Help, super high phosphates!

[g8rorchid]

Hello everyone,

I have been doing research on what to use for my high phosphates and the more I read, the more confused and uncertain I become. I have a 90g reef (lps, anemones, some softies). Fish include - pair of yasha gobies, pair of clowns, black cap basslet, firefish, flame wrasse, rose band wrasse, and starry blenny. Tank has been running for about 12 years. I always had issues with high nitrates and after going from a dsb to a regular sandbed, it got a bit better, but not where I was happy with it. I started dosing NOO-X and I am ecstatic with the nitrates. They are between 10-25ppm (Saliftert kit), which for me is great. I tested my phosphates with a Saliftert kit and it is somewhere between 1.0-3.0!

I don't have enough room for a reactor and it's pump because my sump is on the smaller side. I was thinking of using Chemi pure elite, but after much reading I am guessing it is not strong enough to get to where I should be. I am aiming for under 0.3. Is there a product that can be placed in a media bag in the sump and successfully decrease phosphates? I have read about the liquid reducers, but I don't have room for a filter sock to catch the precipitate. Can just a pad resting by where the water enters the sump work? I also have a 55g that has high phosphates and nitrates. It is a FOWLR with some cuc. No sump, just a skimmer and hang on fuge (no chaeto as I have never had luck growing any in either tank). Would also like to treat that tank for these issues. Not sure that the liquid would be good for that tank because I have a small purple tang in there and read that tangs are more sensitive to the chemical in the liquid treatment.

Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[CoralReefer1019]

GFO

 

[legrunt]

A little confusing. You say your sump is on the smaller side, yet in the next sentence you say you have no sump?

 

[Devisissy]

Phosguard can work passively like that. However, your nitrates and phosphates seem to be in balance, although both on the high side. I assume that the nopox worked perfectly then. Removing phosphate would tip the balance and see a skyrocket in nitrates. I would continue with your nopox dosing and monitor. I would also try more water changes, less feeding, that kind of stuff.

 

[Salt & Peper]

Phosguard can work passively like that. However, your nitrates and phosphates seem to be in balance, although both on the high side. I assume that the nopox worked perfectly then. Removing phosphate would tip the balance and see a skyrocket in nitrates. I would continue with your nopox dosing and monitor. I would also try more water changes, less feeding, that kind of stuff.

+1

 

[Bryce M.]

GFO and I'd run carbon too

 

[Spare time]

I would get a bag of phosguard to get it down. Its cheap and effective

 

[Bryce M.]

Phosguard can work passively like that. However, your nitrates and phosphates seem to be in balance, although both on the high side. I assume that the nopox worked perfectly then. Removing phosphate would tip the balance and see a skyrocket in nitrates. I would continue with your nopox dosing and monitor. I would also try more water changes, less feeding, that kind of stuff.

Great advice!

 

[g8rorchid]

A little confusing. You say your sump is on the smaller side, yet in the next sentence you say you have no sump?

I have 2 tanks...the 90g has a sump, the 55g does not.

 

[g8rorchid]

Phosguard can work passively like that. However, your nitrates and phosphates seem to be in balance, although both on the high side. I assume that the nopox worked perfectly then. Removing phosphate would tip the balance and see a skyrocket in nitrates. I would continue with your nopox dosing and monitor. I would also try more water changes, less feeding, that kind of stuff.

Thank you for the reply. I didn't think that 10-25ppm nitrates was high, whereas phosphates at 1.0-3.0 is incredibly high. So, I am not sure that they really are in balance. I would expect my phosphates to be under 1.0 with my nitrate readings. I am no longer dosing nopox daily, just once a week for "maintenance" level. Would phosguard in a media bag be ok in the hang on fuge I have on my 55g?

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Thank you for the reply. I didn't think that 10-25ppm nitrates was high, whereas phosphates at 1.0-3.0 is incredibly high. So, I am not sure that they really are in balance. I would expect my phosphates to be under 1.0 with my nitrate readings. I am no longer dosing nopox daily, just once a week for "maintenance" level. Would phosguard in a media bag be ok in the hang on fuge I have on my 55g?

They make mesh bags for media such as gfo. I would go with gfo. Cheaper and just as effective imo. You could do an external reactor such as the brs... as for nitrates, they are fine. Don’t worry about that. Wwc’s tanks run nitrates of 30ppm and up. Phosphates should be around .15. I would try to get a reactor. They just make more sense

 

[Devisissy]

Thank you for the reply. I didn't think that 10-25ppm nitrates was high, whereas phosphates at 1.0-3.0 is incredibly high. So, I am not sure that they really are in balance. I would expect my phosphates to be under 1.0 with my nitrate readings. I am no longer dosing nopox daily, just once a week for "maintenance" level. Would phosguard in a media bag be ok in the hang on fuge I have on my 55g?

Redfield's Ratio states Nitrates to Phosphates should be 16:1. Randy can come in here and explain it much better. 1-3 for phosphates is a huge difference. So you should be at 16 nitrates to 1 Phosphate. So assuming your phosphates are somewhere in 1-3 then yeah, they are balanced. But Phosgaurd will slowly remove the phosphates without needing a reactor. I will guess you will see your nitrates go up in return. I really would just up the water changes. Keep in mind I am only speaking of my experience.

 

[Cory]

Do you have a macroalgae refugium? Id suggest that and grow macroalgae under some bright red leds. Will bring it down very fast.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

If your testing was correct, yours are way higher than mine. Mine was at around .90 by Hanna. I made a large water change, ran chemipure and phosguard. It’s now down to around .48. I ordered phosphate rx and will start of wirh half strength.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Do you have a macroalgae refugium? Id suggest that and grow macroalgae under some bright red leds. Will bring it down very fast.

Should you run your light longer period. I am currently running opposite schedule with DT for about 10 hours (70 par with culerpas)

 

[Cory]

Should you run your light longer period. I am currently running opposite schedule with DT for about 10 hours (70 par with culerpas)

If your goal is to reduce nutrients, there is nothing wrong with having the light on longer. Just give it a dark period of 3 hours a day at least. Also increased iron will grow it quicker.

 

[ReefHomieJon]

Do you have a macroalgae refugium? Id suggest that and grow macroalgae under some bright red leds. Will bring it down very fast.

Yup I need to harvest mine cause I’m zero zero so my fuge is too effective.. I’m about to SUPER feed my reef now! Yup do t underestimate the power of the fuge. Brs recommended fuge over skimmer if they had to pick one!

 

[Cory]

Yup I need to harvest mine cause I’m zero zero so my fuge is too effective.. I’m about to SUPER feed my reef now! Yup do t underestimate the power of the fuge. Brs recommended fuge over skimmer if they had to pick one!

Careful thats a recipie for dinos. Maybe reduce the lighting until you register some po4.

 

[ReefHomieJon]

Careful thats a recipie for dinos. Maybe reduce the lighting until you register some po4.

That’s y I said I going to super feed my reef and harvest some macro lol. Cuz I’m aware of that. But good lookin out

 

[g8rorchid]

Redfield's Ratio states Nitrates to Phosphates should be 16:1. Randy can come in here and explain it much better. 1-3 for phosphates is a huge difference. So you should be at 16 nitrates to 1 Phosphate. So assuming your phosphates are somewhere in 1-3 then yeah, they are balanced. But Phosgaurd will slowly remove the phosphates without needing a reactor. I will guess you will see your nitrates go up in return. I really would just up the water changes. Keep in mind I am only speaking of my experience.

Thank you for the information, I really didn't think the ratio was so wide. What would I need to do in order to keep the tank with say 20ppm nitrates and .5 or less of phosphates? If I start using phosguard, what can I do to prevent the nitrates from going up (I'm ok with an increase of 5ppm, just don't want it doubling)? Should I start with half strength phosguard? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!