High phosphate level

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Are you familiar with the sand rinse method and what my parameters should be. I recently did a rinse and it popped my phosphate to .72 from .02
I’m having issue understanding Brandon the influencer of sand rinsing. Although I’m happy with the current result I’m unsure of how it will go in the long term and what to aim for.

I've read threads on rinsing sand. i didn't realize it was "a method".

What was your goal of rinsing the sand?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Isn't high phosphate level is what causing GHA?

Not in that simplistic sense.

Most algae won't grow any better at 1 ppm than it will at 0.2 ppm. In both cases, it has all it wants. You'd need to drop it pretty low to slow the growth. What that level is depends on the species, but for some it is in the 0.03 or less ppm range.

Once you get above the point where it has all it wants, more phosphate does not make algae grow faster and you need to limit it some other way. Herbivores, limiting a trace element such as iron, nitrate, etc.

In recent times where limiting nutrients has become more readily attainable, some folks have found that limiting algae may be a very tricky balancing act between enough for corals and not enough for algae. If you want to limit algae this way, I'd suggest targeting 0.01-0.03 ppm phosphate, and closely watch and feed your corals.

 

[Cwentz758]

I've read threads on rinsing sand. i didn't realize it was "a method".

What was your goal of rinsing the sand?

Was made to seem like a method. My goal was to rid these diatoms finally, couldn’t fix them. Currently the sand looks good so does the tank, but so does every tank that is brand new. I’m just concerned now that my phosphate shot up from less than .03 to .72 and I’m being told not to test and just do small water changes after feeding coral.
It’s like everything I’ve learned just changed on me

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Was made to seem like a method. My goal was to rid these diatoms finally, couldn’t fix them. Currently the sand looks good so does the tank, but so does every tank that is brand new. I’m just concerned now that my phosphate shot up from less than .03 to .72 and I’m being told not to test and just do small water changes after feeding coral.
It’s like everything I’ve learned just changed on me

I think it is still a reasonable plan to try to keep phosphate lower. I just wouldn't go bananas over it and overshooting low is worse than elevated.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

If your skimmer was basically offline, but not back online, why not just let it slowly get you back to normal?

FWIW, mine also was offline awhile and my phosphate turned the test tube BLUE, haha. No idea how high it was.

Got my skimmer running good again, started adding filter floss back, and started using some coral snow and now I’m at 0.55ppm after a few days.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Don't get addicted to gfo
. 9 not so bad.
What feeding?
What running besides skimmer?

.90 not so bad? Usually the “ideal” or “recommended” level is at around .03. I am battling high phosphate too, dropped from .90 to now at around .35.

 

[IDAN]

.90 not so bad? Usually the “ideal” or “recommended” level is at around .03. I am battling high phosphate too, dropped from .90 to now at around .35.

I was surprised also. I want to be at 0.01.

 

[IDAN]

how much phosgaurd are you guys using? I know it's good only for 4 days

 

[Fishingandreefing]

how much phosgaurd are you guys using? I know it's good only for 4 days

If no coral I would go full blast

 

[biom]

Hi IDAN do you measured nitrate?

 

[IDAN]

Hi IDAN do you measured nitrate?

I measured less then 10 ppm about 2 days ago.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

.90 not so bad? Usually the “ideal” or “recommended” level is at around .03. I am battling high phosphate too, dropped from .90 to now at around .35.

The usual recommendations have merit, but are not the only way to have a great tank.

Richard Ross's tank has phosphate similar to the OP:

Rich Ross - Home Tank - guess the phosphate

This tank was built before r2r, here is a link to some links about the build. http://packedhead.net/home-reef/ Current test results: 03-17-2017 Ammonia (NH3-4) Good 0 0.000 - 0.050 mg/L 03-17-2017 Nitrite (NO2) Good 0.006 0.000 - 0.100 mg/L 03-17-2017 Phosphate...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Fishingandreefing]

The usual recommendations have merit, but are not the only way to have a great tank.

Richard Ross's tank has phosphate similar to the OP:

Rich Ross - Home Tank - guess the phosphate

This tank was built before r2r, here is a link to some links about the build. http://packedhead.net/home-reef/ Current test results: 03-17-2017 Ammonia (NH3-4) Good 0 0.000 - 0.050 mg/L 03-17-2017 Nitrite (NO2) Good 0.006 0.000 - 0.100 mg/L 03-17-2017 Phosphate...

www.reef2reef.com

Yeah I have seen that and def agree that every tank is different. However, on my case, my corals are dying and the only thing is way off is phosphate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yeah I have seen that and def agree that every tank is different. However, on my case, my corals are dying and the only thing is way off is phosphate.

Have you run an ICP test?

Maybe it is a pathogenic bacterium.

There are lots of ways corals die that do not immediately jump out at the reefer and say "this was why".

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Have you run an ICP test?

Maybe it is a pathogenic bacterium.

There are lots of ways corals die that do not immediately jump out at the reefer and say "this was why".

Always wanted get it tested

 

[IDAN]

So after 4 days of using Phosguard 1-1/3 cup for my 180 gallons.
Nothing has change, still at 0.90 according to my brand new Hanna

 

[Cwentz758]

I ran GFO in a reactor when I was sitting at .72 and it went to 0 within a few days

 

[IDAN]

I ran GFO in a reactor when I was sitting at .72 and it went to 0 within a few days

How much GFO you run?

 

[Thales]

Yeah I have seen that and def agree that every tank is different. However, on my case, my corals are dying and the only thing is way off is phosphate.

"All, for the past couple of months I have being battling high phosphate at .90. Since then I have been doing large water changes, dripping phosphate RX in a 10 micron sock at 50% strength weekly few hours before a 25% water change."

All of that could contribute to coral problems. If I am reading your thread right, you started having coral issues after you started to manipulate the phosphate levels. Is that right?

 

[Cwentz758]

^+1
Sounds about right

How much GFO you run?

There’s a suggested amount per tank volume on the box,