Can paint fuel phosphates?

Reefnewb · Jun 25, 2017

Cory said:
You can try a dark soak in saltwater. Just keep changing until po4 reads low. Or a full on muriatic acid and water bath to remove po4.

My plan was to just buy new live rock for the tank and switching it out slowly over the course of a couple months. Then I will dry this rock out and clean it with the acid

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 25, 2017

It'll even out eventually. The bacteria will consume the phosphates. Assuming you don't over feed , Once the bio filter ramps up it'll stop.

A little gfo might be the simplest answer.

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 25, 2017

Don't buy into the hype and worry modes.

Reefnewb · Jun 25, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
Don't buy into the hype and worry modes.

The weirdest part is that my phosphates at night are about 10 ppb and during the day are about 60ppb.... does that make any sense to you?!

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 25, 2017

Reefnewb said:
The weirdest part is that my phosphates at night are about 10 ppb and during the day are about 60ppb.... does that make any sense to you?!

None.

Reefnewb · Jun 25, 2017

Yea man my tank is all sorts of messed up.... lol idk what it is!

Reefnewb · Jun 25, 2017

Maybe @Randy Holmes-Farley could shine some light on how phosphates could be low at night and high during the day?

GSB · Jun 27, 2017

Did you start with new sand or used sand?

Broadwave · Jun 27, 2017

Did you spill some in the tank? I highly doubt that paint on your canopy (unless it fell into the water column) is effecting your PO4 levels.

Hans-Werner · Jun 28, 2017

Rust converter may contain phosphoric acid, other colors shouldn´t. I also doubt that phosphoric acid will evaporate or form aerosols. More probably the organic solvents made it into the water, lowered pH and dissolved some of the phosphate stored in rocks and sand. How phosphate can be much higher during the day than during the night is a mystery to me.

Reefnewb · Jun 30, 2017

GSB said:
Did you start with new sand or used sand?

It was all brand new live sand

Broadwave said:
Did you spill some in the tank? I highly doubt that paint on your canopy (unless it fell into the water column) is effecting your PO4 levels.

I didn't paint the stand or canopy on the tank. I painted them separately and waited a couple weeks to dry.

Hans-Werner said:
Rust converter may contain phosphoric acid, other colors shouldn´t. I also doubt that phosphoric acid will evaporate or form aerosols. More probably the organic solvents made it into the water, lowered pH and dissolved some of the phosphate stored in rocks and sand. How phosphate can be much higher during the day than during the night is a mystery to me.

I'm so confused too.... I don't understand it at all. But these phosphates are fueling a massive bacterial bloom

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 30, 2017

Organic carbons are what generally fuel blooms.

Like what's in air fresheners and hand sanitizers. Those are common complaints.

Reefnewb · Jun 30, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
Organic carbons are what generally fuel blooms.

Like what's in air fresheners and hand sanitizers. Those are common complaints.

Here's what my tank looks like right now. A lot worse than what the pictures show

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 30, 2017

Can you get a closer pic of the second one so I can see detail ?

Your not using VIbrant vitamin c no pox bio pellets mb7 air fresheners vinegar etc?

Reefnewb · Jun 30, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
Can you get a closer pic of the second one so I can see detail ?

Your not using VIbrant vitamin c no pox bio pellets mb7 air fresheners vinegar etc?

Nope not dosing anything just running GFO and feeding LRS food. That's all that I add to the tank. My light is an ATI 8 bulb and two vortech mp40s for flow I'll post a pic of the second one

Reefnewb · Jun 30, 2017

@saltyfilmfolks this was the best I could do it's hard to get a pic because the bacteria/algae is clear. It's not Dino's because there are no snot bubbles. Iv had that before in an older tank and it's nothing like that.

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 30, 2017

Reefnewb said:
@saltyfilmfolks this was the best I could do it's hard to get a pic because the bacteria/algae is clear. It's not Dino's because there are no snot bubbles. Iv had that before in an older tank and it's nothing like that.

Cool thanks.
When I zoom into the second picture I see structure in the fuzz.

That's what I'd like to see more clearly.

@reeferfoxx can you look at this please.

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 30, 2017

Reefnewb said:
@saltyfilmfolks this was the best I could do it's hard to get a pic because the bacteria/algae is clear. It's not Dino's because there are no snot bubbles. Iv had that before in an older tank and it's nothing like that.

What kind and how many snails do you have in There?

Reefnewb · Jun 30, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
What kind and how many snails do you have in There?

I have about 10 regular astera snails, 5 Mexican turbos, and probably 10 Nasarius snails (sorry I'm terrible at spelling them lol) but this problem has been going on before I got all of them. I think it has to be something with the rock because during the day it leaches and the bloom gets worse.... thinking maybe daylight allows the rock to leach?