Phytoplankton cause phosphate spike?

[FlameangelLover]

What sand are you using? Dry sand?

It’s live sand I think from caribsea

 

[FlameangelLover]

Get a salifert or hanna test kit so you know what you're working with first.

If it is really that high, as someone else said GFO is a good option, though I've never done that.

I've dosed lanthanum chloride to reduce phos, this comes with risks, especially if you have tangs. I dosed in to a 1 micron filter sock to try and reduce this risk, and this worked well for me.

Would a skimmer help?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Sorry if I sound irritated lol I’m actually pretty happy people are helping maybe I need to add more smiley faces in my messages so people know I’m joking

But yes okay I will follow your instructions and also I found a Hanna checker on FB marketplace for 15$ I’ll get it today!

What phosphate remover would you suggest?

There are 2 kinds... grains that you put in a baggie or in a reactor, something such as rowa phos or seachem phosguard.

There is also liquid which is called lanthenum, something such as phosban.

The liquid I recommend to remove very small amounts of phosphate, like to go from .1 to .07.... and I recommend the grains if sky high amount of phosphate.

 

[Garf]

Would a skimmer help?

I can't actually recall a confirmed issue with elevated phosphate, and softies, and a couple of tiddlers.

 

[JohnNYC8]

I have been daily dosing algae barns phytoplankton per the instructions . I have two baby clowns in a 40 gal breeder and i give them each 3-6 pellets a day to eat (pellets are super tiny). I should not be having Phosphate problems so it has to be the phyto right? (I have no skimmer just canister filter and weekly 10 gal water changes)

Phosphate is at about 1 could be 1.5ppm

I dose live phyto daily in my 26 gallon nano and I think you can run into issues if you add too much. If you don’t have a fully stocked tank I’d use a fraction of the recommended dose. The recommended dose assumes you have lots of organisms consuming phyto (I.e. lots of corals). Anything that isn’t used by your copepods will just get caught in the filter sock and break down.

An instant spike could be caused by fertilizer in the mix but if you overdose long-term you’re adding waste to your system that will show up in one form or another.

You’re on the right track with a healthy pod population that you take care of but I wouldn’t overdo it with the food.

Do you turn off your return pump when you add it? Are you adding it in the morning or at night?

 

[FlameangelLover]

I dose live phyto daily in my 26 gallon nano and I think you can run into issues if you add too much. If you don’t have a fully stocked tank I’d use a fraction of the recommended dose. The recommended dose assumes you have lots of organisms consuming phyto (I.e. lots of corals). Anything that isn’t used by your copepods will just get caught in the filter sock and break down.

An instant spike could be caused by fertilizer in the mix but if you overdose long-term you’re adding waste to your system that will show up in one form or another.

You’re on the right track with a healthy pod population that you take care of but I wouldn’t overdo it with the food.

Do you turn off your return pump when you add it? Are you adding it in the morning or at night?

I run a cannister only lol I’m thinking of buying a HOB skimmer tho!

 

[JohnNYC8]

I run a cannister only lol I’m thinking of buying a HOB skimmer tho!

I’d dose maybe 1/8-1/4 the recommended amount and turn off your canister filter for 30 minutes so the pods have a chance to eat. I love Algae Barn for pods and phyto but it’s in their best interest to see you use more phyto, not less.

I’d monitor your nitrates before buying a skimmer. You can get away with water changes for a long time if you have a small bioload and don’t overfeed.

Are you planning to add any more coral? Corals are great at taking nutrients out of the water. Zoanthids are a great choice to start with since they’re good looking, tough as nails, and won’t pull calcium and alk out of the system.

 

[twentyleagues]

I’d dose maybe 1/8-1/4 the recommended amount and turn off your canister filter for 30 minutes so the pods have a chance to eat. I love Algae Barn for pods and phyto but it’s in their best interest to see you use more phyto, not less.

I’d monitor your nitrates before buying a skimmer. You can get away with water changes for a long time if you have a small bioload and don’t overfeed.

Are you planning to add any more coral? Corals are great at taking nutrients out of the water. Zoanthids are a great choice to start with since they’re good looking, tough as nails, and won’t pull calcium and alk out of the system.

Theres pods in the canister filter too. lol

@FlameangelLover
I like to have a skimmer on any tank I run for multiple reasons. Removing phosphate is not one of the reasons. Every time I run a tank without a skimmer it just seems to have more issues, algaes, corals acting weird, so on.

 

[JohnNYC8]

Theres pods in the canister filter too. lol

@FlameangelLover
I like to have a skimmer on any tank I run for multiple reasons. Removing phosphate is not one of the reasons. Every time I run a tank without a skimmer it just seems to have more issues, algaes, corals acting weird, so on.

That may be the case but I doubt one toadstool and copepods in a 40g tank are consuming 15ml of Algae Barn live phyto a day. If the phyto isn’t eaten it’s dying, breaking down, and being converted to phosphates.

It’s nutrients in numbers out—he’s here because he doesn’t have a balance. I think at least one cause is all the phyto being added.

 

[twentyleagues]

That may be the case but I doubt one toadstool and copepods in a 40g tank are consuming 15ml of Algae Barn live phyto a day. If the phyto isn’t eaten it’s dying, breaking down, and being converted to phosphates.

It’s nutrients in numbers out—he’s here because he doesn’t have a balance. I think at least one cause is all the phyto being added.

I was just saying the pods in the filter want phyto too, to your comment about shutting it off. I'd leave the filter running its not a skimmer it is possible the mechanical filter will catch some of the phyto but I doubt it.