High phosphate after all remedial actions

[Joseph_Joe]

Hi all,

I know this topic was discussed many times and I learnt a lot from all of your posts.

I have my phosphate that is always high, 2 ppm or more as my test kit max is 2 ppm.
My tank is 6 months old.
I used to slightly overfeed as my nitrate/nitrites were higher than normal threshold but since then my nitrates stabilized around 10 ppm which is still not optimal but an acceptable value. I know it's a matter of PO4/NO3 ratio but I don't test everyday to track the trend.
I only have 1 softy. I am planning to add corals by the end of the year but having high phosphate is not helping me.
I tried:
- Big water changes (30%)
- Reducing food amount
- Installed Phosguard (and also Carbon Matrix although not it's not its main role but carbon collide many chemicals)
- Added pounds of macroalgae whenever someone leaving close to the coast can bring me some.

My phophate don't want to decrease.
I know I may try a different test kit manufacturer, but I mean if the value is around the max of the manufacturer, I don't think the shift from one brand to another will be significant.
I started with 100% dry rocks that I worked through the time to make it alive.
I WC every 2 weeks (10%). I tried with RODI and even tap water, no change.

Situation is not critical as my fishes are doing fine and my softy also (but not growing).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Miami Reef]

It’s impossible for the phosphate to not decrease with the proper reduction tools.

Water changes aren’t effective for PO4.

Macro algae is good for maintenance.

Use GFO or lanthanum chloride for proven reduction.

I’m not sure if reducing PO4 would help the soft corals grow faster, but if you desire lower PO4, use the above methods.

I would personally use lanthanum if my PO4 was 2ppm because it’s cheaper and easier to use, but some people report risks to tangs.

 

[Joseph_Joe]

It’s impossible for the phosphate to not decrease with the proper reduction tools.

Water changes aren’t effective for PO4.

Macro algae is good for maintenance.

Use GFO or lanthanum chloride for proven reduction.

I’m not sure if reducing PO4 would help the soft corals grow faster, but if you desire lower PO4, use the above methods.

I would personally use lanthanum if my PO4 was 2ppm because it’s cheaper and easier to use, but some people report risks to tangs.

I am using Seachem Phosguard whose chemical composition is not known but I heard it is based on Aluminum oxyde.
Is my resin quickly overcharged due to the high phosphate concentration ?
Should I do a drastic WC (like 50%) then start Phosguard filtration ?
I am based in Europe, the lanthanum chloride based products are not common but I will check if I can find some.

 

[Miami Reef]

I am using Seachem Phosguard whose chemical composition is not known but I heard it is based on Aluminum oxyde.

I don’t like aluminum-based PO4 media because they release soluble aluminum into the water column.

However, they work for phosphate reduction. It will exhaust within 1-2 days with your PO4 levels.

It’s likely that the PO4 will return to the starting point, even after the water change. The rocks will eventually lose the bound PO4, but it takes time and repeated depletion of the PO4 in the water column.

I believe lanthanum chloride is the easiest and cheapest way to accomplish your goal.

 

[GARRIGA]

If you are adding macroalgae then at what volume and are you ensuring that's getting proper levels of iron and why do you still need to add? Are you tossing it out and need to replenish or is it not prospering in your system? There needs to be sufficient macroalgae in order to have it remove nutrients.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If you started with dry rocks, then it might be the rocks that are leaching phosphate. That happened to me, and my phosphate used to climb to .45 every time, it took me 2 years once to suck the phosphate out of the rocks with rowa phos, I spent an incredible amount of money on rowa phos in those 2 years.

Reducing fish food and water changes has no affect, you need to use rowa phos or some other gfo.

However, the phosphate level on my current softie tank is .15 ~ .2, so I don't believe that .2 of phosphate is bothering your soft coral, actually the soft coral might even like that phosphate level.

 

[exnisstech]

Is it 2.0 or 0.2? If 0.2 on a new tank I would do nothing for a while, especially if you started with dry rock. When starting with dry rock mine was 0.35 and has slowly declined with no intervention on my part. If 2.0 then good recommendations have already been made.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am using Seachem Phosguard whose chemical composition is not known but I heard it is based on Aluminum oxyde.
Is my resin quickly overcharged due to the high phosphate concentration ?
Should I do a drastic WC (like 50%) then start Phosguard filtration ?
I am based in Europe, the lanthanum chloride based products are not common but I will check if I can find some.

It is known and it is one brand of aluminum oxide. Not my favorite, but it does work, if you use enough with enough flow. Same for GFO.

 

[East1]

If you started with dry rocks, then it might be the rocks that are leaching phosphate. That happened to me, and my phosphate used to climb to .45 every time, it took me 2 years once to suck the phosphate out of the rocks with rowa phos, I spent an incredible amount of money on rowa phos in those 2 years.

Reducing fish food and water changes has no affect, you need to use rowa phos or some other gfo.

However, the phosphate level on my current softie tank is .15 ~ .2, so I don't believe that .2 of phosphate is bothering your soft coral, actually the soft coral might even like that phosphate level.

Assuming OP's testing is correct, they have cooked rocks in 2ppm of phosphate which will need some time to re-equlibriate.

I ran a test tank recently for 6 months at 0.9ppm + of phosphate (upper limit of the Hanna phosphate ULR tester, so it may have been higher) and while everything was fine and healthy, it took me around 3 months of targeted phosphate using GFO removal media before the tank was stable below 0.2ppm. I could get it down to 0.16 and it would spring back to 0.44 within a day or two, seemingly it would rubberband as the phosphate within the rock or whever else it binds to started to create a new equilibrium.

it's just the data of one tank but given your tank history I would expect are a bit of time with targeted removal before it starts to show a new lower equilibrium consistently.

You also could consider more soft corals, though they'd probably need to acclimate to the current P values, they'd definitely help cycle the nutrients once established.

 

[NanoNana]

I can’t add anything to the advice you’ve been given about lowering phosphates. If you don’t have tangs, the brightwell phosphate-E might be available in Europe.

PO4 is not likely affecting your zoanthids. PO4 has little if any effect on most coral. SOME corals will loose color and go brownish but will still grow. If you want help with the ZOA post some pics in the Zoa lovers board and maybe some ppl will have some ideas to help it thrive.

 

[Saltwater Depot]

the phosphate could still be leaching from the dry rock... 6 months old is not a very mature system. More than likely the rock is driving up the phosphates.