Help me get my phosphates down.

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Hey guys I need help with phosphates in my reef tank. I have been fighting to keep them low and it just keeps getting out of control. It seems like most my coral does not mind including my SPS corals bit when it gets high I notice things don't grow and I think one of my brain corals are not happy about it and isn't doing good. I checked it today and it was at .56!!!! I had it at .15 last week and I use a phosphate reactor with phos ban and change it once a week if not more and I can't keep my phosphates under control. I checked my water source and it showed 0.0 on my hanna tester so it's not from my water. I feed twice a day small portions as well as reef roids once a week. I think it's my food that is putting it in my system. I also have a sump that grows alge really well. I do not think my bioload is to high as my nitrates are allways reading close to 0 on my API test. I'm at loss and im frustrated. I feed reef roids and reef frenzy. If anyone has any suggestions I'm open it

 

[Dennis McGrath]

What kind of food are you using and how much/often?

 

[Porpoise Hork]

If you are using pellet or flake food, this can rapidly breakdown to nutrients in the water far more rapidly than if using frozen whole foods. Also, how old is the tank, how often are you doing water changes, have any die-off with your clean-up crew?

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Have you considered adding a source of nitrates, like sodium nitrate? If you have a refugium, you have undetectable nitrates, but you have measurable phosphates, it's possible the algae doesn't have enough nitrate to grow. If you supply the nitrates, your algae may grow more and use the phosphates.

 

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Tank is a year old and was stared off of a tank that was 5 years old, it's been a problem since I started this tank. I use only frozen food and have never used flakes or pellets. I also hatch and add baby brine shrimp for food every once and a while. The clean up crew has been doing good for what I can tell. I seeded my sump with pods and they are thriving as well. I use reef frenzy frozen food

 

[Auto-pilot]

Hugh never thought about that. If I dose nitrate it will allow the alge to use up my phosphates. I will definitely look into that

 

[JT2418]

Phosphate RX works well

 

[Auto-pilot]

What should I look for the it comes to a nitrate additive
Also I am going to pick up some phosphate rx. How does this remove phosphates?? Does it change it into a non harmful form?

 

[Auto-pilot]

I bought phosphate RX and potassium nitrate. I'll let you know if adding no3 works for me.

 

[Rich Klein]

Have you considered adding a source of nitrates, like sodium nitrate? If you have a refugium, you have undetectable nitrates, but you have measurable phosphates, it's possible the algae doesn't have enough nitrate to grow. If you supply the nitrates, your algae may grow more and use the phosphates.

+1

 

[CoralNerd]

What should I look for the it comes to a nitrate additive
Also I am going to pick up some phosphate rx. How does this remove phosphates?? Does it change it into a non harmful form?

Watch Phosphate RX it will dump that p04 and give you pale colors. If you use it try a drop or two into a filter sock.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

What should I look for the it comes to a nitrate additive
Also I am going to pick up some phosphate rx. How does this remove phosphates?? Does it change it into a non harmful form?

Check out Melevs video on phosphate rx

Its going to bind up the phosphate into suspension and cloud up your water. Its recommended to use a 10 micron sock to filter it out and remove the phosphate.

Personally I have found rowaphos to be far more effective than phosban

 

[Brew12]

I had it at .15 last week and I use a phosphate reactor with phos ban and change it once a week if not more and I can't keep my phosphates under control.

I would recommend testing the discharge of your phosphate reactor to determine how effective it is and if it needs replacing. I throttle my reactor flow to keep the discharge PO4 at .01-.02ppm If you can't get your discharge this low, you should be running more at a time. If it is at zero, you may pull too much PO4 out and that can cause other issues.

Many rocks will reach an equilibrium of PO4 with the water they are in. It sounds like the rock you used were loaded with them. Since your aquarium water is at a lower phosphate level it will leach out of the rocks. The lower you drive the phosphates in the water, the faster it will pull out of the rock. Once the phosphate in the rock depletes to match what you want your system to run it will take much less media to keep it where you want it.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

Red Sea NO3O4-X Nitrate & Phosphate Reducer <<<<<<<--------------click there<<<<<<<<<<<<<<------------------
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Best Stuff Ever!!!!!!

This is the best thing I have used to get them down and it works on your NO3 as well. Great stuff I love it.

 

[Auto-pilot]

All good stuff! I definitely think a source could be my rocks. It's been a year, do you think my rocks could still be leaching phosphates into the water?

 

[Auto-pilot]

Ok I have been dosing nirate and vodka in order to get my phosphates down and the only thing I've been successful in is creating a HUGE alge bloom. My phosphates are still at .25. I am running a media reactor, I have been using phosphate RX. My water gets cloudy and it takes a day for it to clear up. Should I just keep at it and hope it goes down eventually? I'm guessing it was my live rock that has obsorbed a bunch of phosphates.

 

[CoralNerd]

Sounds like a lot of Phosphate RX, did your corals suffer? I just took out all my live rock. Plan on checking p04 in a day or so should be interesting.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Well I have SPS corals and they seem fine but the numbers don't lie. I do have high phosphates and they have even been as high as 1.0! I saw the effects of the high phosphate then but not now. I think it slows the growth rate of my corals. Since I've been messing with the chemistry one of my large Duncan colonies have started hiding, and one of my SPS corals bleached a little suddenly. I stopped and did a heavy water change and it looks like everyone is recovering

 

[Bayareareefer18]

If I'm not mistaken one of the keys to using phosphate rx is running a 10 micron sock

I found rowaphos to be extremely affective in a reactor and dropping po4

 

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Ok after many weeks of dosing potassium nitrate, vodca and using phospoban+phosphate RX my numbers finally have dropped!! My alge has heen growing like crazy!!!! I've been removing huge chunks from my refugium and emptying my skimmer every other day. I think my tank is finally depleted of phosphate. I still have alot of alge to remove but I think I'm finally winning. I got the live rocks used from a guy and cooked them and think that they were the source of the extra nutrients.