Ceramic Biomedia

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Question, I’ve been struggling with “not desirable” PO4 levels, I’ve cut back on feeding, added a skinner, done regular water changes and changed out my mechanical filters. The only thing I haven’t done is made any changes or cleaned my ceramic bio media. Is this even necessary?
Thanks in advance

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Question, I’ve been struggling with “not desirable” PO4 levels, I’ve cut back on feeding, added a skinner, done regular water changes and changed out my mechanical filters. The only thing I haven’t done is made any changes or cleaned my ceramic bio media. Is this even necessary?
Thanks in advance

I dont think I have EVER cleaned that out..and in fact, I think it would be counter productive as the anerobic bacteria deep inside is what consumes the nitrates and phosphates.

Couple of questions:

1. do you run macro algae?
2. What are your nitrates at?

i think you were on a few threads where you saw people with similar problems. Many tanks have organisms, mostly macro algae, that uptake nitrates and phosphates. However, they need a little bit of both. If your phosphates are rising but have zero nitrates...adding nitrates will help bring the phosphates down (sodium nitrate). The reverse is also true for high nitrates and no phosphates (trisodium phosphate)