Can't seem to get my phosphates in check...

[neznarf]

I've been trying to get my phosphates to an acceptable level for the past few months with no success, and have been dealing with diatoms as a result (I believe).

I've been using Phosguard (1/2 cup every 4 days) for the last couple of months, and the lowest I've gotten to was .04.

Yesterday PO4 was at .11 and I decided to add a 1/4 cup of Phosguard along with a 1/2 cup of activated carbon to my BRS mini reactor. I tested again today to find PO4 up to .15!

I use a Hanna ULR Phosphate checker for testing.

Can anyone offer any guidance or suggestions please? Appreciate any help I can get, thanks.

91g (73g display) Reefer 350
Nitrates: 7.1
Salinity: 1.025
pH: 7.8-8.0
Feeding: 1x day, using a 3/4in x 3/4in cube of Rod's Food original blend soaked in 2ml garlic guard and 1ml selcon
Tank has been running 1 year and a month
Sump: Clarisea filter roller, refugium with chaeto, protein skimmer, BRS mini reactor running carbon

 

[SlugSnorter]

clean filter materials, replace carbon, and maybe make feeding once every other day

 

[neznarf]

clean filter materials, replace carbon, and maybe make feeding once every other day

Thanks. I clean my filter materials regularly, just installed the carbon reactor 3/5 and replaced carbon yesterday. I will try that feeding schedule.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I struggled with phosguard for a year, then I bought a phosban reactor and rowa phos, and wow, you can see the difference in phosphate level in just one day, its incredible, and it stays pretty constant too, not the up and down that you experience with phosguard

 

[rmorris_14]

what foods are you feeding?

 

[neznarf]

I struggled with phosguard for a year, then I bought a phosban reactor and rowa phos, and wow, you can see the difference in phosphate level in just one day, its incredible, and it stays pretty constant too, not the up and down that you experience with phosguard

I've actually been considering switching to RowaPhos, I assume I can run it in my BRS mini reactor. Maybe I'll give that a shot, thanks!

 

[neznarf]

what foods are you feeding?

Feeding: 1x day, using a 3/4in x 3/4in cube of Rod's Food original blend soaked in 2ml garlic guard and 1ml selcon

 

[Dburr1014]

I agree with the cleaning but the roller mat does that by itself. Carbon won't do anything for phosphate.
GFO is the way to go. but 0.1 is not bad. How are the corals doing?

 

[neznarf]

I agree with the cleaning but the roller mat does that by itself. Carbon won't do anything for phosphate.
GFO is the way to go. but 0.1 is not bad. How are the corals doing?

Corals all appear to be doing well besides my 2 torch's. Neither appear to be fully extended but I'm not sure that's related the the phosphates. Really my biggest issue that would related to the higher PO4 levels would be the diatoms that I can't seem to get rid of (going on 4-5 months or so).

 

[CoralB]

Brightwell phosphate-E will bring it down . Just read instructions and bring them down slowly. Also find and correct if you can what’s causing it to spike although your number are not way high but do try to shoot for between .05 and .1 ..I use it with great success!!! Take it from a ex Michigander go red wings !!!

 

[CoralB]

Oh and if you use phosphat-e you don’t need the phosguard.

 

[neznarf]

Brightwell phosphate-E will bring it down . Just read instructions and bring them down slowly. Also find and correct if you can what’s causing it to spike although your number are not way high but do try to shoot for between .05 and .1 ..I use it with great success!!! Take it from a ex Michigander go red wings !!!

Amazing thank you!! Still having issues even after a month of PhosGuard so Ill give this a shot.

 

[workhz]

What kind of rock did you start the tank with? I kinda have the same issue and am happy to just be under 0.15. Would like a more constant 0.1 but hard to balance with phosguard. My theory is some of the used rock I got has some phosphate and it just leaches out now.

I have 4 fish in a 90g and dont feed heavy and run a skimmer yet still have relatively ‘high’ phosphate.

 

[CoralB]

Remember slow is the way to go !! . Read the full instructions on the bottle . For me I dose half of what it tells me to dose to move the phosphates .05 then I wait and test the next day and go from there . Small increments . I never let my phosphate’s go much higher than .1 . Be careful not to over dose it as it can zero out your phosphate’ s and that’s not good . after a while you’ll get accustomed to how much you need to dose and how much that dose will lower for your tank for your desired readings

 

[neznarf]

What kind of rock did you start the tank with? I kinda have the same issue and am happy to just be under 0.15. Would like a more constant 0.1 but hard to balance with phosguard. My theory is some of the used rock I got has some phosphate and it just leaches out now.

I have 4 fish in a 90g and dont feed heavy and run a skimmer yet still have relatively ‘high’ phosphate.

I went with CaribSea LifeRock. As far as I understand rocks leaching phosphate should only be temporary, just not sure how long. My tank is over a year old how about yours?

 

[Rp8]

recently ran phosgaurd religiously replacing every4 days with no good results. Huge gha outbreak etc. started running Gfo in a reactor po4 steady at .03 noticeable die off of algae. Rocks have been in water for years. Gfo reactor is the way to go.

 

[homer1475]

Bulk BRS GFO.

I run 3tbs in my mini with 9tbs of matrix carbon in roughly 85G system volume. I can drop PO4 from .2 to just under .1 in 24 hours.

Personally I see nothing wrong with your PO4 number. I like to keep my tank right around .1

 

[neznarf]

recently ran phosgaurd religiously replacing every4 days with no good results. Huge gha outbreak etc. started running Gfo in a reactor po4 steady at .03 noticeable die off of algae. Rocks have been in water for years. Gfo reactor is the way to go.

Sorry I meant that I started running RowaPhos in my BRS mini with carbon, I tried phosgaurd previously with no luck.

 

[neznarf]

Bulk BRS GFO.

I run 3tbs in my mini with 9tbs of matrix carbon in roughly 85G system volume. I can drop PO4 from .2 to just under .1 in 24 hours.

Personally I see nothing wrong with your PO4 number. I like to keep my tank right around .1

I’m currently running rowaphos in my mini as well, still can’t seem to get it lower than .05. My main issue is I can’t seem to get rid of the diatoms. Everything else looks great.

 

[jonnythekid]

Chemipure works great to bring phosphate down