Skimmer upgrade necessary?

[Gary Passwaters]

I was curious if I would get any benefit upgrading my skimmer. Currently have a coralife super skimmer 65. I was thinking about getting a reef octopus classic 110int. My nitrates are usually 2-3, phosphates stay high around 0.25. 55 gallon tank, 20g sump. Also have chaeto in the refugium

 

[Daddy-o]

I think you should just work on your phosphate issue with GFO or LC. If you pull more with a better skimmer, your nitrate will bottom out?
Cheers! Mark

 

[Gary Passwaters]

That’s what I was wondering. Just haven’t had any luck with lc. Dose today, phosphates back up within 24-48 hours. Changed foods, fed less, and less often without any substantial change. Thought about getting a brs reactor with gfo, just don’t have much room under my tank

 

[Daddy-o]

Well your rocks/sand absorb phosphates like a sponge and then leach them back into the water. You will need to dose for LC for a while to get and keep your level down-but go slow

 

[Gary Passwaters]

Thanks. I’ll continue to go slow

 

[Daddy-o]

I have been dosing almost daily since the middle of oct.

 

[Gary Passwaters]

Wow. Okay. Guess I better buy so more lc then lol

 

[Daddy-o]

A couple of us reefers have been dosing and kinda sharing results and findings in this thread. Feel free to post your findings:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/did-i-unlock-all-the-phosphate-from-100-s-of-live-rock.766355/