New member here, but not new to reefing (though I am almost always a wallflower).
Kids got into the aquarium stuff (thats what I get for keeping it low).
To make a long story short my toddler dropped about 1/4 cup of seachem neutral regulator (for my freshwater tanks) into my reef sump. This additive is a phosphate buffer for pH.
As luck would have it, just finished cycling this new tank, so I do not have any corals in the tank, just live rock and a couple fish (wrasse and pair of cardinals, been in less than 2 weeks)
Phosphates measured at 2ppm on my api kit, and the LFS tested and confirmed about the same.
The fish don't seem bothered by it so far, and it has been almost a week now.
5 days ago I did 30% water change, and at the time I added 1/2 cup GFO and 4 cups Phosguard to a mesh bag in one of the filter socks.
Phosphate test still looks the same color, reading at 2ppm.
I dont have anymore GFO, but I do have another 4 cups of phosguard still for round 2. I understand phosguard is not exactly aggressive/high capacity though.
I am planning a water change again tonight, and change out the bag for fresh phosguard.
The first water change did not seem to effect my ppm (but I know api kits are less than accurate). Will see how the second water change goes, but I am considering something more drastic as well.
Since I only have a couple fish inside, considering relocating them to a QT and then going as close to a 100% water change as possible (only problem is prepping 200 gal of fresh SW to do it without recycling the tank). Some of my research seemed to point out that phosphate is hard to reduce this way though as it is in the rocks/sand as well.
Alternatively I am thinking of dripping a lanthanum chloride solution into my skimmer. I have read some good results with that in my searches for REALLY high phosphates.
Any advice is appreciated.
Kids got into the aquarium stuff (thats what I get for keeping it low).
To make a long story short my toddler dropped about 1/4 cup of seachem neutral regulator (for my freshwater tanks) into my reef sump. This additive is a phosphate buffer for pH.
As luck would have it, just finished cycling this new tank, so I do not have any corals in the tank, just live rock and a couple fish (wrasse and pair of cardinals, been in less than 2 weeks)
Phosphates measured at 2ppm on my api kit, and the LFS tested and confirmed about the same.
The fish don't seem bothered by it so far, and it has been almost a week now.
5 days ago I did 30% water change, and at the time I added 1/2 cup GFO and 4 cups Phosguard to a mesh bag in one of the filter socks.
Phosphate test still looks the same color, reading at 2ppm.
I dont have anymore GFO, but I do have another 4 cups of phosguard still for round 2. I understand phosguard is not exactly aggressive/high capacity though.
I am planning a water change again tonight, and change out the bag for fresh phosguard.
The first water change did not seem to effect my ppm (but I know api kits are less than accurate). Will see how the second water change goes, but I am considering something more drastic as well.
Since I only have a couple fish inside, considering relocating them to a QT and then going as close to a 100% water change as possible (only problem is prepping 200 gal of fresh SW to do it without recycling the tank). Some of my research seemed to point out that phosphate is hard to reduce this way though as it is in the rocks/sand as well.
Alternatively I am thinking of dripping a lanthanum chloride solution into my skimmer. I have read some good results with that in my searches for REALLY high phosphates.
Any advice is appreciated.
