Phosphate levels 10ppm??!!!

[nano_ryan]

Hello everyone, my 2.5 week old
red sea 250, which is still in the cycling process.
I had a diatom algae outbreak a few days ago, growing on the sand bed, rocks, glass. Ive turned off the lights so It will help it not grow.
I tested phosphates today, with the api test kit, and levels are 10.0ppm???!!!! Is this normal?? I havent been overfeeding or dosing anything. Ive done an 8% water change weekly. I have no corals yet, and no invertebrates. I am currently setting up a refugium in the sump and dont have chaeto or pods yet. Will chaeto eat eat the phosphates? What should I do??

 

[Alchameth]

That seems really high. Have you tested it before today, if so what were the numbers?

Did you use RO/DI or tap water?

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Did you use dry rock? A lot of dry rock has very high PO4. Once added to water, that PO4 will leach out into the water.

 

[nano_ryan]

Did you use dry rock? A lot of dry rock has very high PO4. Once added to water, that PO4 will leach out into the water.

The rock came out of someones tank, sat dry for like a week, then went into my tank. So yes, I guess it is “dry rock”, that was once live.

 

[nano_ryan]

That seems really high. Have you tested it before today, if so what were the numbers?

Did you use RO/DI or tap water?

Yes I use rodi from my lfs. I checked phosphates in the rodi, and it said about 0-.25. So its definitely not coming from the water.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

The rock came out of someones tank, sat dry for like a week, then went into my tank. So yes, I guess it is “dry rock”, that was once live.

When I said "dry rock" I more meant dry rock ordered from BRS or another online vendor. All the living things that died in the rock when it sat dry could be contributing to high phosphates. I wouldn't expect it to be that high, but I suppose it's possible.

How was the previous owner's tank? Was it healthy? Did it have any problems? Did it have a lot of algae?

 

[Bfragale]

The rock came out of someones tank, sat dry for like a week, then went into my tank. So yes, I guess it is “dry rock”, that was once live.

Could be leaching from rocks- do you know the tank it came from? API may not be reliable. Did you test more then once and get same results?

 

[nano_ryan]

When I said "dry rock" I more meant dry rock ordered from BRS or another online vendor. All the living things that died in the rock when it sat dry could be contributing to high phosphates. I wouldn't expect it to be that high, but I suppose it's possible.

How was the previous owner's tank? Was it healthy? Did it have any problems? Did it have a lot of algae?

I do not know what the previous owners system was like

 

[nano_ryan]

Could be leaching from rocks- do you know the tank it came from? API may not be reliable. Did you test more then once and get same results?

I have know Idea what the tank was like that had the rocks, but they didnt seem to have much algae on them. One piece, the back side is covered in dry green hair algae. Every other piece is covered with dried coralline algae.

 

[Perthegallon]

No way it can be 10 ppm phosphate in less then 2 weeks that’s near impossible

 

[nano_ryan]

If I were to put chaeto in there right now, would it help with the phosphates?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Possibly. What will reduce this would be chemipure elite

 

[Lasse]

Get a decent test for a second opinion. And it will not kill anything and Chaeto will love it. And I doubt it is 10 ppm
'
Sincerely Lasse