Phosphate and calcium really high

[Dfrashid]

Ok so my phosphate are really high as well as my calcium do you think phyto fest and sea weed I'm feeling my tang is what's causing it? I added chemy-clear (the blue lid) and GFO to the tank do you think this is the right direction or anything else I can do to correct this I also did a 20% water change please help I'm very new to this hobby my tank will be a month old on the 25 of October i have 1 corral that refuse to open and another that just died off fyi i did have a nem get shredded in my tank last weekend now im hoping i dont lose any more corral i did get alot of advise for other members but im hoping to gain more knowledge please excuse my repetitive questions

 

[V A R I A N T]

The only result that gives me pause is the salinity - shoot for 1.026

Phosphate and other parms are fine or just within the margin of error for our hobby test kits.

 

[xCry0x]

0.1 ppm phosphate really isn't high at all.

It could be sightly lower but be careful not to strip the tank.

The fact that you have amonia would indicate something died and/or your tank is still cycling.

 

[V A R I A N T]

It’s an API test kit. It always incorrectly reports that ammonia is present.

 

[Dfrashid]

0.1 ppm phosphate really isn't high at all.

It could be sightly lower but be careful not to strip the tank.

The fact that you have amonia would indicate something died and/or your tank is still cycling.

Yes a nem was chopped up in the vortech

 

[Jonify]

If your nem got chopped, you’ll want to replace more than 20% water (if you haven’t already). For the rest, I would just wait and let things ride. This is a new tank and corals won’t be rocking and rolling any time soon

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Your results are from your nem getting VitaMixed. do a water change, the bacteria got a load increase last weekend with your nem and these are the results of that. your tank is new, so it can not deal with something like that quickly.
So relax, do a water change, 20-30% and watch out for the tang police...

 

[Dfrashid]

If your nem got chopped, you’ll want to replace more than 20% water (if you haven’t already). For the rest, I would just wait and let things ride. This is a new tank and corals won’t be rocking and rolling any time soon

I did two 20% water changes also drop some chemi-clear and GFO in should I pull the GFO out?

 

[Jonify]

I did two 20% water changes also drop some chemi-clear and GFO in should I pull the GFO out?

Nice on the water changes Yes, your nutrients are low [edit: I was reading too fast and bouncing between this and another poster; your nutrients are not low … no harm if you followed the advice that comes next, but no need to follow through with it, either] so I would pull GFO out (removes phosphates). If when you say ‘chemi-clear’ you mean ‘chemipure’, then yes, remove that too, because that will also remove phosphates. If you have regular activated carbon, that would be a better choice.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I did two 20% water changes also drop some chemi-clear and GFO in should I pull the GFO out?

GFO is for phosphates... yours are not terrible... Another 20% water change should be fine.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Nice on the water changes Yes, your nutrients are low so I would pull GFO out (removes phosphates). If when you say ‘chemi-clear’ you mean ‘chemipure’, then yes, remove that too, because that will also remove phosphates. If you have regular activated carbon, that would be a better choice.

He has a tang... carbon would not be a good choice.

 

[Jonify]

He has a tang... carbon would not be a good choice.

Carbon hasn’t been specifically linked to HLLE. Most carbons we use today don’t result in the fine dust that is thought to be associated with HLLE, but even then fine dust hasn’t yet been directly associated with HLLE. Either way, many (and probably most) reefers run carbon with no ill effects to reef tanks that stock tangs. That said, many reefers don’t run carbon at all, so it’s up to the OP

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Carbon hasn’t been specifically linked to HLLE. Most carbons we use today don’t result in the fine dust that is thought to be associated with HLLE, but even then fine dust hasn’t yet been directly associated with HLLE. Either way, many (and probably most) reefers run carbon with no ill effects to reef tanks that stock tangs. That said, many reefers don’t run carbon at all, so it’s up to the OP

I used to think that also. Until I read @Jay Hemdal study on carbon and tangs. I used to be the carbon is the great savior guy. Yes there is the high grade carbon vs. the low grade etc. But if you have tangs, why risk it. there are work arounds. IMO

 

[Jonify]

I used to think that also. Until I read @Jay Hemdal study on carbon and tangs. I used to be the carbon is the great savior guy. Yes there is the high grade carbon vs. the low grade etc. But if you have tangs, why risk it. there are work arounds. IMO

Fair. The article I linked in my post was Jake Adams’ response to Jay’s study.

 

[Dfrashid]

Nice on the water changes Yes, your nutrients are low so I would pull GFO out (removes phosphates). If when you say ‘chemi-clear’ you mean ‘chemipure’, then yes, remove that too, because that will also remove phosphates. If you have regular activated carbon, that would be a better choice.

Yes sorry I ment chemi-pure and I put that in there hoping to clean out the toxins from the nem that got caught in the wave maker but I pulled the GFO now and will pull the chemi-pure in the morning

 

[Dfrashid]

I used to think that also. Until I read @Jay Hemdal study on carbon and tangs. I used to be the carbon is the great savior guy. Yes there is the high grade carbon vs. the low grade etc. But if you have tangs, why risk it. there are work arounds. IMO

Where can I read this at?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Carbon hasn’t been specifically linked to HLLE. Most carbons we use today don’t result in the fine dust that is thought to be associated with HLLE, but even then fine dust hasn’t yet been directly associated with HLLE. Either way, many (and probably most) reefers run carbon with no ill effects to reef tanks that stock tangs. That said, many reefers don’t run carbon at all, so it’s up to the OP

Carbon has been proven to cause HLLE in a variety of fish (In two studies). My hypothesis was it is the dust, but the other researcher has a hypothesis that it involves removal of organics that had been sequestering heavy metals, making them more toxic to the fish. Either way - the connection was proven. Here is an article I posted here that summarizes it:

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE)

This article discusses studies performed regarding head and lateral line erosion in captive fishes. Specifically, carbon use and nutrition as they relate to this syndrome.

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Where can I read this at?

Here on R2R:

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE)

This article discusses studies performed regarding head and lateral line erosion in captive fishes. Specifically, carbon use and nutrition as they relate to this syndrome.

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[HomebroodExotics]

It’s an API test kit. It always incorrectly reports that ammonia is present.

No. I can test api ammonia all day without getting ammonia readings. I know there’s others here that can do the same.

The test is either done incorrectly or there is ammonia in the tank. Considering a nem got blenderred I’d ere on the side of caution.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Carbon hasn’t been specifically linked to HLLE. Most carbons we use today don’t result in the fine dust that is thought to be associated with HLLE, but even then fine dust hasn’t yet been directly associated with HLLE. Either way, many (and probably most) reefers run carbon with no ill effects to reef tanks that stock tangs. That said, many reefers don’t run carbon at all, so it’s up to the OP

It certainly seemed linked in my experience. HLLE issues disappeared after switching from Marineland Black diamond (a lowish quality dusty carbon) to ROX 0.8.