Help! accidentally increased Po4

[armandoarturo]

As the title says... I accidentally added too much Po4 to my aquarium.
Ive been struggling the whole month with low phosphates, so I started to feed more often reef roids and aminos, but still the phosphates were in 0 (hanna phosphorus checker) ... so I decided to add some Po4, but unfortunally I totally mess up and I skyrocket it.

Hanna checker readed 200 (wich is the highest it can go)
5 hours later I tried with a different brand (salifert) and it reads "1"

Ive been searching all around the forum and did find a thread with similar issue, and all the comments were saying to just let them drop naturally instead of using GFO.
I dont like to use GFO since I had too much trouble with it in the past.... but I dont know If I should use it this time (in a very low dosage).

Will it hurt my corals?? (sps small frags and lps) ...Any advice?

 

[KQuillan]

Try doing a water change.

 

[Bucs20fan]

As the title says... I accidentally added too much Po4 to my aquarium.
Ive been struggling the whole month with low phosphates, so I started to feed more often reef roids and aminos, but still the phosphates were in 0 (hanna phosphorus checker) ... so I decided to add some Po4, but unfortunally I totally mess up and I skyrocket it.

Hanna checker readed 200 (wich is the highest it can go)
5 hours later I tried with a different brand (salifert) and it reads "1"

Ive been searching all around the forum and did find a thread with similar issue, and all the comments were saying to just let them drop naturally instead of using GFO.
I dont like to use GFO since I had too much trouble with it in the past.... but I dont know If I should use it this time (in a very low dosage).

Will it hurt my corals?? (sps small frags and lps) ...Any advice?

Softies and LPS tolerate phosphates surprisingly well, some sps are better at it than others, with acros being the least tolerant. Ive found that phosguard removes slower than GFO, but it also gets used up quicker. I had a similar issue of hanna checker being maxed out at 200, and I didnt lose any corals. I used phosguard in 1 day invervals and rinse and repeat.

 

[doubleshot00]

Try doing a water change.

This. A big one

 

[czoolander]

How much P04 did you add to the tank? im just curious ?

5ml to me got me to 0.06

So to get to 200.00 that must have been a whole bottle dump? maybe 2 bottles?

 

[Lavey29]

This. A big one

Water changes do very little to lower phosphate at all. Nitrates yes but phosphate no.

 

[doubleshot00]

Water changes do very little to lower phosphate at all. Nitrates yes but phosphate no.

I had a phos level of .51 did 25% WC every 3 days for 10 days got it down to .1. They do work.

 

[Lavey29]

I had a phos level of .51 did 25% WC every 3 days for 10 days got it down to .1. They do work.

Phosphate is not in the water column like nitrates. It binds to rocks and sand so only minimal levels are reduced with water changes. Please research the topic and you will see Randy's posts on this.

 

[armandoarturo]

How much P04 did you add to the tank? im just curious ?

5ml to me got me to 0.06

So to get to 200.00 that must have been a whole bottle dump? maybe 2 bottles?

I added 1 gram of Monopotassium phosphate from "GLA" ... My aquarium is a 65 Gallon system
I use GLA fertilizers for my planted aquarium, and have never made a mistake like this

 

[prodbot7]

Phosphate is not in the water column like nitrates. It binds to rocks and sand so only minimal levels are reduced with water changes. Please research the topic and you will see Randy's posts on this.

This was a bit harsh… While you’re right, the bound phosphate acts as a reservoir that comes off when the concentration of phosphate in the water declines there is still po4 in the water and it is not *all* bound to calcium carbonate (if there wasn’t then a water test… which is what was performed… would read 0)… if done quickly after over dosing, a water change should help to remove po4 as it likely won’t have had significant time to bond.

 

[Lavey29]

This was a bit harsh… While you’re right, the bound phosphate acts as a reservoir that comes off when the concentration of phosphate in the water declines there is still po4 in the water and it is not *all* bound to calcium carbonate (if there wasn’t then a water test… which is what was performed… would read 0)… if done quickly after over dosing, a water change should help to remove po4 as it likely won’t have had significant time to bond.

But I said please....my intention was not to be harsh and if it came off that way I apologize.

I never said water changes did nothing for phosphate but they reduce a minimal amount which is less then nitrate reduction. If water changes worked effectively then we wouldn't need GFO and all the other chemicals we use for phosphate.

Your theory is possible but not sure how long the process takes to bond.

 

[armandoarturo]

Ive just performed another salifert and the reading was so much lower, so I decided to try with my hanna and now it reads 68 (which would be .21 Ppm) seems like its coming down.
I dont know if I should just let it be and come down alone and avoid more stress.

weird, my chaeto seems loose, instead of tight ball .. I wonder if this has something to do with the issue

 

[Spare time]

Just put a bag of gfo in a place like the spill over into the filter socks. You can mix carbon in too if it gets clumpy

 

[doubleshot00]

Phosphate is not in the water column like nitrates. It binds to rocks and sand so only minimal levels are reduced with water changes. Please research the topic and you will see Randy's posts on this.

Well it worked for me. Crazy riddle I guess.

 

[Lavey29]

Well it worked for me. Crazy riddle I guess.

That's probably why they say every tank is unique and what works for one may not work the same for the other but if the end result is positive that's what counts.

 

[vetteguy53081]

As the title says... I accidentally added too much Po4 to my aquarium.
Ive been struggling the whole month with low phosphates, so I started to feed more often reef roids and aminos, but still the phosphates were in 0 (hanna phosphorus checker) ... so I decided to add some Po4, but unfortunally I totally mess up and I skyrocket it.

Hanna checker readed 200 (wich is the highest it can go)
5 hours later I tried with a different brand (salifert) and it reads "1"

Ive been searching all around the forum and did find a thread with similar issue, and all the comments were saying to just let them drop naturally instead of using GFO.
I dont like to use GFO since I had too much trouble with it in the past.... but I dont know If I should use it this time (in a very low dosage).

Will it hurt my corals?? (sps small frags and lps) ...Any advice?

Do a water change and add either a large pouch of Chemipure elite or a couple tablespoons of GFO in a nylon pouch which will reduce it. I dont favor adding phopsphate but rather acheive it through feedings and coral foods such as Reef Roids will quickly raise Phos

 

[armandoarturo]

Update:
I Came back home from work and did another hanna test. It came up to .1 ppm

I did a 1/3 water change and tested after it… it came up to .07 ppm.
Hopefully it will continue to go down by itself. I will test again back tomorrow morning and afternoon.

Overall corals do look stressed but ok (I guess ) One of my sps seems to have burned one of its tips but still has good coloration.
My lps seem stressed too, but they look some how ok.
The only one that seems to be having a really bad time is my anthelia. Looks like it melted. (But something tells me it will be back on track tomorrow )
1/3 of my chaeto melted.. looks like as if it got burned or something..
what a mess!!!! ‍‍‍

 

[prodbot7]

Fingers crossed for you!