Controlling Phosphates

[Shawn_epicurious]

I’m not a big fan or running activated carbon. While I’d does polish up the water, my corals always end up looking terrible from it. Mark my words....I will never run carbon again.

As for your PO4 issue, I like to run GFO. It’s pretty simple and works well. I have a heavy bio load (my zebra moray is as thick as my wrist and 3.5 feet long....plus I have two triggers). I keep PO4 down with GFO. I keep nitrates down with biopellets. With my bioload, I don’t even worry about bottoming out my nutrients. I dream of the day I can squirt som reef roids in and not feel guilty about the extra nutrients.

I do think you’re feeding a little too much. In my tank (210 gallon), I have two large tangs, two large triggers, two small angels, a large wrasse, a chromis, an anthias, and the eel. I feed one dose of pellets and a half sheet of nori daily. About every other day, I feed a couple cubes of frozen. Then once a week, I feed 4-5 large shrimp that mostly go to the eel.

So, I changed out my carbon yesterday and am noticing my finger leathers are not expanding today. All three of squeezed out every drop of water that can. Is that because of the carbon?

 

[sawdonkey]

So, I changed out my carbon yesterday and am noticing my finger leathers are not expanding today. All three of squeezed out every drop of water that can. Is that because of the carbon?

Not sure. Could be? I know a lot of experienced Reefers run carbon successfully, but for me, it has always done more harm than good.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Run some Chemipure elite. It really keeps po4 in check

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I just put the PhosGaurd in my tank. I tested using the Hannah ULR checker. It read .56.

200 gallon tank, 40 gallon sump... a lot of displacement. I honestly do not know how many gallons of water is in it...

You guys said to bring it down slow, so I used one cup only in a mesh bag and dropped that inside one of the socks in my sump... high water volume thru there.

Yes I thoroughly rinsed it first. I even found a video to watch how Seachem says it should be rinsed.

fingers crossed

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I just put the PhosGaurd in my tank. I tested using the Hannah ULR checker. It read .56.

200 gallon tank, 40 gallon sump... a lot of displacement. I honestly do not know how many gallons of water is in it...

You guys said to bring it down slow, so I used one cup only in a mesh bag and dropped that inside one of the socks in my sump... high water volume thru there.

Yes I thoroughly rinsed it first. I even found a video to watch how Seachem says it should be rinsed.

fingers crossed

Wow, this is going to take a greater effort than I thought. I haven’t made a dent yet.

 

[Marc2952]

Man i wish i had ya problems lol im struggling to keep up phosphates dosing about 0.10 phosphate every day just to keep up lol

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Man i wish i had ya problems lol im struggling to keep up phosphates dosing about 0.10 phosphate every day just to keep up lol

I wish I had your problems lol

 

[Cbones1979]

When I setup my 120 po4 was 0.68.
I used a small amount of phosgaurd in a bag, in the sump, to bring it down to .02 which is where it is now.
I feed pretty heavy and it always stays in that range, .02-.04, with no chems needed.
I do not feed corals and rarely feed pellets.
I have some hair algae but cleanup crew takes care of most of it.

Do tell. I was looking at getting a reactor or just some in a bag in my filter sock.

Currently my phosphates are .18 and fluctuate from .1 to .19 weekly with weekly water changes...i'd like to eventually get to biweekly water changes but at this point I can't.

 

[Arabyps]

For my phosphate and nitrate control I have an Algae Scrubber (Rain 2) and Dr. Tim's NP Active Pearls in a reactor. Keeps levels low with .04 phosphate and .02 nitrate. Weekly I target feed Reef Roids to coral (Billie Pipes method). Here are links for more information.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do tell. I was looking at getting a reactor or just some in a bag in my filter sock.

Currently my phosphates are .18 and fluctuate from .1 to .19 weekly with weekly water changes...i'd like to eventually get to biweekly water changes but at this point I can't.

Water changes are not usually a good way to reduce phosphate, and I wouldn't be doing them for that reason. Even a 100% change will not remove all of the phosphate, only a fraction of it, since so much is bound temporarily to rock and sand.

Those values do not look worth of excessive angst.

 

[Cbones1979]

Water changes are not usually a good way to reduce phosphate, and I wouldn't be doing them for that reason. Even a 100% change will not remove all of the phosphate, only a fraction of it, since so much is bound temporarily to rock and sand.

Those values do not look worth of excessive angst.

It’s just everything says 5 nitrate and under .1 phosphates for the best tanks.

I’m considering phosguard or an algae scrubber to assist so I can reduce water changes

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s just everything says 5 nitrate and under .1 phosphates for the best tanks.

I’m considering phosguard or an algae scrubber to assist so I can reduce water changes

It's fine to want to lower then, but there are tanks most can only dream of with 1 ppm phosphate and 100 ppm nitrate:

Skeptical Reefkeeping 9: Test Kits, Chasing Numbers and Phosphate

By Rich Ross and Chris Jury There are many standard parameters in the reefkeeping world that aquarists strive to match in their home reefs – water quality,

reefs.com

 

[Cbones1979]

It's fine to want to lower then, but there are tanks most can only dream of with 1 ppm phosphate and 100 ppm nitrate:

Skeptical Reefkeeping 9: Test Kits, Chasing Numbers and Phosphate

By Rich Ross and Chris Jury There are many standard parameters in the reefkeeping world that aquarists strive to match in their home reefs – water quality,

reefs.com

I’m mainly trying to avoid the small patches of algae in my display. Like you said I know melev’s reef has a wonderful tank and his phosphates hit .5 each month he doses something once a month to bring it down. He doesn’t have much algae in his tank (tangs help)

 

[Cbones1979]

It's fine to want to lower then, but there are tanks most can only dream of with 1 ppm phosphate and 100 ppm nitrate:

Skeptical Reefkeeping 9: Test Kits, Chasing Numbers and Phosphate

By Rich Ross and Chris Jury There are many standard parameters in the reefkeeping world that aquarists strive to match in their home reefs – water quality,

reefs.com

Great read thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.