Low phosphates

[frostie18]

Hi,
How do I increase my Phosphates in my tank?
All other paramiters are good, but my Phosphates are 0!
Having major troubles with Dinos and Dinoflagellates.
I know I need to increase the nutrients, but what is the best natural way to do this?
I'm in the UK, so will need to be something I can buy quickly as my corals are looking very sad.
Thanks in advance

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Feed more, or dose food grade sodium phosphate from amazon.

How to raise my nutrients?

Tank is a 40g cube. Mixed reef about 50/50 SPS/LPS. I feed flake and pellets and live Phyto in the morning, defrosted frozen and live Phyto in the afternoon. I also dose RedSea AB+ about 3mils a day. In the morning I do 2 pumps of TM Plus NP which is the max dose. PO4 and NO3 is 0.0 via Hannah...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Troylee]

Reef roids work great at rasing po4

 

[bobnicaragua]

Add an auto feeder or manually feed lots of pellets. Set your skimmer to skim dry. Add more fish.

 

[frostie18]

Add an auto feeder or manually feed lots of pellets. Set your skimmer to skim dry. Add more fish.

Feed more, or dose food grade sodium phosphate from amazon.

How to raise my nutrients?

Tank is a 40g cube. Mixed reef about 50/50 SPS/LPS. I feed flake and pellets and live Phyto in the morning, defrosted frozen and live Phyto in the afternoon. I also dose RedSea AB+ about 3mils a day. In the morning I do 2 pumps of TM Plus NP which is the max dose. PO4 and NO3 is 0.0 via Hannah...

www.reef2reef.com

Feed more, or dose food grade sodium phosphate from amazon.

How to raise my nutrients?

Tank is a 40g cube. Mixed reef about 50/50 SPS/LPS. I feed flake and pellets and live Phyto in the morning, defrosted frozen and live Phyto in the afternoon. I also dose RedSea AB+ about 3mils a day. In the morning I do 2 pumps of TM Plus NP which is the max dose. PO4 and NO3 is 0.0 via Hannah...

www.reef2reef.com

Hi Randy,

I have now ordered some reef roids as suggested.
Does it matter what make?
And should I leave the water changes to fortnightly? I'll obviously have to keep cleaning the glass or I'd be looking at a brown block!!
I can clean the tank and within the hour, it's going blurry, by the end of the day, the back glass and side, has started turning brown. Nightmare lol
Thanks

 

[frostie18]

Reef roids work great at rasing po4

Now ordered!
Thank you

 

[Troylee]

Now ordered!
Thank you

Use half the recommended amount your first go around and measure po4 before you feed and the next day! It will raise quickly so be careful or you’ll be trying to lower po4 before you know it lol..

 

[frostie18]

Use half the recommended amount your first go around and measure po4 before you feed and the next day! It will raise quickly so be careful or you’ll be trying to lower po4 before you know it lol..

Excellent!! I'll go very careful and test till its right.
Thanks for that, really appreciate it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Water changes do not have as much impact on phosphate as other things in the water, so I'd continue as usual.

 

[frostie18]

Water changes do not have as much impact on phosphate as other things in the water, so I'd continue as usual.

Thanks for that. Much appreciated

 

[frostie18]

Hi guys....
so I bought a phosphate test kit by Marine Lab and have been dosing the tank with the reef Roids, but started with half of recommended dose. I have done this three times so far, so we are at the recommended, probably a little more, dose and my tests are coming up at a flat clear 0 !
is my testing kit a bad one or am I doing something wrong. Have also been feeding a little over normal.
any ideas as my corals are not looking great. I’m still battling the dreaded dinos.
your input would most appreciated.
thanks

 

[JohnNYC8]

Hi guys....
so I bought a phosphate test kit by Marine Lab and have been dosing the tank with the reef Roids, but started with half of recommended dose. I have done this three times so far, so we are at the recommended, probably a little more, dose and my tests are coming up at a flat clear 0 !
is my testing kit a bad one or am I doing something wrong. Have also been feeding a little over normal.
any ideas as my corals are not looking great. I’m still battling the dreaded dinos.
your input would most appreciated.
thanks

Are you broadcast feeding the Reef Roids? That might not be the most effective way to deliver the nutrients.

I've been using RSM Reef Energy AB+, frozen brine shrimp and Reef Roids to keep my phosphates from bottoming out and I've noticed that turning off all flow and target feeding the mix with a turkey baster raises my levels much more. The frozen brine lowers the temp of the mix and helps it move down the water column onto my corals and rocks. You might have a lot of food being immediately filtered out when the pumps and skimmer go back on.

 

[frostie18]

Are you broadcast feeding the Reef Roids? That might not be the most effective way to deliver the nutrients.

I've been using RSM Reef Energy AB+, frozen brine shrimp and Reef Roids to keep my phosphates from bottoming out and I've noticed that turning off all flow and target feeding the mix with a turkey baster raises my levels much more. The frozen brine lowers the temp of the mix and helps it move down the water column onto my corals and rocks. You might have a lot of food being immediately filtered out when the pumps and skimmer go back on.

I have the Fluval Evo tank that has a feed button on it which gives it 10 minutes without the pump on.
Do you think this is enough?
As for the reef roids, I have been mixing it in a pot with water from the tank, and then pouring it around the tank with the feed button on. Still getting 0 reading.
So do you mix your reef roids with the brine shrimp?
I will give this a go, and also will try with a turkey baster.
Thank you.

 

[JohnNYC8]

I have the Fluval Evo tank that has a feed button on it which gives it 10 minutes without the pump on.
Do you think this is enough?
As for the reef roids, I have been mixing it in a pot with water from the tank, and then pouring it around the tank with the feed button on. Still getting 0 reading.
So do you mix your reef roids with the brine shrimp?
I will give this a go, and also will try with a turkey baster.
Thank you.

I do mix it with some just-defrosted brine shrimp. It was a tip I got from one of the Tidal Gardens YouTube videos.

I usually leave all my pumps and filtration off for 25-30 minutes when feeding corals. Some of the corals eat very slowly (if at all).

 

[Troylee]

I have the Fluval Evo tank that has a feed button on it which gives it 10 minutes without the pump on.
Do you think this is enough?
As for the reef roids, I have been mixing it in a pot with water from the tank, and then pouring it around the tank with the feed button on. Still getting 0 reading.
So do you mix your reef roids with the brine shrimp?
I will give this a go, and also will try with a turkey baster.
Thank you.

I turn my return off and my skimmer so it doesn’t over flow and broadcast feed my tank with the circulation pumps going for a hour.. after a hour or so kick the return and skimmer back online. Go ahead dose the full strength if it’s not showing up on test still.

 

[frostie18]

I do mix it with some just-defrosted brine shrimp. It was a tip I got from one of the Tidal Gardens YouTube videos.

I usually leave all my pumps and filtration off for 25-30 minutes when feeding corals. Some of the corals eat very slowly (if at all).

Oh excellent, I will Definately try this then.
Do you feed a bit more than usual when your Phosphates are low or do you keep it the same?

 

[frostie18]

I turn my return off and my skimmer so it doesn’t over flow and broadcast feed my tank with the circulation pumps going for a hour.. after a hour or so kick the return and skimmer back online. Go ahead dose the full strength if it’s not showing up on test still.

Thanks for this, I don't have a skimmer but can shut down the filter whilst feeding mode is off so it stays shut and will circulate the tank within it.
Thanks for that

 

[JohnNYC8]

Oh excellent, I will Definately try this then.
Do you feed a bit more than usual when your Phosphates are low or do you keep it the same?

I've been running ROWAphos to keep diatoms in check (it removes silicates as well as phospates) so I've pretty much settled into a routine to keep my phosphates up.

 

[frostie18]

I've been running ROWAphos to keep diatoms in check (it removes silicates as well as phospates) so I've pretty much settled into a routine to keep my phosphates up.

I will look at this and see if I can get some over here in the UK
Thanks for that

 

[JohnNYC8]

I will look at this and see if I can get some over here in the UK
Thanks for that

Ok but don’t run it while you’re trying to get phosphates up. It’ll remove them.