Is this normal?! Chaeto & High Phosphate Reduction

[Macbalacano]

My phosphate has been terribly high for the past month hovering at around 50ppb or 0.153ppm. Testing is done using Hanna Phosphorus ULR checker.

I finally set-up a fuge in the sump of my RedSea Reefer 170 (43g total volume). Within 3 days of having a large fist size ball of chaeto tumbling in my sump with cheap amazon grow lights, my phosphate is now reading 30ppb or 0.092ppm.

Is this normal to drop phosphate that quickly by using just Chaeto?

Everything I've read and heard from people is that (i) chaeto takes some time to take off and do its thing, and (ii) its more efficient at reducing nitrates than phosphates. My nitrates were around 25 - 50ppm according to my Salifert kit, but definitely has been getting lighter so closer to 25 for sure.

My tank is fully stocked with:
- 6 fish (2 clowns, 2 wrasses, 1 cardinal, 1 blue gudgeon dartfish)
- Lots of LPS, some SPS
- 4 inch squamosa clam
- Good CUC (lots of variety of snails, 5 shrimp, sea cucumber)

 

[PatW]

If the chaeto is growing, it can suck up both nitrates and phosphates pretty quickly. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. And it can do so pretty quickly. It might even do so without much apparent growth. If the chaeto you had was starved, it might really slurp up the stuff.

 

[Macbalacano]

Bump

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My phosphate has been terribly high for the past month hovering at around 50ppb or 0.0153ppm. Testing is done using Hanna Phosphorus ULR checker.

I finally set-up a fuge in the sump of my RedSea Reefer 170 (43g total volume). Within 3 days of having a large fist size ball of chaeto tumbling in my sump with cheap amazon grow lights, my phosphate is now reading 30ppb or 0.092ppm.

Is this normal to drop phosphate that quickly by using just Chaeto?

Everything I've read and heard from people is that (i) chaeto takes some time to take off and do its thing, and (ii) its more efficient at reducing nitrates than phosphates. My nitrates were around 25 - 50ppm according to my Salifert kit, but definitely has been getting lighter so closer to 25 for sure.

My tank is fully stocked with:
- 6 fish (2 clowns, 2 wrasses, 1 cardinal, 1 blue gudgeon dartfish)
- Lots of LPS, some SPS
- 4 inch squamosa clam
- Good CUC (lots of variety of snails, 5 shrimp, sea cucumber)

Is that a typo?

"My phosphate has been terribly high for the past month hovering at around 50ppb or 0.0153ppm. "

That is not high. If anything, it is on the low side of my recommended levels. I think 0.03 ppm is perfect. 1+ ppm is on the high end. lol

 

[Macbalacano]

Is that a typo?

"My phosphate has been terribly high for the past month hovering at around 50ppb or 0.0153ppm. "

That is not high. If anything, it is on the low side of my recommended levels. I think 0.03 ppm is perfect. 1+ ppm is on the high end. lol

Haha thanks Randy, that makes me feel better! Although I noticed It way a typo and I was off a decimal. It was 0.153 and now it is at 0.092

So many people and both of my LFS’s keep telling me otherwise. I’ve got a couple of coral unhappy so I thought it might be my “high” phosphates.

Is it typical that some corals are stressed at 0.153 phosphate?

 

[William Morris]

When I read the Hanna Checker ULR-Phosphate chart - 50ppb would equate to 0.15ppm Phosphate which is on the high side.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

0.153 ppm phosphate is still fine. It is OK to lower it, but too low is worse than too high, so if you do anything, go slow.

 

[Macbalacano]

When I read the Hanna Checker ULR-Phosphate chart - 50ppb would equate to 0.15ppm Phosphate which is on the high side.

Yes, I just noticed the typo! Thanks!

 

[Drew1900]

Sounds like the chaeto is doing it’s job! Absolutely nothing wrong with .15 or .09. I try to hang somewhere between .08 and .1. Adjust the photo period for your refrugium to dial in your nutrient export. If you start seeing decreased growth after a while, look into dosing some iron.

 

[Drew1900]

And yes, chaeto can definitely suck up some phosphate!

 

[Macbalacano]

Thanks everyone! Just as an update this morning (Day 4 of having chaeto) I tested phosphates again and it lowered even more to 16ppb or 0.049ppm. WOW that chaeto is efficient. But nitrates are about the same at 25.

So I definitely need to tune the fuge to prevent my phosphate from bottoming out. I halved the light intensity and halved the photoperiod to 6 hours instead of 12.

I also have been skimming wet so I turned the skimmer so it’ll skim a bit less and also removed the filter floss. Both of these were changes I anticipated to make once the chaeto took off.

Will provide an update again soon.

Here is a photo of my sump as well if there are those curious of what it looks. Sorry it’s messy!