Best Way To Control Phosphates

[Ober_Reef]

Before someone says it, I know the first step keeping up on maintenance and not over feeding… I water change weekly, change mechanical filter media 2-3 times per week, empty skimmer cup 2-3 times per week, and really don’t over feed. I just finished a battle with cyano that wasn’t so bad and I am now seeing a bit more spots of normal looking green algae pop up. I have been think of starting up a refugium or an algae reactor because I have the space in my sump but I worry these options may work too well and strip out all my nutrients leading to other issues. I have watched and read about being able to tune these two options but I’m just not sure how much you can tune them down. I also probably have a spare reactor laying around that I could use for GFO….. since the outbreak is not that significant maybe let my CUC have at it?….anyways I would love to hear everyone’s input.

 

[Miami Reef]

It depends. What level is the phosphates at? Where do you think the main source of phosphates is coming from?

If it’s a new tank, it could be the new dry rocks leaching the phosphates. If that’s the case, GFO works great.

If you are just looking for general tips on keeping the tank with low phosphates: feed clean frozen foods instead of pellets and not excessively, water changes, filter socks, skimmers, refugiums/turf scrubbers, and GFO reactors all work. You don’t necessarily need all the options outlined above.

 

[Miami Reef]

I reread your post. Seems like you are mainly looking for a way to use algae to reduce phosphates, but don’t want it to work too well. You can tune how effective the refugium/scrubbers work by reducing/raising the photoperiod.

 

[PatW]

If your macro algae is removing phosphate ”too well”, you can remove some algae, feed more, or dose phosphate.

 

[Ober_Reef]

I reread your post. Seems like you are mainly looking for a way to use algae to reduce phosphates, but don’t want it to work too well. You can tune how effective the refugium/scrubbers work by reducing/raising the photoperiod.

Yeah I am just having some green spots around the tank and wanting to make sure nothing takes off. I did maintenance and testing today and I was at .03.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Quick update, it seems to be getting worse and I initially was worried about Dino’s because I saw a few bubbles and it looked brown under my lights. I turned my whites on and it looks more like green turf, bubble, and a little cyano algae. Any advice out there for this one ? Posting my most recent test results as well.

 

[Lavey29]

Need your full parameters, lights and flow to so we can try and determine a source?

How old is the tank?

 

[Ober_Reef]

Need your full parameters, lights and flow to so we can try and determine a source?

How old is the tank?

That is my full parameters I just left out ammonia and nitrite because they are always zero. I run two AI Hydra 32s on the BRS AB+ setting and for flow I have two vortech MP 40s running at 60% although I have been think of adding a gyre as well. Hope this helps

 

[Lavey29]

That is my full parameters I just left out ammonia and nitrite because they are always zero. I run two AI Hydra 32s on the BRS AB+ setting and for flow I have two vortech MP 40s running at 60% although I have been think of adding a gyre as well. Hope this helps

Sorry I saw the pics but missed you parameters page there.

Yes, phosphate is high which is probably creating your algae problems. Your alk is way high and PH also and calcium is elevated too. There are multiple methods for reducing phosphate. Stop feeding pellet and flake. Stop dosing vitamins to corals will also help. Cut lights to 6 hours with blue and UV only no whites to help algae. Get diversified cleaner crew.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Sorry I saw the pics but missed you parameters page there.

Yes, phosphate is high which is probably creating your algae problems. Your alk is way high and PH also and calcium is elevated too. There are multiple methods for reducing phosphate. Stop feeding pellet and flake. Stop dosing vitamins to corals will also help. Cut lights to 6 hours with blue and UV only no whites to help algae. Get diversified cleaner crew.

Honestly most of my parameters are well within normal ranges and that’s why I created this post. My assumption is that the algae is taking up a lot of the phosphate and masking the actual results. I do have a diverse clean up crew from Reef Cleaners but I’m thinking I may need to increase its size.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Your params seem fine. You just seem to need more animals that eat algae.

In my 75g display I have around 40 snails, 10 nassarius snails and 4 strombus snails.

Whatever algae is left is eaten by herbivore fish.

 

[Spare time]

Before someone says it, I know the first step keeping up on maintenance and not over feeding… I water change weekly, change mechanical filter media 2-3 times per week, empty skimmer cup 2-3 times per week, and really don’t over feed. I just finished a battle with cyano that wasn’t so bad and I am now seeing a bit more spots of normal looking green algae pop up. I have been think of starting up a refugium or an algae reactor because I have the space in my sump but I worry these options may work too well and strip out all my nutrients leading to other issues. I have watched and read about being able to tune these two options but I’m just not sure how much you can tune them down. I also probably have a spare reactor laying around that I could use for GFO….. since the outbreak is not that significant maybe let my CUC have at it?….anyways I would love to hear everyone’s input.

Just dial the amount of time the scrubber or refugium is on. That is how people tune their refugiums

 

[Lavey29]

Honestly most of my parameters are well within normal ranges and that’s why I created this post. My assumption is that the algae is taking up a lot of the phosphate and masking the actual results. I do have a diverse clean up crew from Reef Cleaners but I’m thinking I may need to increase its size.

I apologize, I was reading your print out incorrectly. Yes your numbers aren't to bad really. Maybe PH slightly and nitrates at 10 is better.

When my big battle with algae started I got 3 urchins and 2 turbos and they wiped it out in 3 weeks.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Your params seem fine. You just seem to need more animals that eat algae.

In my 75g display I have around 40 snails, 10 nassarius snails and 4 strombus snails.

Whatever algae is left is eaten by herbivore fish.

Yeah I just did a decent size order from reef cleaners a few months back but I do think it could be bulked up!

Just dial the amount of time the scrubber or refugium is on. That is how people tune their refugiums

This is what I have been thinking but I worry about running zero, will just need to test more than once a week for a while I guess if I went this route.

I apologize, I was reading your print out incorrectly. Yes your numbers aren't to bad really. Maybe PH slightly and nitrates at 10 is better.

When my big battle with algae started I got 3 urchins and 2 turbos and they wiped it out in 3 weeks.

Yeah I was reading yesterday about the benefits of tuxedo urchins but of course they are sold out everywhere.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Before someone says it, I know the first step keeping up on maintenance and not over feeding… I water change weekly, change mechanical filter media 2-3 times per week, empty skimmer cup 2-3 times per week, and really don’t over feed. I just finished a battle with cyano that wasn’t so bad and I am now seeing a bit more spots of normal looking green algae pop up. I have been think of starting up a refugium or an algae reactor because I have the space in my sump but I worry these options may work too well and strip out all my nutrients leading to other issues. I have watched and read about being able to tune these two options but I’m just not sure how much you can tune them down. I also probably have a spare reactor laying around that I could use for GFO….. since the outbreak is not that significant maybe let my CUC have at it?….anyways I would love to hear everyone’s input.

Imo the best way to control nutrients is by dosing nutrients, in your case if you want to lower phosphates you would need to add carbon and nitrates to reduce po4. It’s slightly more complicated at first than conventional methods but once you got the hand of the method you can chose the values you want to run your tank without the worry if something is going to take too many or too little nutrients. Although I don’t feel you got a problem at the moment with nutrients they all seem well in reach of what is considered normal to run a reef tank. I would do a count of cuc and see if that needs to be increased to keep the current out break of what it looks GHA in check.