Phosphate Levels

[jfeinmel]

Hi new to reefing and was wondering about Phosphate levels. Most places recommend staying below .05 for a reef tank and I am currently at 1.5. I use RO/DI water and Red Sea Blue bucket salt for water changes. I have a new tank with just 2 clownfish and I have only feed one time, frozen mysis. When I check my fresh salt mix that I have on stby it is at .06. So I don't see how I will ever be below the recommend .05 unless I use products. I have done a water change and my phosphate levels didn't change. Some questions I have:
-Is .06 normal for fresh salt mix at 1.025 salinity
-Do most people use GFO, Liquid PO4 remover, or refugium to control PO4 (is this a must can you do it without)
-Is my RO/DI water adding phosphate (I have a TDS meter and it reads 0 when making water; 5 stage BRS 150gpd plus model)
-Also I could just be getting to worried about this as I mentioned it is a new tank, 3 weeks old. Besides this I am still curios about Phosphate control as my salt water mix levels are causing me confusion as the bag says it should be around a .02.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[bluey]

it's in your frozen mysis how often are you feeding and how much...that juice they are packed with is LOADED with phosphates

 

[bluey]

and yes i use a gfo and phosphate remover just to be safe i doubt your rodi water is adding if it's reading 0

 

[bluey]

sorry for so many replies....what kind of live rock did you buy?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

What kind of container do you keep your water in? It could be leeching phosphate. I do think super low phosphate levels are overrated. Just try to stay around 1 and you should be ok. And if you don't have sps or lps corals yet then I wouldn't even be testing phosphate. I use a refugium, some people use gfo or whatever but neither are absolutely necessary.

 

[jfeinmel]

-I used Carib-sea Liferock
-Keep my saltwater in a rubbermaid 32gallon trashcan
-They frozen mysis I did defrost in a shotglass with tank water than just poured it in, this would of added the water used to freeze the shrimp in as well. Is this my source you think? I will have to somehow defrost mysis strain then add to avoid the water. This is a really good point!

 

[bluey]

-I used Carib-sea Liferock
-Keep my saltwater in a rubbermaid 32gallon trashcan
-They frozen mysis I did defrost in a shotglass with tank water than just poured it in, this would of added the water used to freeze the shrimp in as well. Is this my source you think? I will have to somehow defrost mysis strain then add to avoid the water. This is a really good point!

yeah from what i've heard and read and experienced it can add a significant level of phosphates if you're feeding regularly...i switched to a high grade pellet food because of this and now i feed frozen as a treat

 

[DinoMagnet]

-I used Carib-sea Liferock
-Keep my saltwater in a rubbermaid 32gallon trashcan
-They frozen mysis I did defrost in a shotglass with tank water than just poured it in, this would of added the water used to freeze the shrimp in as well. Is this my source you think? I will have to somehow defrost mysis strain then add to avoid the water. This is a really good point!

From what I’ve read yes. I had a really bad phosphate problem before I found this out and it’s helped lower it along with phosguard. I defrost in a red solo cup with tank water and use a fine tooth mustache comb to strain it. All that murky water that comes out doesn’t seem ideal in a tank

 

[bluey]

caribsea life rock is good you did good there for sure....that trash can doesn't matter ppl do that all the time yes a small strainer before you dump the mysis in is fine...they have shrimp nets at petco that will work well for this they are about 3$

 

[bluey]

i use that chemipure GFO and seachem (i think tha'ts it) mix of active carbon and phosphate remover....like i said it's just to be safe...do i need it? no...do i want to be safe? yes...i spent enough money to not have to fight nuisance algae