Are my Phosphate levels too high? 0.22

[Adele]

Did you see my last post about Seachem's SeaGel? Would it benefit me to change the media more frequently?

I am not familiar with this product at all, so I wouldn't be able to recommend a schedule. I put my little bag of Phosban in for 4 days. Pull it. Test and do it again. Also feeding less, to my fishes chagrin, but considering they look like balloon animals they will survive.

 

[A_Poythress]

Right, too much gas exchange is never a problem, unless the air you are aerating with is bad for some reason.

Skimmers are not all that powerful in reduce phosphate because phosphate itself is not skimmable. It is just organics and bacteria that contain phosphate that can be skimmed before they break down to release detectable phosphate.

The Seagel plan is a fine one, but a pure phosphate binder like Phosguard alone (one of two components in Seagel) may be more efficient/cheaper. The phosphate binder may deplete before the GAC in the product is used up (when phosphate is high). .

Ok, I will go ahead and get some Phosguard ordered. Thanks again!

 

[nycjwi]

If you have a sump / refugium, i would recommend growing some Cheato and red Algae with a good light and that will bring down your No2 and Ph in no time. Make sure to run the sump light at night on opposite cycle from you display tank. In the perfect world you want your refugium (algae growing area) to be about 10% water volume of your display tank volume.

 

[A_Poythress]

If you have a sump / refugium, i would recommend growing some Cheato and red Algae with a good light and that will bring down your No2 and Ph in no time. Make sure to run the sump light at night on opposite cycle from you display tank. In the perfect world you want your refugium (algae growing area) to be about 10% water volume of your display tank volume.

Unfortunately I do not have the ability/space to have a refugium. If I did it would be nice, but not with a 24G AIO.

 

[nycjwi]

I have a 30g AIO tank and i just put red algae in the corner. It help me get to super low nitrate and phosphate and am now running triton. you need to make sure that you cut it back occasionally otherwise your nitrates and phosphates will go to zero!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have a 30g AIO tank and i just put red algae in the corner. It help me get to super low nitrate and phosphate and am now running triton. you need to make sure that you cut it back occasionally otherwise your nitrates and phosphates will go to zero!

Maybe. Assuming it grows rapidly instead of dying or being eaten. I've had all three happen to different species of algae in my system.