Changing rock due to phosphate?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

One word! One product! CHEMI PURE! Works like magic!

Not the best choice for phosphate reduction. No magic, and not very effective, unless it is the elite type.

Chemi Pure Elite contains some GFO, which binds phosphate, but why not just buy GFO, if that is the method?

 

[furam28]

After trying everything possible to remove this po4 I had to ring a few aquarium shops and get their advice. I was speaking to one fella who said he had the same problem. What he did was remove one piece of rock into a large bucket with fresh water mixed up obviously same as his aquarium left it for 5 days and tested the water for po4 and was stunned to see that just one rock let off loads of phosphate so knew the problem was rock?

I have reactors running and carbon and filter pads and nopox, that phosphate RX seems to just mask the problem and as my opinion tells me that if it is the rock giving me phos then I need to remove it and remove the sand too?

Getting boring now actually losing interest as I'm spending so much money nothing is working!!

No surprise there. It's called "live" rock for a reason. Its saturated with a ton of living matter - bacteria, algae, pods, worms... When you take that rock out and leave it in a bucket of saltwater, a large portion of this living matter including bacteria will die and release phosphate and nitrate into the water. That doesn't mean that the rock was the culprit.

When you are fighting trates, you have to think of import and export. Every time you feed, or something in the tank dies (including algae) you are importing phosphate. Every time you do water change, or manually remove algae or chaeto, or skimmate, you are exporting. Your best solution right now is to reduce feeding, manually remove as much algae as possible, vacuum your sandbed well, do large water changes. Running some GFO along with that will also give a boost, but don't really on just GFO alone. It will take a few months but you will see your phosphate slowly decline over time, and your tank will be lot more stable, then trying a shotgun approach.

 

[Shayneoc]

+1. I had a lot of phosphate issues at the start of my tank, had a fish die and go undiscovered during a blackout. The hair algae completely covered the rock sand bed pumps back wall, you name it. I fought it for months and months. When I moved, I replaced the sand bed and about a month later, all traces of hair algae in my tank was gone. I tried feeding every other day, rinsing the frozen food, Vibrant, etc but none of it worked because the sandbed was acting as a sponge. Give it a try before you ditch that rock.

Will try ths first. Best bet would be the Red Sea sand?

 

[Shayneoc]

When you are fighting trates, you have to think of import and export. Every time you feed, or something in the tank dies (including algae) you are importing phosphate.

I dont have a lot of large fish, only one large blue and yellow tang and about 15 smalls nothin bigger then 2". I WAS feed them one or two cube cubes of frozen shrmp everyday, should I stop this manufactured produced stuff and stick to live food once ever other day? I did like to feed but have now cut right down at least 75% per week less now.

 

[Jennie]

I dont have a lot of large fish, only one large blue and yellow tang and about 15 smalls nothin bigger then 2". I WAS feed them one or two cube cubes of frozen shrmp everyday, should I stop this manufactured produced stuff and stick to live food once ever other day? I did like to feed but have now cut right down at least 75% per week less now.

If you have tangs shouldn't they want to eat the algae? Also, you are feeding too much. Try cutting back to half or two thirds, those fish can supplement on eating the algae. IMO! Good luck but I would keep the rock and sand and just clean it more often

 

[1stNoel]

Try using Phosphate-E by Brightwell Aquatics. That has always worked for me whenever phosphate levels get out of line.

 

[Myka]

Replacing the sand bed is a good way to jump start the PO4 reduction, but you have to do it right - you can crash a tank quite easily by removing a 6-year old sand bed. I have an aquarium maintenance company, and the dirtiest tank I have ever come across is now a thriving reef tank. When I first tested nitrate was about 750 ppm and PO4 was about 2.5 ppm. It took about 14-16 months to reduce the levels to "perfect reef" values. It takes a lot of "elbow grease". Lack of maintenance is what caused your problem, and the opposite is what will repair the problem.

 

[Anton Retief]

I've battled with hair algae for a year and tried everything until I read a thread on reef2reef about fluconozole,it totally eliminated the hair algae and my chaeto has now started to grow as the hair algae was out competing the chaeto,it's not a supliment to maintanace but it will take it out and as it starts to die the tangs will start eating it as they can digest it better,after treatment did a 50 % waterchange and my tank has never been better... give it a try,it really works. My algae was thriving in low nurients,my nitrates are always less than 10ppm and phoshates near undectable and the algae was everywhere

 

[chris k.]

Check your top off water for phosphates and tds.

 

[1stNoel]

I've battled with hair algae for a year and tried everything until I read a thread on reef2reef about fluconozole,it totally eliminated the hair algae and my chaeto has now started to grow as the hair algae was out competing the chaeto,it's not a supliment to maintanace but it will take it out and as it starts to die the tangs will start eating it as they can digest it better,after treatment did a 50 % waterchange and my tank has never been better... give it a try,it really works. My algae was thriving in low nurients,my nitrates are always less than 10ppm and phoshates near undectable and the algae was everywhere

Try Vibrant. It's only a portion of the price and works wonders. It completely annihilated my bryopsis and bubble algae issues.

 

[WSC]

Chris makes a great point re: top off water. A TDS meter is inexpensive & if you're using RODI, it should test at zero. Then you know you're not adding phosphates when you top off. Get a GFO reactor. Very effective at removing phosphates.

 

[Neptune1707]

After trying everything possible to remove this po4 I had to ring a few aquarium shops and get their advice. I was speaking to one fella who said he had the same problem. What he did was remove one piece of rock into a large bucket with fresh water mixed up obviously same as his aquarium left it for 5 days and tested the water for po4 and was stunned to see that just one rock let off loads of phosphate so knew the problem was rock?

I have reactors running and carbon and filter pads and nopox, that phosphate RX seems to just mask the problem and as my opinion tells me that if it is the rock giving me phos then I need to remove it and remove the sand too?

Getting boring now actually losing interest as I'm spending so much money nothing is working!!

Last resort is taking all rock out and boiling in hot water on stove. It will kill everything and will need to be scrubbed and rinsed afterwards. Let dry in the sun add back to tank. I def would vacuum everyblast not of sand out for now. Either go bare bottom or just an inch of course crushed coral. Just remember doing this....ur starting all over with your tank and it will need to cycle. Let the tank mature for at least a year before adding an delicate corals inverts. I would also just start with a few small fish for about the first 6 months to help move the cycle along. Keep up with water changes weekly, NoPox and good maintenance routine. The tank should settle in in about 6 months. Do weekly water tests till you feel things are 90%. Stable week to week. also would suggest if you have a sump area, give that. Good cleaning. Lots of leftover crud and stuff in sponges and stuff can hide nitrates/phophates. I still highly recommend phosban in a reactor. Follow instructions, and swop media every few months based on tests and what your phosphate levels are. Hang in there, it’s a ***** of a problem, but once you get the solve the tank looks great and stock it up!

 

[Neptune1707]

I should also warn u if boil the rock, u may need to evacuate ur family....the smell can be pretty bad. If all that is to much, it may just be better to start over as u said....buy some well seasoned and skimmed live rock from your local fish store. Before I buy it ask how long it’s been “soaking” at the store. It won’t do you any good if the store just got a fresh batch of rock in and sell you that....it may be loaded with”die-off” from shipping. Your looking for clean, well mature rock that should have no smell to it when you pick it up. I personally have never booked rock, but heard it can be affective. If you buy fresh live rock, and it’s lools good from the store, I would still give it a good scrub in some fresh RO/DI water and then add to tank.

 

[Neptune1707]

I dont have a lot of large fish, only one large blue and yellow tang and about 15 smalls nothin bigger then 2". I WAS feed them one or two cube cubes of frozen shrmp everyday, should I stop this manufactured produced stuff and stick to live food once ever other day? I did like to feed but have now cut right down at least 75% per week less now.

Yeah def slow down on frozen food, and start feeding Nori daily for tangs or they can develop HLLE. I fish frozen food only once a week as a treat, and rinse it well before adding to the tank. The water that is frozen with frozen cubes is soooooo nasty and full of nitrate phosphate, rinse well!!!!

 

[Davy Jones]

Do not boil live rock in your home. It not only has a risk of exploding (trapped pockets of water expanding..) it can also be toxic to your health.

If you want kill your rock, scrub the heck outta it with a brush, then do an acid bath. Leave in the sun for 2 weeks, and let sit in a bucket of rodi water for 2 weeks with a pump

 

[WSC]

Run GFO in an expensive reactor prior to going nuclear with your rock. You're probably looking at about $75 bux for a phosban reactor, pump & enough GFO to last a couple months.

 

[dealseer]

Run GFO in an expensive reactor prior to going nuclear with your rock. You're probably looking at about $75 bux for a phosban reactor, pump & enough GFO to last a couple months.

I disagree with needing an expensive reactor. BRS reactor works great.

 

[FinnyGyrrl]

+1. I had a lot of phosphate issues at the start of my tank, had a fish die and go undiscovered during a blackout. The hair algae completely covered the rock sand bed pumps back wall, you name it. I fought it for months and months. When I moved, I replaced the sand bed and about a month later, all traces of hair algae in my tank was gone. I tried feeding every other day, rinsing the frozen food, Vibrant, etc but none of it worked because the sandbed was acting as a sponge. Give it a try before you ditch that rock.

From a newb: never be afraid to treat the cause. Drastically!! Tanks & occupants are super-resilient to sandbed replacement, etc., "as long as that's the only thing changed." That sandbed sounds overdue for a changing. A portion of it can be changed out, every 3-4 days, for new live substrate. The rock will improve function with a scrubbing done in old tank water at your next few water changes--a portion at a time!
Also, I had heart-stopping episodes of 1) aptaisia, barf, & 2) red cyano. Both stories "stopped" when I saw those pieces of suspicious rocks, put them in buckets of bleach & water, re-cycled them in a qt, and replaced them in their respective dt's. Bleach & sunshine makes a lot of nightmares "just go away", no chemistry degree required.
If YOU feel like it's a bad rock, it's a bad rock. Treat it like a Bad Rock!! No guilt!! You deserve the peace of mind!! Your instincts are usually Right On!

 

[Demond Mcelrath]

hi everyone.

For the past 6 months my phosphate has been increasing rapidly and is stable at around 0.42.

Every other day there is build up of dark cloudy stuff on my glass and I've tried absolutely everything from all media to reactors 100% water changes but nothing seems to work. My last option is to remove the old rock and put some fresh lot in?

I've been told that the rock I have is the course of my phosphate, is this true? Can live rock really kill your water?

The rock has been in there for 6 years and last year the tank crashed due to phosphate as wasn't been looked after and the build up was rank.

New rock?

I'm having the same issues I would really like some feedback on this as well

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm having the same issues I would really like some feedback on this as well

Foods are nearly always the big source, unless you are using tap water or have new, uncured rock in the tank.

There are many good ways to reduce phosphate:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/?p=3184