Phosphate at 0 ppm but have gha

[tcarter1936]

So I know getting a reading while alot of algae is present can be hard but I also have low nitrates.
ALK 9.3
Calc 440
Po4 0 (Hanna) 0 (salifert)
N03 2
Salinity 1.025
Mg 1340
Any suggestions?
Please note I did add 1.5cups gfo tonight for the first time.
Tank is 180 gallon w 75 sump and one large Marine pure block 95 lbs live rock

 

[Shaddow_wolf169]

Gha will always be present in a tank the ocean has Gha and from what I have heard phosphate's are beyond detectable in the ocean.

 

[40B Knasty]

There is organic and inorganic phosphates.
Lower pH has more CO².
Dirty sponge, filter floss, or filter socks holding decaying matter giving nutrients adds phosphates back into the tank.
Low flow letting things settle on the LR.
Leeching from the LR.
Over feeding fish.
To long of a light period.
Feeding coral foods.
To low of a nutrients export.
These are what you need to balance.
I too have GHA with 1ppm nitrates.
My ELOS PRO PHOSPHATE test kit detects phosphates.

 

[mcarroll]

So I know getting a reading while alot of algae is present can be hard but I also have low nitrates.
ALK 9.3
Calc 440
Po4 0 (Hanna) 0 (salifert)
N03 2
Salinity 1.025
Mg 1340
Any suggestions?
Please note I did add 1.5cups gfo tonight for the first time.
Tank is 180 gallon w 75 sump and one large Marine pure block 95 lbs live rock

Sounds like you don't need the marine pure block or the GFO.

The algae bloom is from a sudden spike in nutrients.....similar to "new tank syndrome" only with a much larger nutrient load.....aka a "not-so-mini cycle".

As long as your corals are doing OK, I'd try to do as little as possible about the algae unless it's really reaching plague proportions.

How old is the tank?

Can you post a current tank pic?

When did the algae start and do you already know for sure what caused it?

 

[tcarter1936]

Tanks been up for about twenty months.
Will post a pic later when lights are on.
Algae started about a month ago and I've started having to use a toothbrush to keep my acros from being attacked. I've lost a frogs spawn and a torch from it.
Also I just set up a algae reactor and within two days my cheato was smothered in GHA.
I'm mostly concerned with getting it out of the display and realize it will always be present.
I feel my algae reactor is not going to work with this volume still in the display.
I did add some phyto plankton and some pods about a month ago from algaegen.
Possible that there was to much fertilizer in the phyto. Just never happened before.

 

[tcarter1936]

Sounds like you don't need the marine pure block or the GFO.

The algae bloom is from a sudden spike in nutrients.....similar to "new tank syndrome" only with a much larger nutrient load.....aka a "not-so-mini cycle".

As long as your corals are doing OK, I'd try to do as little as possible about the algae unless it's really reaching plague proportions.

How old is the tank?

Can you post a current tank pic?

When did the algae start and do you already know for sure what caused it?

Oh and thanks for the reply.
Just trying the gfo to get algae down to allow reactor to take over.
Do you feel that's a bad approach?

 

[40B Knasty]

Oh and thanks for the reply.
Just trying the gfo to get algae down to allow reactor to take over.
Do you feel that's a bad approach?

I was suggested to use Chemi Pure Elite. Which is GFO and I did not know that. I ended up pulling in it out in 1 day from my filter, because it melted a Yellow Hammer with blue tips and a beautiful Gold Torch. The GFO absorbed way to much. Since you are using it. Know the amount of GFO to use. I would hate for someone else to go through the same losses I did.

 

[tcarter1936]

Per directions I was to use 2.8 cups.
I started with 1.8 cups and I'm periodically blowing water through rocks to kick out detritus, hopefully me starting with approximately 2/3 dose will help. Fingers crossed,I will update my experience soon.
Now I'm nervous to go home lol

 

[clowner]

Well could be that the gha used up the phosphate to grow

 

[tcarter1936]

The problem I have is it's mostly on sand and I vacuumed it out but grew back but I'm thinking it's detritus related that why I'm stirring up slowly while gfo I present.

 

[Hans-Werner]

Low phosphates in the water will not help against GHA since hair algae take the phosphates from the substrate (sand or rocks). GFO will take the phosphate out of the water and worsen the situation for the corals in the tank. It will even support growth of GHA by giving them a competitive advantage over the corals.

 

[tcarter1936]

Well I turned off the reactor this morning. I haven't seen any negative effects on corals or colors so I figured that I'd play it safe. I'm going to monitor for a while and see if it will run it's course

 

[recess62]

Have you thought about using vibrant ?

 

[tcarter1936]

I have vibrant and have a thread starter but only dosed twice, no results yet but I haven't dosed aGain I'm going to dose nothing and wait a week and see what happens.

 

[mcarroll]

Algae started about a month ago and I've started having to use a toothbrush to keep my acros from being attacked. I've lost a frogs spawn and a torch from it.

Possible that there was to much fertilizer in the phyto. Just never happened before.

Sounds like something is off....seems like a little fertilizer in a big tank shouldn't bother lagoon corals like your Euphillias if they were otherwise healthy and unstressed. I'd guess the opposite problem...starvation.

Also I just set up a algae reactor and within two days my cheato was smothered in GHA.

Sounds like an ATS would be a better fit (for now at least) than chaeto. If you want to keep the reactor, then replace the chaeto with some ATS media that's cleanable and you're all set. Grow what'll grow!

Sounds like you don't need the marine pure block or the GFO.

Well I turned off the reactor this morning.

Hopefully you mean the GFO reactor?

You didn't have any PO4 for it to pull out according to the tests you showed. Definitely going to cause problems for corals!

Like I said the cause was the influx of nutrients – not the leftovers in the water. It's pretty hard to get them out once they're in.

It's best in most cases to go with it vs fighting it – if the event that caused it was exceptional (vs persistent) then the bloom will come to an end on its own. As needed, use an ATS or similar tool to isolate as much of the algae growth as you can.

 

[Pola0502ds]

The problem I have is it's mostly on sand and I vacuumed it out but grew back but I'm thinking it's detritus related that why I'm stirring up slowly while gfo I present.

Get a sand sifting goby. Some people love them some hate them. But I love them, have never had any aglae on the sand since adding him. Does a great job. Also sounds like you need more flow. After my goby died algae came back but I cranked up the flow and the algae went away pretty quick which indicated that my flow was originally too low to begin with. People just don't understand just how important flow is. It can solve quite a bit of problems.

 

[tcarter1936]

Sounds like something is off....seems like a little fertilizer in a big tank shouldn't bother lagoon corals like your Euphillias if they were otherwise healthy and unstressed. I'd guess the opposite problem...starvation.



Sounds like an ATS would be a better fit (for now at least) than chaeto. If you want to keep the reactor, then replace the chaeto with some ATS media that's cleanable and you're all set. Grow what'll grow!




Hopefully you mean the GFO reactor?

You didn't have any PO4 for it to pull out according to the tests you showed. Definitely going to cause problems for corals!

Like I said the cause was the influx of nutrients – not the leftovers in the water. It's pretty hard to get them out once they're in.

It's best in most cases to go with it vs fighting it – if the event that caused it was exceptional (vs persistent) then the bloom will come to an end on its own. As needed, use an ATS or similar tool to isolate as much of the algae growth as you can.

Media screen in the reactor is an awesome idea since all that wants to grow is green hair algae. Also when I said reactor I did mean the gfo reactor thanks for the advice

 

[tcarter1936]

So I've place screen in the reactor to try to grow GHA.
Funny thing is that this am the GHA is mostly died off.
Lots to be said for the hands off approach.
I did have sudden cyano bloom so I guess I'm getting on my way to completing whatever mini cycle this was.[emoji2]
I'm still gonna keep the screen in for a bit to see what happens.

 

[Cory]

For some reason reefers got the idea that once their tanks po4 reads zero its always zero.

Po4 fluctuates thats why algae and coral can grow, its never at absolute zero.

 

[mcarroll]

For some reason reefers got the idea that once their tanks po4 reads zero its always zero.

Po4 fluctuates thats why algae and coral can grow, its never at absolute zero.

Never say never....what you described is exactly how lots of folks get themselves into nasty Dino blooms and the like.

(GFO and carbon dosing can be a truly nasty combo when mis-applied.)