of it up, we want trace amounts.

Hanna makes a Ultra low Range phosphorus checker in PPB, that’s billion…..very very helpful in managing the levels of this important nutrient.

 

[harkey]

Okay, thank you so much! I will definitely get some phosguard. I have read about the ugly stages and I have been getting diatoms as well but that's nothing since I can keep up with it during weekly water changes. Just more worried about the GHA since i've seen some people tanks that got covered with it. I used to feed them some flake food but I stopped and I am just feeding frozen brine shrimp, bloodworms, and mysis shrimp. When it comes to coral supplements I only use phytofeast to feed them and nothing else. For CUC i have hermit crabs, cleaner shrimp and one snail.

 

[exnisstech]

Keep in mind your going to have some algae no matter what, especially in a newer system. It's pretty normal even in established tanks.
You say on the glass, are you sure its hair algae? It always grows on the rocks first in my tanks. I have never had it on the glass, but I but I clean my glass every other day.

 

[harkey]

This is what it looks like. Please correct me if i'm wrong!

 

[Jekyl]

All good advice given above. All I have to add is that I use chemipure elite for phosphate and dosing live phyto can help with algae.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Do you have a skimmer? And a clean up crew if not you should get both and you can start dosing something like Red Sea Algae Management but you need a skimmer with it ideally.

 

[reefz]

I would normaly say run gfo with that high of phosphates, but you only have a 20g. GFO might strip the phos out to quick. For a safer method you can of course do a water change, 50%. Or you can get a refugiam and grow chaeto, but it doesnt look like you have sump, which you cant do unless its a HOB Refugium. I also grow "filter feeder" soft corals like xenia, which help my systems naturally pull the phosphate and nitrate out slower. Your nitrates are perfect at 10ppm, but phosphate levels def need to come down to control the hair algae.

 

[harkey]

I would normaly say run gfo with that high of phosphates, but you only have a 20g. GFO might strip the phos out to quick. For a safer method you can of course do a water change, 50%. Or you can get a refugiam and grow chaeto, but it doesnt look like you have sump, which you cant do unless its a HOB Refugium. I also grow "filter feeder" soft corals like xenia, which help my systems naturally pull the phosphate and nitrate out slower. Your nitrates are perfect at 10ppm, but phosphate levels def need to come down to control the hair algae.

Thank you! I did a water change last night and phosphate went down to 0.5. I got some phosguard and will see how it goes. Will look into xenias as well.