Phosphate troubles

LMSquire · Nov 29, 2023

Fellow reefers,

I’m in phosphate hell here.

Ws at .5, got it down to .34 through a few water changes.

Popped my yellow tang into the tank and a foxface. Few days later it is now .62. I’m concerned. The refugium I started doesn’t seem to be helping, although I got some more chaeto from the barn today.

Also been dosing live phytoplankton, 30 ml. For 90 gallon volume each night, idk how much that would affect. I’m also probably over feeding if I’m being honest.

Other parameters are standard,

Temp: 79
Salinity: 1.025
NO3 - 15-20
Alk: 10.4 (bit high, figuring out new doser)
Cal: 500
Mag: 1350

Should I start dosing phosguard or something? Appreciate the advice.

*edit - also dosing amino acids per instructions about three times per week

exnisstech · Nov 29, 2023

Many successful tanks run 1.0 and even a little higher. My oldest tank and most successful tank to date runs almost identical to yours NO3 16-20 and PO4 0.6 and the tank has never looked better. If you want to lower it you could run some GFO but go slow and my experience has been use 1/4 or less of the amount they recommend on the label. GFO is all I have ever used and it definitely works better in a reactor vs a bag. I'll mix a little in with my carbon if it creeps a little higher that I like. Most will say don't mix it as it has to tumble but mixing it works well enough for me.

EDIT: Everything I've read say water changes do very little to lower PO4

mrpontiac80 · Nov 29, 2023

I had trouble with gfo. It worked great and then would saturate or whatever and quit working. My phosphate was like a roller coaster.
I then switched to Red Sea nopox and loved it. I was able to keep it where I wanted it constantly. I would recommend starting with a much lower dose than recommended to see how it works in your system. Also if you go the nopox route… I just added the dosage manually right down into the skimmer neck.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Nov 29, 2023

why are you in "phosphate hell" lol? do you have algae problem?
Phosphate level doesn't affect fish.
Refugium is more to export nitrate, not so much phosphate.
Unknown if phyto has any affect on either nitrate or phosphate.
GFO or phosguard will work.
Why dosing amino's? You have corals? how are they doing?

LMSquire · Nov 29, 2023

Mr. Mojo Rising said:
why are you in "phosphate hell" lol? do you have algae problem?
Phosphate level doesn't affect fish.
Refugium is more to export nitrate, not so much phosphate.
Unknown if phyto has any affect on either nitrate or phosphate.
GFO or phosguard will work.
Why dosing amino's? You have corals? how are they doing?

Well I’m just going for stability and trying to stick somewhat close to the parameters of the tried and true methods you guys all have. Yeah I have a few corals and they look pretty good, not getting the amount of growth I want but the tank is only 6 months old.

LMSquire · Nov 29, 2023

exnisstech said:
Many successful tanks run 1.0 and even a little higher. My oldest tank and most successful tank to date runs almost identical to yours NO3 16-20 and PO4 0.6 and the tank has never looked better. If you want to lower it you could run some GFO but go slow and my experience has been use 1/4 or less of the amount they recommend on the label. GFO is all I have ever used and it definitely works better in a reactor vs a bag. I'll mix a little in with my carbon if it creeps a little higher that I like. Most will say don't mix it as it has to tumble but mixing it works well enough for me.

EDIT: Everything I've read say water changes do very little to lower PO4

I seriously don’t think the wc help much at all with po4.

So if I want to go the more natural route and not have swings, maybe just quit feeding so much and see if that helps?

I have heard that a lot of successful reefs run higher than .6, I just worry that at 6 months on this tank I don’t have the experience to be operating so far out of established parameters.

My smaller 25 gal lagoon is doing great too, and I just tested that at .55 so I’m prob over feeding there too.

If I decide feeding how soon would you expect to see a drop?

Mr. Mojo Rising · Nov 29, 2023

LMSquire said:
Well I’m just going for stability and trying to stick somewhat close to the parameters of the tried and true methods you guys all have. Yeah I have a few corals and they look pretty good, not getting the amount of growth I want but the tank is only 6 months old.

Thats a beautiful tank, congrats.

exnisstech · Nov 29, 2023

LMSquire said:
If I decide feeding how soon would you expect to see a drop?

I have to be honest and say I do not know. I have tried increasing feeding to raise N and P before but never decreasing feeding to lower them. I'm sure someone withmore knowledge than myself will be able to answer that.