Very high phosphate numbers, but why

[Goodersgold]

Sorry the thread title should be Very High phosphate numbers

This is a new setup but not my first. 20g Redsea Nano. Right now I have live sand, dead rock, 2 juvenile Clowns, blenny and a Cardinal, no coral as yet. The tank has been cycling for just over a month and all seems well in the tank regarding fish health. All my numbers for PH, dKH, Amonia and Nitrates are all good, Calcium is a little low at 360. I have just brought myself a Hanna Phosphate LR checker and my numbers are 2.5. My testing method has been followed as per instructions, I have contacted Hanna to get their advice and tested water that I get from my LFS, that I have in storage, the reading was zero so something is causing this high reading in my tank, but what can it be, the only thing I have added, is a handful of Biohome filer media in a bag and some Carbon, again in a media bag. Could the Carbon increase phosphate levels to this high number? Thank you in advance

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is a new setup but not my first. 20g Redsea Nano. Right now I have live sand, dead rock, 2 juvenile Clowns, blenny and a Cardinal, no coral as yet. The tank has been cycling for just over a month and all seems well in the tank regarding fish health. All my numbers for PH, dKH, Amonia and Nitrates are all good, Calcium is a little low at 360. I have just brought myself a Hanna Phosphate LR checker and my numbers are 2.5. My testing method has been followed as per instructions, I have contacted Hanna to get their advice and tested water that I get from my LFS, that I have in storage, the reading was zero so something is causing this high reading in my tank, but what can it be, the only thing I have added, is a handful of Biohome filer media in a bag and some Carbon, again in a media bag. Could the Carbon increase phosphate levels to this high number? Thank you in advance

Can be from-
Dead rock
Water source
Over feeding
Overstocking
Lack of filtration

 

[mdb_talon]

Source water being zero and nitrates in tanks being low leads me to think issue is bound phosphate in rocks leaching.

 

[Goodersgold]

Source water being zero and nitrates in tanks being low leads me to think issue is bound phosphate in rocks leaching.

The rock was bleached for a month, and soaked in tap water over month with two changes of water during the rinse, maybe this was not enough, with water changes the phosphate should lower do you think?

 

[Goodersgold]

Can be from-
Dead rock
Water source
Over feeding
Overstocking
Lack of filtration

Original water has been tested at zero phosphate with the same testing equipment so that must be good. Over feeding is of course possible but I feed the fish the same amount as the previous tank and that was half the size of the new tank. Overstocked, no. Filtration? I’m using a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer, which is working well, is it enough though?

 

[mdb_talon]

The rock was bleached for a month, and soaked in tap water over month with two changes of water during the rinse, maybe this was not enough, with water changes the phosphate should lower do you think?

The soaking in tap water should have helped...unless your tapwater is high in phosphates which could have made it worse.

Water changes will lower phosphates. However if it is leaching from the rock it will keep going back up until it is all leached out so it can be a lengthly battle. Other than rocks the only thing i can think going on is if the foods you are using are crazy high in phosphates(since u said you checked source water was zero)

 

[Goodersgold]

The soaking in tap water should have helped...unless your tapwater is high in phosphates which could have made it worse.

Water changes will lower phosphates. However if it is leaching from the rock it will keep going back up until it is all leached out so it can be a lengthly battle. Other than rocks the only thing i can think going on is if the foods you are using are crazy high in phosphates(since u said you checked source water was zero)

Right now the rock can be removed from the tank, as there is nothing attached and it’s one structure, if I remove the rock can I do anything to remove the phosphates, bake it??

 

[mdb_talon]

Right now the rock can be removed from the tank, as there is nothing attached and it’s one structure, if I remove the rock can I do anything to remove the phosphates, bake it??

Put it rodi water with a powerhead and use lanthium chloride for removal. If in tank you have to be careful with it, but when using in an outside container can just put enough to get to zero and then wait a few days for more to leach out and add more lanthium chloride. Repeat as needed until phosphates stay zero. Then rinse rocks well and put back in tank.

 

[hart24601]

Did you test the tap for phosphates? They can be very high and even vary on time of year. Iowa can have several ppm out of tap and I think Randy said NY has up to 4ppm sometimes.

 

[Goodersgold]

 

[vetteguy53081]

Original water has been tested at zero phosphate with the same testing equipment so that must be good. Over feeding is of course possible but I feed the fish the same amount as the previous tank and that was half the size of the new tank. Overstocked, no. Filtration? I’m using a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer, which is working well, is it enough though?

There may be issue
Tuner is a mini skimmer and not a filter. You will need chemical and biological
Can you post a pic of tank under white lights?
A hang on refugium or power filter likely needed with additional water flow

 

[Dan_P]

Right now the rock can be removed from the tank, as there is nothing attached and it’s one structure, if I remove the rock can I do anything to remove the phosphates, bake it??

If you remove the rock, put it new saltwater and confirm it is dumping phosphate into the water. No point in chasing red herrings at this point.

 

[Pod_01]

Sorry the thread title should be Very High phosphate numbers

This is a new setup but not my first. 20g Redsea Nano. Right now I have live sand, dead rock, 2 juvenile Clowns, blenny and a Cardinal, no coral as yet. The tank has been cycling for just over a month and all seems well in the tank regarding fish health. All my numbers for PH, dKH, Amonia and Nitrates are all good, Calcium is a little low at 360. I have just brought myself a Hanna Phosphate LR checker and my numbers are 2.5. My testing method has been followed as per instructions, I have contacted Hanna to get their advice and tested water that I get from my LFS, that I have in storage, the reading was zero so something is causing this high reading in my tank, but what can it be, the only thing I have added, is a handful of Biohome filer media in a bag and some Carbon, again in a media bag. Could the Carbon increase phosphate levels to this high number? Thank you in advance

Silly question, is that 2.5 ppb or 2.5ppm? Hanna has two phosphate checkers and one is ppb and the other ppm.

 

[Goodersgold]

No such thing as a silly question this is the LR version so I’m guessing ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The rock was bleached for a month, and soaked in tap water over month with two changes of water during the rinse, maybe this was not enough, with water changes the phosphate should lower do you think?

soaking rock in tap water can load it up with phosphate.

Besides rock, foods are the usual source of phosphate, whether it is eaten or not,

 

[Pod_01]

No such thing as a silly question this is the LR version so I’m guessing ppm

That is interesting, Hanna Phosphate Ultra Low Rang Hi-774 range is from 0-0.9 ppm.
What model do you have?
HI 736 is in ppb.

 

[Goodersgold]

I have the HI713 LR Phosphate checker.

 

[Goodersgold]

soaking rock in tap water can load it up with phosphate.

Besides rock, foods are the usual source of phosphate, whether it is eaten or not,

Thanks Randy, I' currently dosing 2ml of Quantum Phosphate remover and testing every day (not sure if this is overkill?) My LFS suggested it may be easier to swap out the rock, if I think this is the cause. In your opinion should I stick with the dosing or swap out?

 

[Goodersgold]

*Update* Positive news. Been sticking with the daily dosing of 2ml of Quantum Phos remover. Ran out of Hanna reagent for a couple of days, new batch arrived to day and the number is 2.25, still very high I know but moving in the right direction at least. I also (after doing some digging on this forum, great work guys!) added another step to my checking procedure very slightly to cleaning the vial with a Zeiss lens/glasses wipe before each reading.

 

[Goodersgold]

*UPDATE* So I have been maintaining the Lanthanum chloride dose over the last few weeks and my PO4 numbers were steadily dropping from 2.5 now at 0.9. After a weekly 20% water change the level of PO4 is 0.7, then increases over the next few days back up to 0.9. I can't seem to get the numbers to fall any further. I'm also adding Rowaphos in a filter sock. Feeding is strict, and I'm using a skimmer. Should I try something else, in addition to or instead of? or should I keep doing the current routine? Thanks