Phosphate problems

Esquire805 · Feb 3, 2020

So yesterday mu hanna checker was at 10 today it is at 77ppb. Been having high levels I have phosguard, gfo ane use phosphate e. My thing is where is the phosphorus coming from

Hemmdog · Feb 3, 2020

It comes from food. That isn’t high though.

Esquire805 · Feb 3, 2020

Hemmdog said:
It comes from food. That isn’t high though.

I barly feed I drop small amounts of pe mysis.

Bfragale · Feb 3, 2020

My API test always showed 0 detectable Phosphates. But had green film algea which led me to believe I had some phosphates. So I broke down and bought the Hanna checker PPB version. First test was more then the capabilities of the PPB checker. Tested again to confirm.. it was again higher then range for the checker. (Got worried) so I purchased the Hanna checker PPM and tested 1.2ppm.
Yikes!

But much to my surprise, tank looks great other then glass needs cleaned daily. Started GFO and went from 10% to 25% weekly water changed. It’s slowly coming down, but long story short: I don’t think your phosphates are ridiculously high.
Just my experience, but im No expert lol

77ppb to ppm= 0.236ppm.

here’s a chart I use to convert

https://www.hannainst.com/hubfs/006-finished-content/Aquarium/phosphorus-to-phosphate-conversion-table--hanna-instruments.pdf

Hope this helps. Take care

Esquire805 · Feb 3, 2020

Bfragale said:
My API test always showed 0 detectable Phosphates. But had green film algea which led me to believe I had some phosphates. So I broke down and bought the Hanna checker PPB version. First test was more then the capabilities of the PPB checker. Tested again to confirm.. it was again higher then range for the checker. (Got worried) so I purchased the Hanna checker PPM and tested 1.2ppm.
Yikes!

But much to my surprise, tank looks great other then glass needs cleaned daily. Started GFO and went from 10% to 25% weekly water changed. It’s slowly coming down, but long story short: I don’t think your phosphates are ridiculously high.
Just my experience, but im No expert lol

77ppb to ppm= 0.236ppm.

here’s a chart I use to convert

https://www.hannainst.com/hubfs/006-finished-content/Aquarium/phosphorus-to-phosphate-conversion-table--hanna-instruments.pdf

Hope this helps. Take care

It still is high but I have that chart thanks

Charlie’s Frags · Feb 3, 2020

Esquire805 said:
It still is high but I have that chart thanks

How do your acros look?

Ocelaris · Feb 3, 2020

Yeah, I'm bouncing between 70-120 ppb and I'm thinking of doing something more severe than gfo, but as the last guy said, if your acros look good and algae isn't a problem, why worry? Mine have never looked better with polyp extension. I worry about calcification, but everything is encrusting and happy. So be aware, but don't be afraid. My rule is never make drastic changes, no matter how bad it tests.

Daddy-o · Feb 3, 2020

Our phosphates were .5 Finally realized the the NSW we were using had huge phosphates. Started mixing our own water but it took a year of GFO til the rocks were done leaching it back out.
Cheers! Mark

Esquire805 · Feb 3, 2020

Chaswood79 said:
How do your acros look?

Pale

Esquire805 · Feb 3, 2020

Daddy-o said:
Our phosphates were .5 Finally realized the the NSW we were using had huge phosphates. Started mixing our own water but it took a year of GFO til the rocks were done leaching it back out.
Cheers! Mark

Yeah I think it's the rock or sand

Topekoms · Feb 3, 2020

Esquire805 said:
Pale

What are your nitrates at?

Charlie’s Frags · Feb 4, 2020

Esquire805 said:
Pale

They’re pale bc they are starving from the gfo and phosguard. Your obsession with driving them down is doing more harm than good. Stop worrying about po4. Your acros need ammonia/ammonium from fish waste. You need to feed your fish more. How big is your tank and how many fish do you have?

Fishingandreefing · Feb 4, 2020

Bfragale said:
My API test always showed 0 detectable Phosphates. But had green film algea which led me to believe I had some phosphates. So I broke down and bought the Hanna checker PPB version. First test was more then the capabilities of the PPB checker. Tested again to confirm.. it was again higher then range for the checker. (Got worried) so I purchased the Hanna checker PPM and tested 1.2ppm.
Yikes!

But much to my surprise, tank looks great other then glass needs cleaned daily. Started GFO and went from 10% to 25% weekly water changed. It’s slowly coming down, but long story short: I don’t think your phosphates are ridiculously high.
Just my experience, but im No expert lol

77ppb to ppm= 0.236ppm.

here’s a chart I use to convert

https://www.hannainst.com/hubfs/006-finished-content/Aquarium/phosphorus-to-phosphate-conversion-table--hanna-instruments.pdf

Hope this helps. Take care

I am in the same shoes as you’re but yours a bit worse. I borrowed a Hanna checker and found out mine was .90! I brought it down slowly through large weekly changes and phosguard. After 3 weeks, it’s now .55.

so I read about phosphate RX and I literately just ordered it with a 10 micron filter sock from amazon.

Fishingandreefing · Feb 4, 2020

Btw, I lost some lps and couple of sps. I suspect it was due to high phosphate. My duncan was doing really bad for a week. Then I found out the high phosphate, dropped it down right away and it survived unlike the few lps colony lost.

Esquire805 · Feb 4, 2020

Topekoms said:
What are your nitrates at?

Yeah that's what I need to test

Esquire805 · Feb 4, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
I am in the same shoes as you’re but yours a bit worse. I borrowed a Hanna checker and found out mine was .90! I brought it down slowly through large weekly changes and phosguard. After 3 weeks, it’s now .55.

so I read about phosphate RX and I literately just ordered it with a 10 micron filter sock from amazon.

The thing with water changes is it might not do much cause the rocks just release it back. That's what's happening to me. I wonder how much is locked up

Esquire805 · Feb 4, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
Btw, I lost some lps and couple of sps. I suspect it was due to high phosphate. My duncan was doing really bad for a week. Then I found out the high phosphate, dropped it down right away and it survived unlike the few lps colony lost.

I have a Duncan it wont open all the way

Fishingandreefing · Feb 4, 2020

Esquire805 said:
The thing with water changes is it might not do much cause the rocks just release it back. That's what's happening to me. I wonder how much is locked up

Agree, I recently added about 30lb of rocks in the course of couple of months. It’s a 120 with 30g sump

Fishingandreefing · Feb 4, 2020

Esquire805 said:
I have a Duncan it wont open all the way

Mine was closed up and it appeared to be a goner. Then I changed water and added phosguard and it came back. It’s doing a lot better now.

Topekoms · Feb 4, 2020

Esquire805 said:
Yeah that's what I need to test

The easies way to export P04 is to have it match your nitrates. If you are Nitrate short you P04 will climb if your P04 is short your nitrate will climb. If they are both high you need to find another export method