High phosphates

[Luis1992]

Hello all, I’m sorry if this is long winded. I currently have a 140g mixed reef with a 35 gallon sump. I have plenty of live rock. About 300 lbs. been meaning to get rid of some. I run high capacity gfo in a reactor and I have a diy chaeto reactor definitely showing growth. I run a pretty heavy stock of 15 fish. I do a water change of 40 gallons once a week. I use aquavitro salinity because I like the stable parameters it provides. No corals are currently upset except for a small toadstool. Pretty sure it’s not the parameters since I have two other toadstools are having no issues. I test a few times a week at minimum and also test at the lfs once a week to compare and make sure none of my test kits are bad. I use a henna checker to test my phosphates

Current parameters
Salinity 1.026
Calcium 400
Alk 9
Magnesium 1300
Nitrates 10
Phosphates .19

Any advice on getting the phosphate down please let me know. I would like them below .05 if possible but I would like my nitrates at 10-25 preferably.

 

[Luis1992]

Also forgot to mention I do have a small algae problem in one particular spot of the tank so I added an additional circulation pump in the area and it seems to be clearing up a bit. Photos for some reference

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I'm not seeing any ill effects. Personally I wouldn't worry about it too much. What foods are you using?

 

[Alanna102499]

I started dosing Red Sea NOPOX and it lowered my Nitrates & Phosphates...

 

[Snoopy 67]

A tank @ 10 on nitrates is not bad @ all.
Many now say tanks need some of everything, including phosphates.
.19 is a little high but then again some run higher. My tank also runs high, the 20,000 gallon tank on LI runs about .16 & looks great. GFO will bring it down, Lanthanum will too but you have to dose slowly into a filter sock& watch it closely.

 

[Luis1992]

I'm not seeing any ill effects. Personally I wouldn't worry about it too much. What foods are you using?

I feed a very mixed amount of foods. In a shot glass I mix rods, p mysis, small mysis, reefroids, zoecon, selcon and algae flakes. Let it soak for 30 minutes. I also feed Red Sea complete ab+. Picture attached just doesn’t show selcon or the pe mysis.

 

[Luis1992]

A tank @ 10 on nitrates is not bad @ all.
Many now say tanks need some of everything, including phosphates.
.19 is a little high but then again some run higher. My tank also runs high, the 20,000 gallon tank on LI runs about .16 & looks great. GFO will bring it down, Lanthanum will too but you have to dose slowly into a filter sock& watch it closely.

I think I’ll start practicing better husbandry on the gfo once a week and test.

 

[Luis1992]

My goal is to keep nitrates between 10-25. Just phosphates allot lower

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Do you plan to stay mixed reef, or go more sps heavy eventually?

 

[Luis1992]

Do you plan to stay mixed reef, or go more sps heavy eventually?

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I will be going a bit more sps dominant. Too many local guys with too many pretty sticks to help my self. I’m adding a Colorado sunburst in a couple weeks so I’m just trying to make sure everything is in check.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Looking through the foods you posted and noticed a couple of things... Many of us use Reef Roids to add Phosphate & flake foods often are pretty high in phosphate too. I tend to stick with the frozen stuff if I'm concerned about phosphate.

 

[Luis1992]

Looking through the foods you posted and noticed a couple of things... Many of us use Reef Roids to add Phosphate & flake foods often are pretty high in phosphate too. I tend to stick with the frozen stuff if I'm concerned about phosphate.

Ok I will start weening the system off of that today. How about pellets?

 

[ReefGeezer]

Ok I will start weening the system off of that today. How about pellets?

Look at the contents. It should give you some idea of the phosphate content. Some are higher than others. If you don't feed them a lot, it probably doesn't matter too much.

 

[Luis1992]

Ok will do