High phosphate

[darkwolf703]

Hey guys,

I’ve got a new 75 gallon tank with a 75 gallon sump (yes sump is over sized had a bigger tank but it leaked so got a 75 until I can upgrade). The tank is 2 months old. I have a new refugium 2 weeks old and a protein skimmer.

I have 2 clowns
2 purple gobys
A starry blenny
2 yellow wrasses
An emerald crab
20 or so snails, turbo, Cerith, Margarite, Nerite, Nassarius

Two zoa frags
One hammer frag

Salinity 35
Nitrate 3
Phosphate 9.0
Ammonia 0
Mag 1400
Calcium 405
Alk 9.0

My phosphates seem to bounce between 0.4 to over 9.0. I do weekly water changes and have decreased feeding in order to bring them down. Is this just new tank jumps or am I doing something incorrect. Mostly should I worry about it or let it run its course?

Over all most things seem happy, fish are fine, zoas are chilling and growning, hammer is not doing great but will open 75% i suspect this is due to the phosphate but im new so i dont really know, it opens fully when they are down.

Algae isn’t bad at all a little bit of brown algae but it’s kept fairly at bay by snails some. Green of rock but same deal cuc seems to be doing its job, nothing out of control.

Just making sure I’m on the right track.

 

[lapin]

My phosphates seem to bounce between 0.4 to over 9.0

Could this be a testing error?
Are you doing something different before they go from .4 to 9?

 

[Doctorgori]

If it’s that high I’d dose lanthium over about 3,4,5 days

 

[darkwolf703]

Could this be a testing error?
Are you doing something different before they go from .4 to 9?

I’ve been checking them one a week and it tends to shift not doing anything different, I’ll double check with my API test kit to confirm.