Phosphate 4 ppm, really!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter dwest
  • Start date Start date
  • Tagged users None

dwest

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 27, 2018
Messages
4,605
Reaction score
9,586
Location
Northern KY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I though I would share my latest reefing escapade...I replaced my sump a couple of days ago as it’s drain line to the sewer was leaking. Anyway, I must have somehow changed my timer on my phosphate doser (am dosing in my dino recovery). I realized yesterday that the doser had been running and not shutting off. Crap! I tested phosphate using my Hanna Checker and it was out of range. I checked my tank and everything looked ok. Since I had family duties yesterday, I changed the AWC (another recent change) from 2 gpd to 6 gpd and left the house. My tank is 180 gallons. Last night, I tested again by diluting my tank water by 90 % (in the testing vial, I didn’t do any large wc) and retested. The checker showed 120 ppm, which should be about 0.4 ppm phosphate (excuse my mental math). Multiplying by 10 for the dilution, gives me a 4 ppm phosphate. After doing some quick reading last night, I decided to let this resolve itself, just let the 3% daily wc handle the situation. BTW my tank has many BTA, old style LPS (elegance, etc) and 2 big derasa clams, along with fish. I have a few sps “test frags” stemming from my dino devastation.

20 years ago, I would have panicked and done several huge wc. 10 years ago, I would have likely added gfo and tested daily. Now I plan to test weekly or so and keep an eye on my tank.

What would you do?
 
I though I would share my latest reefing escapade...I replaced my sump a couple of days ago as it’s drain line to the sewer was leaking. Anyway, I must have somehow changed my timer on my phosphate doser (am dosing in my dino recovery). I realized yesterday that the doser had been running and not shutting off. Crap! I tested phosphate using my Hanna Checker and it was out of range. I checked my tank and everything looked ok. Since I had family duties yesterday, I changed the AWC (another recent change) from 2 gpd to 6 gpd and left the house. My tank is 180 gallons. Last night, I tested again by diluting my tank water by 90 % (in the testing vial, I didn’t do any large wc) and retested. The checker showed 120 ppm, which should be about 0.4 ppm phosphate (excuse my mental math). Multiplying by 10 for the dilution, gives me a 4 ppm phosphate. After doing some quick reading last night, I decided to let this resolve itself, just let the 3% daily wc handle the situation. BTW my tank has many BTA, old style LPS (elegance, etc) and 2 big derasa clams, along with fish. I have a few sps “test frags” stemming from my dino devastation.

20 years ago, I would have panicked and done several huge wc. 10 years ago, I would have likely added gfo and tested daily. Now I plan to test weekly or so and keep an eye on my tank.

What would you do?

My phosphates are off the chart on the daily. lol

I would just keep doing what you are doing....... if everything looks ok then just slowly bring it back down.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top