phosphate spike

eliza209 · May 22, 2023

The last couple of weeks, I've had a HUGE spike in phosphates. I have a 29 biocube, about 8 months old. I'd been holding steady (although high) at about 0.2. Nitrates had been holding around 30. I started dosing 1.5 mil (1/2 dosage recommendation) NOPOX last Monday, and the nitrates are down. The only change was I added a Hygger wavemaker 3 weeks ago, which stirred up my sand bed until I got it situated in a better position. At Aquashella, I visited with a couple of people who believe this was the cause of the spike. I do a weekly water change of about 4 gallons.

Today's readings, before my weekly water change:

KH - 7.5 (had been staying between 8 and 8.2 previously)
Ca - 450 (has remained stable)
NO3 - 25 (down from last week's testing of 50)
PO4 - 1.0
PH 8.2 (stable)
Mag - 1485

Suggestions?

Sleeping Giant · May 22, 2023

might be the sandbed getting mixed up from the wavemaker.

Sleeping Giant · May 22, 2023

your numbers aren't too bad, sometimes chasing numbers isn't productive. how's everything looking? any fish, corals?

thatmanMIKEson · May 22, 2023

it could be that, or your substrate has been absorbing phosphates this entire time and now they are in saturation, and the excess phosphates are what your adding in they way of food and other sources showing up.

what type of substrate do you have, was it dry sand and dry rock?

eliza209 · May 22, 2023

Livestock - 2 clowns, 1 pajama cardinal, 1 chromis, 1 diamond goby (supplemental feeding with mysis and some arctic pods), 1 coral banded shrimp, 2 peppermint and assorted snails. I think I have one blue legged crab left from my last CUC purchase. I usually feed one cube mysis every other day. Once every couple of weeks I target feed corals with either ReefRoids or Benepet (alternate).

I'm running a nano skimmer, and seem to be getting some good skimate (no clue how to spell that).

I started with live sand (CarribSea - wish I'd started with a larger grain) and dry rock. I have rubble rock (from the previous owner) in the second chamber and use ChemiPure Blue and floss in my InTank basket.

The corals seem ok, but have not been extending quite as much as they were a couple of weeks ago. Duncan, candycane, couple of zoas, toadstool leather, GSP, blue star polyps, kenya tree (which is THRIVING, ugh), a couple of mushrooms, one acan, and what I think is a green slime acro. The acro has finally started to color up. It was a freebie at a coral show that I probably shouldn't have gotten, but will claim beginner stupidity when the dealer said, "oh this will be fine in your baby tank".

I really don't chase numbers, but have been focused on stability, which is why this sudden increase in phosphates was concerning.

paragrouper · May 22, 2023

eliza209 said:
Livestock - 2 clowns, 1 pajama cardinal, 1 chromis, 1 diamond goby (supplemental feeding with mysis and some arctic pods), 1 coral banded shrimp, 2 peppermint and assorted snails. I think I have one blue legged crab left from my last CUC purchase. I usually feed one cube mysis every other day. Once every couple of weeks I target feed corals with either ReefRoids or Benepet (alternate).

I'm running a nano skimmer, and seem to be getting some good skimate (no clue how to spell that).

I started with live sand (CarribSea - wish I'd started with a larger grain) and dry rock. I have rubble rock (from the previous owner) in the second chamber and use ChemiPure Blue and floss in my InTank basket.

The corals seem ok, but have not been extending quite as much as they were a couple of weeks ago. Duncan, candycane, couple of zoas, toadstool leather, GSP, blue star polyps, kenya tree (which is THRIVING, ugh), a couple of mushrooms, one acan, and what I think is a green slime acro. The acro has finally started to color up. It was a freebie at a coral show that I probably shouldn't have gotten, but will claim beginner stupidity when the dealer said, "oh this will be fine in your baby tank".

I really don't chase numbers, but have been focused on stability, which is why this sudden increase in phosphates was concerning.

How often do you change out your chemipure?