Pulling my hair out with phosphate issue

[Birdo]

I was having similar issues with my 34g + 15g Chaeto refuge. Make sure you clean filter socks if you have once-twice a week. Clean any excess algae as much as possible. Do more frequent water changes. Use a toothbrush and clean any algae you can out of tank and capture it with a net or vacuum it up. You can always try to reduce lighting or raise the light higher so it isn't as direct. I am still a newbie in this hobby but most of the above helped me a lot. I am close to being algae free in the main tank. I do run carbon(came in a small container inside a mesh bag, can't think of the name. LFS recommended) I have it in one of my filter socks and seems to help as well.

 

[Scott.h]

There are some really nice healthy systems that have phosphates higher than yours. They just have enough bacteria and corals to eat it and out computer the algae. So as long as you are keeping the garbage out, doing regular water changes, don't get caught up on fancy labels. It's easy to do more harm then good.

 

[jerburton]

I would do a series of large (50%+ water changes) while vacuuming the sand. I'm not sure you need to fully remove it as long as you can get it cleaned up. Also check your bulbs age and operating temperature. UV sterilizers can help but need to be properly sized and do require a financial and plumbing investment.

 

[Scott.h]

Are you using any coral food? The fact that your nitrates are 2 and phosphates are .1 my guess is food or coral food. As long as it's not coming from your water, which you have new filter so it shouldn't be. Have you done any carbon dosing to lower your nitrates down to two?

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Are you using any coral food? The fact that your nitrates are 2 and phosphates are .1 my guess is food or coral food. As long as it's not coming from your water, which you have new filter so it shouldn't be. Have you done any carbon dosing to lower your nitrates down to two?

I do use coral food, maybe 2-3x per week. I mix between oyster feast, amino, ME coral food, reef roids

 

[ChrisQ0904]

You don't mention it, but are you texting your RODI and also your mixed saltwater? That can at least nullify the possibility that you're adding it. Also, have you double checked with another test? Take a sample to a LFS.

I'm not following you 100% here. I have tested my TDS in my RODI but never my saltwater. I assume if my RODI is clean my saltwater will be too since I'm only adding salt. I always have 40g RO in a container but my saltwater is only mixed the day of a WC.

 

[Scott.h]

I do use coral food, maybe 2-3x per week. I mix between oyster feast, amino, ME coral food, reef roids

thats probably a good chunk of the problem. As long as you have no3 and po4, which you do I'd stop adding coral food. None.

 

[Higher Thinking]

I'm not following you 100% here. I have tested my TDS in my RODI but never my saltwater. I assume if my RODI is clean my saltwater will be too since I'm only adding salt. I always have 40g RO in a container but my saltwater is only mixed the day of a WC.

Not TDS...phosphates. It will confirm if your salt has phosphates. Just because you're "only adding salt," doesn't mean you're only adding salt. The NaCl (actually salt) is the primary ingredient but there's all kinds of impurities, additives, other minerals, etc. that are also part of the make up.

Like I said earlier, it will at least confirm all source water has no phosphates.

 

[Scott.h]

I actually had to add some this morning

 

[ChrisQ0904]

thats probably a good chunk of the problem. As long as you have no3 and po4, which you do I'd stop adding coral food. None.

Ok, I will give that a go. My N03 being 2 doesn't bother me at all just the P04. I get your point though, no food until the corals use up what's already in the water.

Well it will confirm if your salt has phosphates. Just because you're "only adding salt," doesn't mean you're only adding salt. The NaCl (actually salt) is the primary ingredient but there's all kinds of impurities, additives, other minerals, etc. that are also part of the make up.

Like I said earlier, it will at least confirm all source water has no phosphates.

Ok I understand you now. I mix my water on Sunday so tomorrow I will test the water and post what I find.

 

[ChrisQ0904]

I would do a series of large (50%+ water changes) while vacuuming the sand. I'm not sure you need to fully remove it as long as you can get it cleaned up. Also check your bulbs age and operating temperature. UV sterilizers can help but need to be properly sized and do require a financial and plumbing investment.

I've been somewhat wanting to go BB but I'll think it over for a while before I make up my mind. Bulbs are 2 months old, I change them every 8 months.

 

[Broadfield]

I use the following method for keeping my sand ultra clean. Now if you currently have a ton of detritus in your sand, then I would not do the whole tank the first time. I would do one section about once per week and break it up in several sections... that way you are not releasing a ton of detritus and built up junk into the water column on the first go around. Once you get all of the sections done over the course of several weeks, then you should be fine to do the whole tank at once. It only takes a few minutes to do an average sized tank and it will keep your sand really clean. My coral also have a great feeding response when I do it. I enjoy doing it so much that I have even been doing it every day. When done that often, I literally see nothing come out of my sand.

 

[cap232]

I have been battling an issue of slowly increasing phosphates and can't seem to get it to stay low. I have tried several things and it'll for for a little but it always jumps back up. So far I have tried GFO, ATS, and Chaeto reactor. I do not over feed my fish or my corals. I feed my fish once a day and I occasionally forget to to feed them for a day two. My parameters are as follows:

CA: 420-450
ALK: 7.5
MG: 1400-1500
P04: currently 0.1
N03: 0-2
PH: 7.7

The corals are looking good but the algae it's starting to drive me crazy. It's about 80g total volume and I do weekly 10g changes. I have a shallow sandbed that I am thinking about removing in hopes that may be one of the issues. I also started dosing nitrates in hopes it would bring the P04 down but no luck at all. I make my own RODI and I am getting 0tds water and all filters were replaced 2 weeks ago. I'm using fritz salt mixing to 1.025.

Any help would be greatly appreciated because this is starting to drive me crazy.

your ph is to low

 

[cap232]

I use the following method for keeping my sand ultra clean. Now if you currently have a ton of detritus in your sand, then I would not do the whole tank the first time. I would do one section about once per week and break it up in several sections... that way you are not releasing a ton of detritus and built up junk into the water column on the first go around. Once you get all of the sections done over the course of several weeks, then you should be fine to do the whole tank at once. It only takes a few minutes to do an average sized tank and it will keep your sand really clean. My coral also have a great feeding response when I do it. I enjoy doing it so much that I have even been doing it every day. When done that often, I literally see nothing come out of my sand.

what brand and size is the and you have.? I am redoing a tank right now and I don't want the fine sand anymore .

 

[Broadfield]

what brand and size is the and you have.? I am redoing a tank right now and I don't want the fine sand anymore .

Tropic Eden Reefflakes Aragonite Sand

https://premiumaquatics.com/products/tropic-eden-reefflakes-aragonite-sand-30lb.html

 

[Damien Buckley]

Interestingly enough my phosphate problems started at around the 1 year mark too. Still trying to figure it out myself

 

[Broadfield]

I have always used GFO from one company or another... and it has always worked great. However, I always thought it was a tad bit of a pain in the butt. Inevitably some would sneak past the reactor foam pads and get in my sump etc. I decided to see if there were any newer solutions that would give me the nice subtle removal of phosphates like GFO does. Low and behold I think I have found my favorite product! It doesn't take much and it just sits in my reactor without the potential of any getting in my sump or display... and it seems to last considerably longer than GFO.

http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/xport_po4t.php

 

[ChrisQ0904]

I have always used GFO from one company or another... and it has always worked great. However, I always thought it was a tad bit of a pain in the butt. Inevitably some would sneak past the reactor foam pads and get in my sump etc. I decided to see if there were any newer solutions that would give me the nice subtle removal of phosphates like GFO does. Low and behold I think I have found my favorite product! It doesn't take much and it just sits in my reactor without the potential of any getting in my sump or display... and it seems to last considerably longer than GFO.

http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/xport_po4t.php

Thanks for posting this. Going to do some reading on this now.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Did you verify your po4 test with another test kit?

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Ok, I tested the P04 on the newly mixed saltwater and the RODI and I get a 0 reading on it. I'm using the Hanna phosphorous checker to do my tests. I will try to get some sample water to a LFS later this week and see how they compare. In the meantime I will place an order for the brightwell p04 remover since it seams I can run it without a reactor.

I took the advice to blast my sandbed and I only felt comfortable doing a small portion after seeing all the crap come out. I think I will do a new section every 2-3days until I feel comfortable to do the whole tank. It was pretty easy with just a regular turkey baster but I will still most likely order the TLF product because it seems as if I won't have to put my arm so far into the water.

Here is a picture after a few min of turning the flow back on. I haven't seen my tank so dirty in such a long time... I feel so stupid right now, but live and learn. It's hard to see the cloudiness in the picture but trust me my tank was FILTHY!

Tanks to everyone who has chimed in up to this point I really appreciate all the help and support. I will do my best to keep this thread updated with my progress.