Phosphates

[Echoplex]

Hello everyone! Recently went through some troubles and posted about my sps. I was advised not to use gfo and a reactor to bring down my .2 phos. I cut back on feeding yet my phos is still climbing I'm at .3 now. This is anything but stable. Is it wise to use a mesh filter bag in the sump with less than half the recommended amount to slowly bring it down? It's a 161 gallon system with acros. Every one in the tank looks fine but phos is rising weekly. Id be using phosbond from seachem. The tank is 8 months old, thanks.

 

[HTFish]

What was the reason that you were advised against using GFO?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It’s not overly high and personally I feel that cutting back on feeding is never the correct solution, the fish need to eat despite what the tester shows. GFO in small amounts or liquid phosphate remover would work well IMO

 

[Echoplex]

It’s not overly high and personally I feel that cutting back on feeding is never the correct solution, the fish need to eat despite what the tester shows. GFO in small amounts or liquid phosphate remover would work well IMO

I think because the tank is new and the levels are not high. They said a reactor would strip the phos to 0 and shock the acros. Even with the reduced feedings it's still going up.

 

[MegabiteOG]

It’s not overly high and personally I feel that cutting back on feeding is never the correct solution, the fish need to eat despite what the tester shows. GFO in small amounts or liquid phosphate remover would work well IMO

I agree 100%. I use Phosban when approaching .3 as I can see my tank doesn't like it above that. I haven't had any issues using it.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think first is to determine where the increasing phosphate is coming from.

Did you use new dry white rocks to start? It might be coming from the rocks on which case nothing will really help except removing the phosphate to the point where the rocks stop leaching it.

If it’s not from the rocks then it would be from the food, which type of food do you feed?

 

[Echoplex]

I think first is to determine where the increasing phosphate is coming from.

Did you use new dry white rocks to start? It might be coming from the rocks on which case nothing will really help except removing the phosphate to the point where the rocks stop leaching it.

If it’s not from the rocks then it would be from the food, which type of food do you feed?

I feed frozen mysis and nori two a day. Rocks are caribsea the dry purple ones not the dry white ones.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I rinse my mysis first and that gets rid of most of the phosphate.

You can put a couple of rocks onto a bucket of clean saltwater and test if the phosphate increase, this will tell you if it’s leaching from the rocks.

Find out where the phosphate is coming from then decide on the solution. IMO.

 

[SlothMartin]

i believe randy holmes-farley is advocating not to try to reduce phos until it gets above .3. i have had my phos plummet from .3 to .05 after getting an auto feeder (probably greatly reduced feeding of pellet from when i was just dumping some in) whether that is from the rocks maturing or the feeding couldnt say for sure. i have *heard* that mysis contributes less phosphate than pellet

could always try gfo at 1/4 recommended dose and see if it very gently brings down phos