Uglies and high phosphate??

[BAMslam93]

I'm just past my second month with my 15 gallon cube and getting through the uglies right now with some bryopsis and gha on my rockwork and diatoms on the sand bed.

To help clean up the uglies, I stocked my tank with 5-6 blue leg hermits (hard to tell what's an empty shell and a tiny hermit lol), 5 trochus snails, a pencil urchin, 3 nassarius snails, and a cleaner shrimp who are doing a decent job cleaning up the detritus and gha/diatoms. Bryopsis will be dealt with using Reef Flux.

I also bought Hanna's Nitrate HR and Phosphate LR to check on those parameters and I was shocked to find that my nitrate was 21 ppm and phosphate 0.92?? I thought the algae was supposed to consume some of these nutrients or the CUC would help eat the leftover food that would fuel these high numbers. It also didn't help that two of my newer nassarius snails died and were eaten by the hermits and shrimp (going to remove the leftover shells in case of remaining decomposing flesh).

I keep up with weekly 10% water changes, vacuum the sandbed once a month, replace my filter sock every four days, and even added a nano skimmer to help with nutrient export (Bubble Magus MiniQ). I have been a little heavy on the dinner feeding recently since I have been getting up early for work and I don't want to feed while my clownfish pair are asleep.

I'm considering some options to help reduce the nutrients but I'm not sure which path to choose. Here are my strategies:

-Reduce feedings to once a day or a smaller amount twice a day
-Do larger 20% water changes per week
-Add more copepods and phytoplankton (considering Reef Nutrition or Algae Barn)
-Adding codium, botryocladia, or some other easy macroalgae to the DT (no refugium)
-Using a chemical solution like NoPox (last resort)

Since my tank is pretty new, would my parameters be normal and eventually stabilize with continued maintenance or is biological/chemical intervention needed? I'm attaching my most recent tests below; magnesium was 1260 ppm a few days ago. Also, this a FOWLR tank for now.

 

[Reef.]

Unless you have been adding coral food, the po4 is probably coming from the rocks, as new rock can release po4, 0.9 in two months seems unlikely from feeding even a little heavy feeding….can be done especially as said if adding coral food too but my guess is the rock so don’t punish the fish with reduced feeding lol

Oh and 20 nitrate is not an issue at all, 10-20 for an lps tank is right where it needs to be.

 

[Lavey29]

You are going to be experiencing a variety of ugly phases throughout the first year and you will have fluctuations in parameters such as you see with your phosphate. Take steps to reduce phosphate input such as no pellet food. Weekly water changes are essential for nano tanks. Lots of manual removal daily and a diverse cleaner crew that includes a tuxedo urchin and some turbos. Don't use harsh chemicals in a new tank.

 

[BAMslam93]

Thank you for your help! The rock I have is Life Rock; has this been known to leach phosphates? At this time, I'm holding off on corals until I get a BTA later this year for my clowns (unless you count the aiptasia which makes it a cursed reef tank ).

As for food, I feed my clowns TDO extra small pellets but I occasionally give them frozen baby brine shrimp. I even tried mashing up Mega Marine frozen with garlic guard last night (an absolute buffet for all). Would a flake food help?

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you for your help! The rock I have is Life Rock; has this been known to leach phosphates? At this time, I'm holding off on corals until I get a BTA later this year for my clowns (unless you count the aiptasia which makes it a cursed reef tank ).

As for food, I feed my clowns TDO extra small pellets but I occasionally give them frozen baby brine shrimp. I even tried mashing up Mega Marine frozen with garlic guard last night (an absolute buffet for all). Would a flake food help?

Your rocks bind phosphate and then leach it back into your tank. This is a common problem in marine tanks. A bag or chemipure blue can help lower phosphates. Cut back pellet and flakes. Use frozen food instead.

 

[Reef.]

Your rocks bind phosphate and then leach it back into your tank. This is a common problem in marine tanks. A bag or chemipure blue can help lower phosphates. Cut back pellet and flakes. Use frozen food instead.

Some new rock already has organics and po4 within the rock from new.

Chemi pure blue doesn’t actually contain a po4 remover, elite does but much cheaper alternatives out there.

 

[Reef.]

Thank you for your help! The rock I have is Life Rock; has this been known to leach phosphates? At this time, I'm holding off on corals until I get a BTA later this year for my clowns (unless you count the aiptasia which makes it a cursed reef tank ).

As for food, I feed my clowns TDO extra small pellets but I occasionally give them frozen baby brine shrimp. I even tried mashing up Mega Marine frozen with garlic guard last night (an absolute buffet for all). Would a flake food help?

Try more frozen foods, as said the food is unlikely to be the issue, your fish will appreciate frozen more than a flake food I would think, you can even buy raw octopus and clams, freeze them, then grate a little to feed the fish.

 

[Lavey29]

Some new rock already has organics and po4 within the rock from new.

Chemi pure blue doesn’t actually contain a po4 remover, elite does but much cheaper alternatives out there.

You should read the product details about chemipure blue. Yes elite has GFO and can reduce phosphate to but GFO needs to be replaced every 3 days which is not practical and that's why blue excels.

 

[Reef.]

You should read the product details about chemipure blue. Yes elite has GFO and can reduce phosphate to but GFO needs to be replaced every 3 days which is not practical and that's why blue excels.

I have that why i know it doesn’t have any po4 remover.

 

[AquaLogic]

It's not uncommon for new tanks. Keep up with water changes, clean your sand bed. I use Phosbond in my return chamber and change it every few days. For a 15 gallon, that's totally affordable.

 

[Lavey29]

I have that why i know it doesn’t have any po4 remover.

Sorry but you are incorrect. Read the product description.

Chemi-pure Blue - Chemi-pure Advanced Aquarist Products

chemi-pure.com

 

[aSaltyKlown]

I'd use Phosguard to get the po4 down. Chemi-pure would be to try and maintain it, at least that is how I would do it. It may take some time until it balances out. It may come down to .1 after a week or so, but will go back up as it continues to unbind from the rock. Check po4 every 2/3 days if you use something like Phosguard/GFO as it can take it down fast. Remove it when it hits .05/.08/.1 and then test again in 2/3 days.

 

[Reef.]

Sorry but you are incorrect. Read the product description.

Chemi-pure Blue - Chemi-pure Advanced Aquarist Products

chemi-pure.com

Stop misleading the OP, Chemi Elite contains a po4 remover thats why there is an elite product and a chemi blue product, if you read the product description yourself you will see there is no mention of a po4 remover, they imply using the product helps with removing oraganics but that does not mean there is a po4 remover in the product…a plastic cup could be said to remover po4,:if you use it to remove a cup of water

Here is the description you linked, no where does it say in has a po4 remover…the product description for chemi pure Elite does.

Chemi-pure Blue’s proprietary formula significantly reduces organic compounds, odors, phenols, toxins, medications, dissolved metals, phosphates and silicates. Chemi-pure Blue’s high-capacity pelletized activated carbon has very low ash content and rinses clean quickly, thus reducing the potential of HLLE within your aquarium. Chemi-pure Blue uses the finest laboratory grade resin technology to RAPIDLY remove organics and phosphates from your aquarium water while raising redox and helping stabilize pH. Chemi-pure Blue lasts longer than your average filter medias and reduces the need for frequent water changes. Chemi-pure Blue’s unique formula is the finest marine aquarium filtration media available for a healthy, stable, crystal clear marine aquarium.

 

[Lavey29]

Stop misleading the OP, Chemi Elite contains a po4 remover thats why there is an elite product and a chemi blue product, if you read the product description yourself you will see there is no mention of a po4 remover, they imply using the product helps with removing oraganics but that does not mean there is a po4 remover in the product…a plastic cup could be said to remover po4,:if you use it to remove a cup of water

Here is the description you linked, no where does it say in has a po4 remover…the product description for chemi pure Elite does.

Chemi-pure Blue’s proprietary formula significantly reduces organic compounds, odors, phenols, toxins, medications, dissolved metals, phosphates and silicates. Chemi-pure Blue’s high-capacity pelletized activated carbon has very low ash content and rinses clean quickly, thus reducing the potential of HLLE within your aquarium. Chemi-pure Blue uses the finest laboratory grade resin technology to RAPIDLY remove organics and phosphates from your aquarium water while raising redox and helping stabilize pH. Chemi-pure Blue lasts longer than your average filter medias and reduces the need for frequent water changes. Chemi-pure Blue’s unique formula is the finest marine aquarium filtration media available for a healthy, stable, crystal clear marine aquarium.

What part of "RAPIDLY REMOVES ORGANCICS AND PHOSPHATES FROM YOUR AQUARIUM WATER" do you not understand?

I'm here to help...

 

[Reef.]

What part of "RAPIDLY REMOVES ORGANCICS AND PHOSPHATES FROM YOUR AQUARIUM WATER" do you not understand?

I'm here to help...

oraganics can contain po4, removing organic matter therefore would remove po4, that is not the same as the product containing a po4 remover, its the equivalent of putting too much food in the tank, then removing the excess with a net, you could claim the net removes po4, they are obviously trying to sell a product, if you take the time to read the description of the Elite product it clearly says it contains a dedicated po4 remover.

Chemi-pure Elite contains GFO (Granular Ferric Oxide) in order to remove phosphates and silicates from the aquarium water body. GFO has been proven as one of the top choices for removing and controlling any phosphate and/or silicate levels within your aquarium.

 

[mboley]

No one has mentioned Lanthanum Chloride, along with a 5 micron filter sock. I use it every ten days or so to keep Phosphates between .1 and .2 .
I like the quick results; Brightwell Phosphate E works well but be careful in a small tank.

 

[Reef.]

No one has mentioned Lanthanum Chloride, along with a 5 micron filter sock. I use it every ten days or so to keep Phosphates between .1 and .2 .
I like the quick results; Brightwell Phosphate E works well but be careful in a small tank.

Or carbon dosing.

 

[Lavey29]

oraganics can contain po4, removing organic matter therefore would remove po4, that is not the same as the product containing a po4 remover, its the equivalent of putting too much food in the tank, then removing the excess with a net, you could claim the net removes po4, they are obviously trying to sell a product, if you take the time to read the description of the Elite product it clearly says it contains a dedicated po4 remover.

Chemi-pure Elite contains GFO (Granular Ferric Oxide) in order to remove phosphates and silicates from the aquarium water body. GFO has been proven as one of the top choices for removing and controlling any phosphate and/or silicate levels within your aquarium.

You do realize that blue is the updated most modern version of elite right?

Sorry but this is a meaningless argument for me here. I'm just a simple guy and when I read it RAPIDLY REDUCES PHOSPHATES IN YOUR AQUARIUM WATER. my simple way of thinking simply tells me that there is something in the chemical make up of the product that causes it to RAPIDLY REMOVE PHOSPHATES FROM MY AQUARIUM WATER but that is just my simple minded interpretation of the product description. I have not done my own independent chemical analysis and am just going off the product description on their website where it simply states "RAPIDLY REMOVES ORGANCICS AND PHOSPHATES FROM YOUR AQUARIUM WATER". (Please note this is their product description listed on their website for their product NOT MY SPECULATVE INTERPRETATION).

I guess after reading the description that states RAPIDLY REMOVES ORGANCICS AND PHOSPHATES FROM YOUR AQUARIUM WATER that an individual (apparently you) can conclude that there us no phosphate remover substance in the product which is fine.

All tanks are unique and everyone is entitled to their opnion....good day to you Sir.

 

[Reef.]

All tanks are unique and everyone is entitled to their opnion....good day to you Sir.

You’re entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts…think anyone that reads this thread can now come to their own opinion based on the facts.

I did believe you initially wanted to help but that turned into wanting to be right.

I apologise to the OP for the diversion on their thread.

 

[BAMslam93]

Oh no worries! I know you all are trying to help and everyone's mileage varies so it's okay!

I certainly don't want zero phosphates and cause a dino bloom. I got some Phosguard to start and did a 20% water change this morning. I also dosed Reef Flux to kill off the bryopsis so hopefully that doesn't spike the phosphate further. Once the two weeks are up, I'll throw back in my activated carbon bag and the phosguard and monitor the phosphate levels.

Thank you for your input!