Phils 125g DT test results

[Duke4Life]

Oh wow.i mean i never used the api test kit but thats either a bad reagent pr your phosphates are incredibly high. Grab some gfo and toss it in a mesh bag frequently if you dont have a reactor, also if you use filter socks you could grab some lanthinum chloride

I do have 2 chambers that water can flow through before entering my sump I could place the gfo in. Filter socks I could easily add if need be. I'm an open book because I have 0 experience when it comes to fixing issues like this. I was a fish only with live rock guy who didn't test for anything but salinity and that was with a hydrometer.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know everyone must think I'm doing something wrong, have a bad test kit, etc. That's why after running the test on fresh salt and getting a reading of 0, that I ran all 3 test in the picture above at the same time, to see if I got the reading in my 1st post.

That shows the kit is working, but does not show that it is working correctly or that you are interpreting it correctly. Maybe you are, but this value is super, super high.

I don't mean to be insulting, but every week there are strange results posted in this forum that turn out to be testing error, not fluky chemistry that hasn't happened before.

 

[Duke4Life]

That shows the kit is working, but does not show that it is working correctly or that you are interpreting it correctly. Maybe you are, but this value is super, super high.

I don't mean to be insulting, but every week there are strange results posted in this forum that turn out to be testing error, not fluky chemistry that hasn't happened before.

Understand going to grab some gfo Tuesday when the sws is open. I am actually hosting a club meeting next Sunday with the main topic: Testing. @reefwiser

Could a combination of using tap water for 3-4 months, over feeding, 20 gallon water changes monthly, and not using a skimmer cause the high numbers?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Possible, but unlikely.

I've seen thousands of phosphate readings (literally, thousands), and yours would be by far the highest I can remember seeing.

Also, nitrate is typically created at 10-20 times the rate of phosphate. Your values are about the same. That too is very unusual.

Together these make me skeptical.

 

[Rybren]

What is the expiration date on the test kit? If it doesn't have one, then the kit is an older one. It will, at the very least, have a lot number on it. The last 4 digits are the month and year of manufacture. According to API, the Phosphate reagents expire after 3 years.

 

[Duke4Life]

What is the expiration date on the test kit? If it doesn't have one, then the kit is an older one. It will, at the very least, have a lot number on it. The last 4 digits are the month and year of manufacture. According to API, the Phosphate reagents expire after 3 years.

I had the same thought but they say 5/2018 on bottle, with the calcium saying 5/2020. These were bought in October of 2015 brand new.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

I hadn't been checking my phosphates, they accumulated up to 0.50 ppm. I ordered a Hanna Checker last week, and with gfo I have reduced them to 0.10. Get the checker it is well worth the money.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree with others that GFO or another type of phosphate binder (aluminum oxide, lanthanum, etc.) would be the thing to use if phosphate is super high. It will get depleted in less than a day at such high levels, so you will have to replace it often.

Other methods will likely be too slow.

I discuss them all here:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/?p=3184

 

[Duke4Life]

I agree with others that GFO or another type of phosphate binder (aluminum oxide, lanthanum, etc.) would be the thing to use if phosphate is super high. It will get depleted in less than a day at such high levels, so you will have to replace it often.

Other methods will likely be too slow.

I discuss them all here:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/?p=3184

Looks like I've got some reading to do. I'm attempting to get a better grasp on the reef chemistry. Up until now my research has been primarily on eels, fish, and inverts. Now time to focus in on the water part.

 

[reefwiser]

Phil, I am bringing my Milwaukee Mi412 Photometer phosphate meter over Sunday for the meeting. It is a rock solid phosphate meter. I am not much on GFO to reduce Phosphate its better to use an Algae scrubber and monitoring food. GFO just needs to be replaced constantly.

 

[Duke4Life]

Phil, I am bringing my Milwaukee Mi412 Photometer phosphate meter over Sunday for the meeting. It is a rock solid phosphate meter. I am not much on GFO to reduce Phosphate its better to use an Algae scrubber and monitoring food. GFO just needs to be replaced constantly.

I'm excited and looking forward to the meeting

 

[Duke4Life]

Am I correct in that once you start dosing something it's hard to stop without your tank going into limbo? Just curious because I was thinking of dosing vodka or vinegar in my quarantine tank to start with to test out and get a hang of this kind of stuff since nothing is in their living, plan is to drain anyways and start it over before getting more fish (putting more fish on hold til I resolve these issues).

 

[Duke4Life]

I agree with others that GFO or another type of phosphate binder (aluminum oxide, lanthanum, etc.) would be the thing to use if phosphate is super high. It will get depleted in less than a day at such high levels, so you will have to replace it often.

Other methods will likely be too slow.

I discuss them all here:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/?p=3184

You always do a good job in your articles. It's taken a few hours to make it through that, but I have a better understanding now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Am I correct in that once you start dosing something it's hard to stop without your tank going into limbo? Just curious because I was thinking of dosing vodka or vinegar in my quarantine tank to start with to test out and get a hang of this kind of stuff since nothing is in their living, plan is to drain anyways and start it over before getting more fish (putting more fish on hold til I resolve these issues).

I'm not sure that's the case. There will be substantial bacteria somewhere in the system, but there's no catastrophe that I've seen when stopping. I've run out of vinegar a few times and didn't replace,it forms week or two and nothing bad happened.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You always do a good job in your articles. It's taken a few hours to make it through that, but I have a better understanding now.

Thanks.

I'm happy to explain anything that didn't make sense.

 

[Duke4Life]

I'm not sure that's the case. There will be substantial bacteria somewhere in the system, but there's no catastrophe that I've seen when stopping. I've run out of vinegar a few times and didn't replace,it forms week or two and nothing bad happened.

Good to know, going to pick up some gfo for my DT tomorrow that was suggested by @Sabellafella and dosing the quarantine since it has high numbers and testing until Sunday when a much better test kit will be used.

Anything that works better as far as dosing goes? Vinegar? Vodka?

 

[Sabellafella]

Good to know, going to pick up some gfo for my DT tomorrow that was suggested by @Sabellafella and dosing the quarantine since it has high numbers and testing until Sunday when a much better test kit will be used.

Anything that works better as far as dosing goes? Vinegar? Vodka?

Carbon dosing is pretty awesome but it requires daily manual dosing or you could buy a dosing pump. You have a fowlr and your nitrates arent bad. Gfo is deffinitly a good idea and a new p04 test kit will help alot if your running into unwanted algae problems. Its expensive though but when your levels are low enuff you can cut down alott, i use 2 tablespoons on a 450L tank

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Good to know, going to pick up some gfo for my DT tomorrow that was suggested by @Sabellafella and dosing the quarantine since it has high numbers and testing until Sunday when a much better test kit will be used.

Anything that works better as far as dosing goes? Vinegar? Vodka?

They each have pros and cons. I prefer vinegar, but it drops pH when first added while vodka does not (but both end up as CO2 and drop pH, it is just that vinegar does a lot of it right away).

One option is to dose vinegar saturated with calcium hydroxide. That will have no pH drop and adds a small amount of calcium and alkalinity too.

 

[Duke4Life]

I really appreciate the help y'all.

 

[Duke4Life]

How about an update: not much of 1, but will post test results that will be taken later at our club meeting I'm hosting. Going to build an algae scrubber later this week now that I feel confident in doing so. Not buying a fish I saw was hard to do but I know I need to get my water right 1st. Patience ackkkk