Phosphate question fluctuating question

[christwendt]

My phosphate was 0.09 7 pm yesterday and I fed at 2:30 pm today and retested at 7 pm to read .25 phosphate. Is this normal and okay as long as it’s back to below .1 by next feeding tomorrow ? Is this a normal jump and only reading that high cuz I fed at 2 pm and retested at 7pm ?

 

[AfaceInTheCrowd]

Hi
What test are you using?
What food are you feeding?

 

[christwendt]

Hi
What test are you using?
What food are you feeding?

I’m using Hannah ulr tester. I’m feeding alternating pellets from Tdos small pellets , LRS frozen nano frenzy , and frozen Mysis. I grab a pea size amount of frozen food / 10 pellets roughly in my 20 gallon. I will retest my phosphates when I get home at 7 pm again which will be next feeing ( yesterday it was .25 at 7pm)

 

[AfaceInTheCrowd]

We can assume test is accurate then ...Does seem a fair jump, although not above “good” as you say...
what’s your nitrate level?

Will be interesting to see result tonight, and if jump is similar, maybe not add pellets as a “variable” tomorrow

 

[christwendt]

We can assume test is accurate then ...Does seem a fair jump, although not above “good” as you say...
what’s your nitrate level?

Will be interesting to see result tonight, and if jump is similar, maybe not add pellets as a “variable” tomorrow

My nitrate level is 5-10 I use Red Sea for that. So I’ll test when I get home at 7pm which would mean they were fed yesterday at 2-3pm so that’s over 24 hours for it to go down. Are you saying don’t add pellets after I test ? I’m confused what you mean not add pellets as a variable.

 

[christwendt]

We can assume test is accurate then ...Does seem a fair jump, although not above “good” as you say...
what’s your nitrate level?

Will be interesting to see result tonight, and if jump is similar, maybe not add pellets as a “variable” tomorrow

It’s for sure the food I’m adding. Can’t tell if this means I need to add gfo or something or I’m over feeding ? I have skimmer , and using chemipure blue which is a mix of carbon and gfo. Maybe it’s not enough gfo ?

 

[X-37B]

Its the pellet food.
My po4 goes up every time I feed it.
Only feed it twice a week.
It is the easiest way to raise po4, at least in my systsm.

 

[AfaceInTheCrowd]

If you’re sure it’s the pellets then I would cease feeding those as often...gfo should be able to remove it, particularly in a reactor...I’m not familiar with that brand but I’ve always used rowaphos...maybe replace media and orincrease flow through reactor and see if this makes a difference...

 

[christwendt]

Its the pellet food.
My po4 goes up every time I feed it.
Only feed it twice a week.
It is the easiest way to raise po4, at least in my systsm.

Interesting I thought all food was created equal. I’m going to test by not feeding pellets and instead frozen then testing. Thank you

 

[christwendt]

If you’re sure it’s the pellets then I would cease feeding those as often...gfo should be able to remove it, particularly in a reactor...I’m not familiar with that brand but I’ve always used rowaphos...maybe replace media and orincrease flow through reactor and see if this makes a difference...

I’m not sure but I’ll know with a few tests. I thought If anything the frozen food had more phosphates cuz the liquid that wasn’t eaten. I can’t really fit a reactor it’s a very small tank but in a week I will have a refugium which should help with phosphates ? The only way I can run gfo due to space is in filter bags in my sump.

 

[Hallowhead]

Interesting thought that pellets raise po4 more than frozen...

 

[AfaceInTheCrowd]

It still works perfectly Well in bags...I wouldn’t stress too much ..just ease the feeding off a little...a refugium is better for nitrates but does remove phosphate too...it will definitely help the tank, and in other ways too

 

[christwendt]

Interesting thought that pellets raise po4 more than frozen...

That’s what they are saying that the pellets raise phosphates more than the frozen.

 

[Hallowhead]

That’s what they are saying that the pellets raise phosphates more than the frozen.

I know I'm shocked ! Lesson learned

 

[christwendt]

It still works perfectly Well in bags...I wouldn’t stress too much ..just ease the feeding off a little...a refugium is better for nitrates but does remove phosphate too...it will definitely help the tank, and in other ways too

Cool I think once I start using my own bags instead of ore mixed portion I can ration the gfo to carbon better for my specific tank.

 

[christwendt]

I know I'm shocked ! Lesson learned

Ahh I see whatcha meant now. We had the same original thought haha.

 

[AfaceInTheCrowd]

Ye it’s better separate as they are exhausted at different rates

 

[christwendt]

Ye it’s better separate as they are exhausted at different rates

I’ll post back to this when I run a few more tests on the food. Thanks for the help

 

[christwendt]

So the next day 7pm phosphates went from .25 to .1. The huge spike was from the pellets but I’m glad they went back down by next feeding. I fed frozen yesterday at 7 :30 pm and tested just now and they are .09
conclusion : feed pellets twice a week like mentioned cuz they spike my phosphates way more than the frozen does. Thanks guys

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

All foods add a ton of phosphate. There's no getting around it, and, IMO, its not a main reason to select a food.

Ups and downs as organisms metabolize foods and excrete the excess phosphate (which is most of it in the food) will happen and isn't a concern,.