Can't keep the PO4 down. Running GFO for months.

[beni1085]

Hello everyone,

I've had the tank running for a year and I had a crazy high Phosphate 4 months ago. Hannah checker did not even read it as it was royal blue.(200+). Started running gfo and made water changes weekly. It got to a readable amount and ive gone as low as 40 on the checker but im adding about 1.5 cups. Should I go higher it seams a bit extreme, I don't want the tank bottoming out. Its 66gal. I'm not going too crazy about it since everything looks better and growing. ca450, kh 8.2 , mg 1350 po3 2ppm po4 70 as of now. Its a redseamax250.

 

[Zoa.Mania]

First thing first. Are you sure the readings are correct? Try some other test kits to be sure of your value.

If you are sure the value is current and high you should look up at what’s the reason for such a high value

-Do you use tap water or RODI?
-If RODI, do you check TDS constantly and change the filters when needed?
-What do you feed the tank? How much and how often?
-Did you start with dry sand and rocks? if so, how did you clean them?

As for treating
After you find the source of the problem run rowaphos in a reactor and once you're about at 0.1 change the media to fauna marine phos 004 to make sure it will not bottom out.

 

[thedon986]

Is that 70ppb? 40ppb is more where you want to be. I would try to keep it up with the current GFO for a while and see if it will lower itself eventually. I had a huge phosphate build up after fighting dinos and dumping a lot of NeoPhos in the system, then it finally started to release. Just know that eventually it should slow down releasing if you keep it up on the GFO. Your system looks good overall, healthy corals and fish, little nuisance algae. Don't do anything too drastic.

Do you know what that is on the sand? Cyano? Dinos? Has the sand looked worse and is looking better now?

 

[beni1085]

First thing first. Are you sure the readings are correct? Try some other test kits to be sure of your value.

If you are sure the value is current and high you should look up at what’s the reason for such a high value

-Do you use tap water or RODI?
-If RODI, do you check TDS constantly and change the filters when needed?
-What do you feed the tank? How much and how often?
-Did you start with dry sand and rocks? if so, how did you clean them?

As for treating
After you find the source of the problem run rowaphos in a reactor and once you're about at 0.1 change the media to fauna marine phos 004 to make sure it will not bottom out.

RODI - I check every single time I fill the reservoir. I feed once a day a few strands of nori about 4 strands 1.5 inches by like 1/8 of an inch. The rock was from my previous 20gal. I did get some new dry rock. I cycled for 2months adding ultra bioguard from azoo plus as recommended.

 

[beni1085]

RODI - I check every single time I fill the reservoir. I feed once a day a few strands of nori about 4 strands 1.5 inches by like 1/8 of an inch. The rock was from my previous 20gal. I did get some new dry rock. I cycled for 2months adding ultra bioguard from azoo plus as recommended.

I also feed ocean nutrition flakes for the other fish a small 1x1 inch flake. And half a cube of mysis ( I don't feed flakes this day) .

 

[beni1085]

Is that 70ppb? 40ppb is more where you want to be. I would try to keep it up with the current GFO for a while and see if it will lower itself eventually. I had a huge phosphate build up after fighting dinos and dumping a lot of NeoPhos in the system, then it finally started to release. Just know that eventually it should slow down releasing if you keep it up on the GFO. Your system looks good overall, healthy corals and fish, little nuisance algae. Don't do anything too drastic.

Do you know what that is on the sand? Cyano? Dinos? Has the sand looked worse and is looking better now?

70 ppb on the Hanna. I stopped dosing coral phytoplankton as it will only make for more phosphorus. I did this months ago. When i found out about the high po4. That is cyano. I had a really bad outbreak a few months back , Im trying to not go changing thing since I know that stability is key. Im thinking of adding some chaeto. Once the levels are at least on the 10ppm range. Im going to get another checker from a friend to see if I get a dif reading.

 

[Zoa.Mania]

RODI - I check every single time I fill the reservoir. I feed once a day a few strands of nori about 4 strands 1.5 inches by like 1/8 of an inch. The rock was from my previous 20gal. I did get some new dry rock. I cycled for 2months adding ultra bioguard from azoo plus as recommended.

Did you checked the po4 levels with other tests kits? Could be false reading. also, Hanna can give false readings if you don't clean the vial well enough from inside and outside (but you said it was royal blue so idk about that)

Do I see sps corals on the left side? I doubt they will survive and thrive in such high phosphate

If rocks are not treated well they can leach a lot of phosphate.
These levels could also come from the cyano you beated? I'm not sure maybe you can look into it.

I also feed ocean nutrition flakes for the other fish a small 1x1 inch flake. And half a cube of mysis ( I don't feed flakes this day) .

Flake food has more po4 usually plus when I feed frozen I like to dissolve it in a container with RODI/system water, then filter the food and only feed the actual food to the fish/corals. This reduces phosphate.

As mentioned in this thread before, your tank is looking good. If you do go with any phosphate removal method don't do it quick.
But I encourage you to test with other methods as well.

 

[Doctorgori]

I run both GFO and fine tune with some type of Lanthium based stuff …
Bad experience going full throttle GFO and its too bothersome dripping in Phosphat E every other day (NTM too exspensive)

so what I do is use 1/2 the amount (more or less) of GFO and throw it out with the carbon every week or so…
I test for phosphate maybe 2x/week and adjust to .05-.1 with the Lanthium…(frequency depends on glass algae)
…a lil easier than running a mag-scraper over a 180, 100, 65 and 35 gallon tanks daily…

 

[beni1085]

With everything is stable my acro was bleaching and it came back. Also starting to

Did you checked the po4 levels with other tests kits? Could be false reading. also, Hanna can give false readings if you don't clean the vial well enough from inside and outside (but you said it was royal blue so idk about that)

Do I see sps corals on the left side? I doubt they will survive and thrive in such high phosphate

If rocks are not treated well they can leach a lot of phosphate.
These levels could also come from the cyano you beated? I'm not sure maybe you can look into it.


Flake food has more po4 usually plus when I feed frozen I like to dissolve it in a container with RODI/system water, then filter the food and only feed the actual food to the fish/corals. This reduces phosphate.

As mentioned in this thread before, your tank is looking good. If you do go with any phosphate removal method don't do it quick.
But I encourage you to test with other methods as well.

The extreme high reading was about 4 months ago. And the checker is cleaned before and after i also leave the glass full of rodi water to keep it from stains. I do rinse the mysis for that exact reason. Tomorrow i will borrow another checker to see.

 

[jda]

You can trust the hannah if used correctly. It is the best. No reason to get another test.

Just keep doing it until you are where you want to be. You had a bunch of po4 bound up in the rocks and sand and that can take a long time to unbind as you lower the water level po4.

 

[beni1085]

I run both GFO and fine tune with some type of Lanthium based stuff …
Bad experience going full throttle GFO and its too bothersome dripping in Phosphat E every other day (NTM too exspensive)

so what I do is use 1/2 the amount (more or less) of GFO and throw it out with the carbon every week or so…
I test for phosphate maybe 2x/week and adjust to .05-.1 with the Lanthium…(frequency depends on glass algae)
…a lil easier than running a mag-scraper over a 180, 100, 65 and 35 gallon tanks daily…

I also have a filter floss that i change religiously every 2-3 days and it comes out packed with crap and a bit of carbon.

 

[Garf]

Do I see sps corals on the left side? I doubt they will survive and thrive in such high phosphate

LOL

 

[beni1085]

You can trust the hannah if used correctly. It is the best. No reason to get another test.

Just keep doing it until you are where you want to be. You had a bunch of po4 bound up in the rocks and sand and that can take a long time to unbind as you lower the water level po4

Thanks everyone. Im going to just keep on till the phosphate breaks .

 

[Garf]

Thanks everyone. Im going to just keep on till the phosphate breaks .

I can’t help but think your being led down a blind ally. 70ppb sounds like nowt to me.

 

[Doctorgori]

I can’t help but think your being led down a blind ally. 70ppb sounds like nowt to me.

I don’t think L.Erie has 70ppb … I’ve never seen that

 

[Garf]

Is that 70ppb?

I don’t think L.Erie has 70ppb … I’ve never seen that

Unconfirmed

 

[Zoa.Mania]

I can’t help but think your being led down a blind ally. 70ppb sounds like nowt to me.

I missed the ppb in all that. Thought we’re still talking ppm.
70 ppb is totally acceptable of course

 

[dwest]

70 ppb on Hannah ULR is about 0.2 ppm phosphate right? If so, there’s no problem with that in my view.

 

[beni1085]

Hello everyone I retested with another checker (ULR) and we got 71ppb. I retested with mine with the same cuvette making sure we did it on the same glass cuvette and got 74ppb. Very very light blue almost unrecognizable compared to a few months back when it was dark royal blue.

 

[Garf]

I don’t think L.Erie has 70ppb … I’ve never seen that

Confirmed, lol