Elevated Phosphate levels - post loss

docs911 · Oct 12, 2014

I lost a few corals last year. Phosphates read 0.00 on a Hanna color metric meter. I searched for any and all causes. I could have starved my corals somehow despite moderate feeding. I replaced my deep sand bed refugium three months ago. I have lost only a few frags that I bought to rebuild my tank. Several corals look great. The phosphate is no between .24 and .32. Nitrates are zero. Calcium is 400. Alk is 11 dKb. Spec Gravity is 1.025.

Question: Should I lower the phis using GFO or let it be? I have heard of quite a few great looking tanks with elevated phosphates.

JOKER · Oct 12, 2014

Did you replace the whole dsb? All the reading I have done recommend to only replace 1/4 of the bed every year or so that way you don't lose all the beneficial creatures in the bed.

docs911 · Oct 12, 2014

i replaced the whole refugium. I kept all the rock that was in the fuge.

JOKER · Oct 12, 2014

I would definitely try to get phosphate down. When mine are high I have algae trouble and acro seem to take a hit also loss of color and no pe. Each tank is different though I have saw tanks with crazy high numbers look great. I am new to reef tanks though. Just at 2 year mark now and I don't think you ever stop learning.

docs911 · Oct 12, 2014

I have good color one PE on most corals that I have. I am really afraid of hair algae or cyano outbreak

reef lover · Oct 12, 2014

i would def. work on getting the phos. down i would also recommend to get your alk and calcium in balance. i like to run my alk aroun 9 and my cal at 425, hope this helps

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 13, 2014

Personally, I doubt you starved corals due to low phosphate unless you were using organic carbon dosing of some sort or lots of GFO or other binder.

How are measuring phosphate?

If you have confidence in the value, I'd probably look to bring phosphate down.