.85ppm Phosphate, should I worry?

[KrisReef]

My moving old rock and sand plan didn't survive 1st contact.

At some point I decided 2 things:
1. I wanted to take my time for the aquascaping and not just go with stacking rocks.
2. I was not confident in a wholesale move from a 34 to 108 gal tank wouldn't have casualties.

So I decided to just go fresh and new and transition things slowly.

The new tank is cycled and refugium is up and running. I'll start transitioning after the new year.

Very good game plan.
Have you tested the new aquarium for phosphate? Will you try and match most of your parameters in old and new tanks before you begin transferring the corals?

 

[arking_mark]

Very good game plan.
Have you tested the new aquarium for phosphate? Will you try and match most of your parameters in old and new tanks before you begin transferring the corals?

I haven't actually tested the new tank yet. Guessing it to be around .06ppm for Phosphate as that is what the Neomarine NSW is measuring. (RODI has 0)

Although, the refugium could be sucking that up...the seed calerpa prolifera is growing.

Everything else should match as they all use the same NSW.

The rock was cleaned and bleached prior to going into the tank and I used dry sand.

 

[schuby]

Just for clarity, NSW = Natural Sea Water and ASW = Artificial Sea Water. Anything we mix up is ASW.

If you are transferring corals, especially SPS, from a 7-year-old tank to a brand new tank with dead/sterilized rock, then I expect you to have a high fatality-rate. The new tank will be too clean, sterile, and void of the bio-diversity that is currently feeding your corals.

 

[Righteous]

I think there’s definitely a danger of shocking the corals if you plop them from a 0.8 phosphate tank into one with 0.06ppm.

is there any reason why you don’t just use some small amounts or GFO and reduce your phosphates gradually that way?

 

[Righteous]

If you are transferring corals, especially SPS, from a 7-year-old tank to a brand new tank with dead/sterilized rock, then I expect you to have a high fatality-rate. The new tank will be too clean, sterile, and void of the bio-diversity that is currently feeding your corals.

And yes to this! I’ve done this myself years ago when I transitioned from a nano with fat happy corals to a larger tank. Corals paled out, lps shrunk down, lost a ton.

I’d suggest instead running that new tank for at LEAST 6 months with some fish in it before transferring coral.

 

[arking_mark]

Just for clarity, NSW = Natural Sea Water and ASW = Artificial Sea Water. Anything we mix up is ASW.

If you are transferring corals, especially SPS, from a 7-year-old tank to a brand new tank with dead/sterilized rock, then I expect you to have a high fatality-rate. The new tank will be too clean, sterile, and void of the bio-diversity that is currently feeding your corals.

Thanks for the correction.

That my worry as well. So fish 1st coral later...I'll probably transfer some rocks and some sand. I haven't figured it all out yet.

 

[arking_mark]

I think there’s definitely a danger of shocking the corals if you plop them from a 0.8 phosphate tank into one with 0.06ppm.

is there any reason why you don’t just use some small amounts or GFO and reduce your phosphates gradually that way?

Yes. I'm taking steps to reduce phosphate and nitrates slowly. Phosphate removing filter pads and carbon dosing.

 

[Righteous]

Yes. I'm taking steps to reduce phosphate and nitrates slowly. Phosphate removing filter pads and carbon dosing.

Most filter pads don’t appreciably remove phosphate. BRS GFO is fairly inexpensive and easy to use, and will be a lot more effective for the price. The pads usually just have very small amounts of GFO embedded in them. You can accomplish the same with more control in a bag if you don’t have a reactor. If you use BRS granular I’d start with 1/4 cup at most.

Carbon dosing will reduce your nitrates, but usually has little effect on phosphates.

Since your acros like the Walt seem to look good, just go SLOW. They’ve gotten used to the nutrients. Test on a regular basis, daily at first if you can.

 

[arking_mark]

Most filter pads don’t appreciably remove phosphate. BRS GFO is fairly inexpensive and easy to use, and will be a lot more effective for the price. The pads usually just have very small amounts of GFO embedded in them. You can accomplish the same with more control in a bag if you don’t have a reactor. If you use BRS granular I’d start with 1/4 cup at most.

Carbon dosing will reduce your nitrates, but usually has little effect on phosphates.

Since your acros like the Walt seem to look good, just go SLOW. They’ve gotten used to the nutrients. Test on a regular basis, daily at first if you can.

Gotcha. I'm going to start with the pads which should be super slow. Then see what carbon dosing does (super slow), and then look to other methods.

The goal is to get everything out of the tank in a couple months. So I'm thinking to lower my current tank nutrients, accelerate quantity of fish in the new fish tank (increased nutrients), and move the least sensitive things 1st.

 

[arking_mark]

So this may be a little crazy, but my nitrate/phosphate ratio is somewhere near the Redfield ratio...just saying.

 

[arking_mark]

So this may be a little crazy, but my nitrate/phosphate ratio is somewhere near the Redfield ratio...just saying.

Latest Phosphate reading is .79 (Hanna Checker) and my Ntrates are between 10-20 (Red Sea).

 

[schuby]

The Redfield Ratio is not ppm vs ppm: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/redfield-ratio-calculation-help.306210/

 

[arking_mark]

The Redfield Ratio is not ppm vs ppm: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/redfield-ratio-calculation-help.306210/

My understanding is that a roughly 10.5 Nitrate to Phosphate is the calculation?

 

[arking_mark]

My understanding is that a roughly 10.5 Nitrate to Phosphate is the calculation?

So .79 x 10.5 = 8.3. So I'm in the ballpark.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So .79 x 10.5 = 8.3. So I'm in the ballpark.

Not sure what that means, but IMO, this is an example of why the Redfield ratio is of no use. Both of your values are vastly higher than anything that happens in the ocean.

 

[arking_mark]

Not sure what that means, but IMO, this is an example of why the Redfield ratio is of no use. Both of your values are vastly higher than anything that happens in the ocean.

Agreed. I was just observing that I was close to the ratio...which there is an unproven theory that the ratio is what is important for the tank. Since I'm not seeing any issues with these levels, a WAG as to why. Or maybe these levels aren't as important for a stable tank and trying to chase these numbers isn't meaningful.

 

[arking_mark]

So I decided to use my last Hanna test on my observation tank just to see what the difference would be. All water in observation tank comes from the display tank. The major difference is that my observation tank has a good amount of calerpa prolifera growing in it.

Phosphate: 0.1

So macro algae is doing great work.

I'm going to try and add some calerpa prolifera back to the display tank.

 

[arking_mark]

So for anybody following along, my latest testing shows:
Phosphate: .83 Hanna Checker
Nitrate: 12-25 Nyos (Much easier than Hanna)

Actions so far:
1. Replaced sponge with filter floss that I am now changing out daily to remove stuff before it breaks down
2. Refreshed 11oz of Chemipure Blue to see if it would reduce NO3 or PO4

No impact from above, @Randy Holmes-Farley was right as usual.

Next steps
1. Added calerpa prolifera macro algae to display tank (12/8/20)
2. Will monitor impact of a macro algae to the DT

Future steps:
1. Ordered phosphate filter pads to try that later
2. Have Nyos Zero to see if that can be a solution as well

 

[arking_mark]

So for anybody following along, my latest testing shows:
Phosphate: .87 Hanna Checker
Nitrate: 12-25 Nyos (Much easier than Hanna)

Current Actions:
1. Added calerpa prolifera macro algae to display tank (12/8/20)
2. Added phosphate pad to tank (12/12/2020)

No impact from calerpa yet. As usual it sort of never takes hold in the tank. I have one little clump that has found a spot. Little to no growth yet.

Next actions:
1. Monitor calerpa and phosphate sponge

Future steps:
1. Have Nyos Zero to see if that can be a solution as well (carbon dosing)

 

[arking_mark]

After 12hrs with a 3"x3" phosphate pad. PH had slight drop to .83ppm which is probably in the normal variance of the tank.