Nitrate and Phosphate issue or New Tank?

[fernalfer]

Ok i have a 120 gallon tank that is 4 1/2 months old. I went thru the diatom bloom and that went away. Then i got the basic brown algae that grows on the glass and overflows. Now the glass when i clean it takes about 4-5 days to start accumulating algae again. I also have a cyano issue that with water changes every week of 15% is starting to go away. I also decreased using the white lights and shortened my lighting schedule.

Now when i test for Nitrates and Phosphates i get a reading of 5 for Nitrates and .003 for Phosphates.

Now everyone says because i have algae and cyano that they are using up all the phosphates that is why i get such a low reading.

I have a GFO Reactor that i have not hooked up yet because I'm wondering if this is just the cycle of a new tank and the process it goes thru, or is this truly a nutrient problem?

I don't want to hook up the GFO reactor if the readings are true and they are really low. But how are you able to tell?

Again the cyano is going away thru water changes, less feeding, and lower light schedule. So should i add the GFO? Or take it as what just happens with a new tank and it will work itself out on its own?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Sounds like you have it handled. I'd wait it out, no reason to go running after a gfo reactor with a reading of .003, even if the algae is eating some of those numbers, it ain't that much.

 

[twilliard]

Your No3 and Po4 is just fine.
Cyanobacteria's do not uptake as much No3 and Po4 as a person would think. The derive most all of their energy from light.
Also to note these guys are smart and diverse. I can culture cyanobacterium here in my lab under any light condition as they can adapt to this.
History shows that this adaption is what has allowed them to survive from the beginning of time.

Is there a way to beat them?
Yes
Permanently?
Yes

 

[RJinPV]

What kind of a phosphate test kit are you using? My Hanna only gets as low as 0.01

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Sounds like you have it handled. I'd wait it out, no reason to go running after a gfo reactor with a reading of .003,

Your No3 and Po4 is just fine.

these +1 and yea, new tank.

IMO. If you did absolutely nothing. Kept the same exact bio load and only fed the perfect amount of food to keep the animals healthy. You would see the Po and no numbers drop. That's because of the bio filter. It eats Po and no. As it matures it will process more and more at a higher rate. Its the basic concept behind carbon dosing (vinegar or no pox), increased bacterial populations process more nutrients. That waste is sent to the skimmer.