Cant seem to lower Phosphates....

[Zeal]

Title. I've tried everything to lower phosphates. I change out 1/3 of a cup of Phosguard weekly + Carbon. I dose NoPox 5ML daily (I do NOT turn off the skimmer when I dose NoPox). Filter pad weekly. Skimmer cup bi-weekly. I used to do weekly water changes but now I do monthly because my corals seem/look happier.

Calc 465, (Tested May 5th, Hanna)
Alk 10.1, (Test daily, Hanna)
Mag, (Ran out of testing material)

Phosphate...(Hanna)
April 18th 0.25
April 22nd 0.147(The first day using Hanna checker)
April 28th 0.123
May 8th 0.35

using Hanna phosphorus checker.

Nitrates...(Salifert)
April 16th 0
April 18th 3
April 28th 0
May 3rd 0
May 4th 1
May 8th 5

I have an AIO Nuvo 40g and I saw today the rear chambers have some gunk in them so I need to clean that out again. I did it about a month ago. I also added a Nero 5 wavemaker(also run a Mp10) Monday so there's been a lot of flow in the tank recently and I noticed the water has a lot more particles in it.

I have coral growth and my SPS have full polyp extension, I also have a little bit of GHA growing on 1 specific frag rack(MP10 directly hits that rack so food cant be settling on it) and also have lettuce algae that I'm battling. All my livestock looks very happy other than this random alga.

 

[fishguy242]

hi are you using rodi water? possibly over feeding?bump up phosguard to 1/2 cup think will last longer than week,good stuff. do not want phos at zero .05 area

 

[Hemmdog]

Try gfo instead of phosguard. Decent sized water change should help too.

 

[Zeal]

Try gfo instead of phosguard

Don’t I need to put GFO in a reactor?? Right now the Phosguard josh goes in a media bag in the last chambers chamber of the media basket

 

[Zeal]

hi are you using rodi water? possibly over feeding?bump up phosguard to 1/2 cup think will last longer than week,good stuff. do not want phos at zero .05 area

Yup RODI I tested last week and it’s at 0. I do tend to over feed a little in the morning around 9/10 I only have 5 fish in the tank. I’ll increase Phosguard to half 1/2 to see what happens

 

[Hemmdog]

Don’t I need to put GFO in a reactor?? Right now the Phosguard josh goes in a media bag in the last chambers chamber of the media basket

Just use this if you don’t want to make your own media bags. I use this stuff occasionally if my phosphate creeps up. Works like a charm.

 

[fishguy242]

would not hurt to take out and clean the rack,gha,will die off but adding phos as it does,

 

[Zeal]

Just use this if you don’t want to make your own media bags. I use this stuff occasionally if my phosphate creeps up. Works like a charm.

I used that awhile ago. I didn’t really notice a difference. Then again at the time I used it I didn’t test phosphates.

Is it better then using Phosguard?

 

[SPR1968]

Get some rowaphos or a good GFO and it basically can’t not work, provided you change it when it’s spent. If you don’t change it then of course it won’t work, and you may need to change it regularly at the start.

You really need to use it in a reactor for it to be effective as well.

 

[Zeal]

would not hurt to take out and clean the rack,gha,will die off but adding phos as it does,

I’ve been trying to find hydrogen peroxide to clean off the rack but that’s a mission with this virus

 

[Zeal]

Get some rowaphos or a good GFO and it basically can’t not work, provided you change it when it’s spent. If you don’t change it then of course it won’t work, and you may need to change it regularly at the start.

But do those need a reactor?

 

[SPR1968]

But do those need a reactor?

Ideally yes, or it won’t be very effective just in a media bag

 

[fishguy242]

But do those need a reactor?

no can use fine mesh, not sure if rowaphos comes in pre sacks

 

[Zeal]

no can use fine mesh, not sure if rowaphos comes in pre sacks

A yes and No lol.

I really don’t want to have to drop tons of cash on a reactor

 

[fishguy242]

i am a phosguard guy ,does not leach when fully used ,tried and true ,old school ,using since 90's,not a big fan of gfo too sandy,releases when full ,jmo

 

[Zeal]

i am a phosguard guy ,does not leach when fully used ,tried and true ,old school ,using since 90's,not a big fan of gfo too sandy,releases when full ,jmo

Ill add more and see if anything changes

 

[homer1475]

I see nothing wrong with your current parameters myself.

Your trying to lower something that is already at a low enough level. You do not want 0.

 

[Duffer]

I tried phosguard, changed it out when expired, tried gfo. Both of these would just mask the problem, as soon as it expire my phosphates would go sky high...watched a video by melvs reef and he uses phosphate rx, so I thought I would give it a try..

Best thing I ever did, no more phosphates problems

 

[homer1475]

I tried phosguard, changed it out when expired, tried gfo. Both of these would just mask the problem, as soon as it expire my phosphates would go sky high...watched a video by melvs reef and he uses phosphate rx, so I thought I would give it a try..

Best thing I ever did, no more phosphates problems

Phosphate RX (lanthanum chloride) is just masking your issue also. The only difference is it's way stronger then GFO or phosguard, and your adding it constantly.

 

[LC8Sumi]

+1 on lanthanum being the easiest/fastest/cheapest way to do this. I've bought 100g for $50, and this makes up a lot of solution (like a liter). But Phosphate RX is good as well, it's just more expensive in the long run.

On the other hand a small phosban 150 reactor is something like $50, and rowa in it will do the job as well and it's harder to accidentally overdoes it.