GFO for Aluminum removal and 0 phosphate

[primoleo]

I had some mixed problems lately: SPS browning/base recession/STN.

ICP from Triton shows
Al 215 µg/L
Sn 16 µg/L

Besides water changes, they suggested to use GFO (namely ROWAphos) to deplete Aluminum.
Whether GFO can actually remove Al or not, I don't know. However I used to have very low phosphate (6 ppb phosphorus) and now I'm at 0.

Solutions:
1- Keep GFO, dose K2HPO4 to taget .03 ppm phosphate
2- Keep GFO, do not dose phosphate
3- Remove GFO

Overfeeding is not an option. I have high nitrate from previous overfeeding. This is another reason IMO to dose phosphate as they will likely be the limiting factor for nitrate uptake.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t expect that aluminum is the problem and I think the GFO is not going to help .

do you have a source of aluminum? Any white media?

For tin you might try metal binders such as metasorb. Not sure if it is the problem either.

 

[primoleo]

I don’t expect that aluminum is the problem and I think the GFO is not going to help .

do you have a source of aluminum? Any white media?

For tin you might try metal binders such as metasorb. Not sure if it is the problem either.

No source of Aluminum nor tin. No media besides activated carbon. I had a crossflow fan which I removed, just in case.
I am skeptical about those metals being the cause of my problems as well, but I couldn't find other possible explanations and I'm trying to correct everything I can.
Would you leave that Tin and Aluminum where they are, without trying to remove them?

 

[primoleo]

I don’t expect that aluminum is the problem and I think the GFO is not going to help .

do you have a source of aluminum? Any white media?

For tin you might try metal binders such as metasorb. Not sure if it is the problem either.

As per Metasorb, they don't specifically state Tin as a target. Is tin chemically similar to any of them and it will possibly get removed?
Aluminum, Cadmium, Cerium, Cobalt, Copper, Dysprosium, Erbium, Europium, Gadolinium, Gold, Holmium, Iron, Lanthanum, Lead, Lutetium, Manganese, Mercury, Neodymium, Nickel, Samarium, Scandium, Selenium, Silver, Terbium, Ytterbium, Yttrium, Zinc.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Correct they do not list it. It is a transition metal like some of those others. Like many metals, it can be present in many forms, even in the same tank, and some may bind and others not. I’d still try it. Some folks have reported success with metal binders.

 

[primoleo]

Ok, I will try. Thank you very much.