Chemical clarification

BDeVaney · Nov 6, 2013

Ok so I have just started to add some "beginner" coral to my tank (20 gallon). I have a red sea reef test kit along with some other test kits. My mag, calcium, and alkalinity all seem to be at the proper levels. Also there is a little bit of phosphates. I know all the parameters are very important to manage and maintain. Time is not an issue. I often stay up late checking everything in my tank. I do have a little bit of green algae and I am told it is because I have a little bit of a phosphate reading. How big of an issue is this? My coral seems fine and from what I can tell, many reefers have some green algae in their tank which, from what I can tell, is growing because of phosphates. No one seems to concerned with a little green algae. Should I be concerned? I want these corals to grow and spread and I am doing what I can to manage all levels. I have started using the salifert phosphate eliminator but I am not completely sure that it is necessary. I feel like any positive thing, when managing an element, I try can have a negative consequence on another element in my tank water. As you can tell I am a little confused as to which elements take priority and if it is even possible to have 100% solid readings throughout all the elements of water parameters.

DSP · Nov 6, 2013

If its a new tank I wouldnt worry about seeing a little algea.thats completely normal in new tanks.Your tank will go through cycles of different types of algea for a while until your tank stabalizes and that normally takes 6 months to a year.Even after your tank matures you will still have some algea growing and always will,You just want to make sure its not a nusiscnece algea like hair algea taking over the tank that normally means your having phosphate problems.And as long as you use good rodi water and dont overfeed then you shouldnt have any phosphate problems.In order to test phosphate you will need a good test kit like a hannah checker because most test kits only test for one type of phoshate instead of both so its pretty much useless testing phosohates without something like a hannah checker.As far a removing phosphates the best thing to do is waterchanges,If waterchanges isnt helping then look into adding some gfo or bio pellets in a media reactor

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy s4

BDeVaney · Nov 6, 2013

Awesome sounds good! Can't afford the hanna checker but the water changes of course. I've been doing 20% every other week

redfishbluefish · Nov 6, 2013

You didn’t mention the rest of your system….sump; refugium; skimmer; biopellet???

Nitrates and phosphates are the result of a break down of foods and things that die….can’t get away from them. So you need to “export” them out of your system. You can do this in a number of ways.

1. With a refugium with some type of algae (cheato is the common choice).
2. Carbon dosing to increase bacterial digestion and export (through a skimmer).
3. A protein skimmer.
4. Chemical removal (GFO, carbon, phosphate absorbers, etc.)
5. Water changes.
6. A combination of the above.

Most use some combination of the above choices. If you don’t have a skimmer or refugium, I’d consider those as a start while continuing with the water changes.

BDeVaney · Nov 7, 2013

Ok well I am pretty limited on space so I do not have a sump or refugium. Right now I have a hang on back skimmer and a basic filter with a carbon filter cartridge that I change regularly. Right now the stand is an open stand with shelves and my girlfriend would flip if I just put a sump on one of the shelves below in the open. Hoping to transfer the stand with one that has some sort of door or covering in front so I can add a sump. I gotta deal with the hang on back stuff for now. Also, with a hang on back skimmer is it possible to add any additional filtration media in it to filter for other stuff? I hope that's possible but I'm guessing it would just screw with the skimmers primary purpose