Phosphate woes

[thecitadel]

Last 2 weeks, my parameters were all put of wack. Now I've got everything in range, but can't budge my phosphate. New test kit and is showing in line with what my lfs had a few weeks ago.

Nitrate - 6 hanna checker
Phosphate - 2.5 ppm salifert
Salinity - 1.026
Mag - 1480
Cal - 380

Weekly 15% water change, checked my rodi after reading some threads. Get 0.05 phosphate, so changed all my filters and still read 0.05 although tds is at 0. I run rowaphos in a reactor lightly fluidized in my return chamber. Have a large Refugium with a 5 gallon bucket worth of cheato I've grown from a small ball from Algae Barn over the last year. Giant pod population. I used to feed 3x a day but very small amounts, now i feed 2x. Its home made food from the market, but it does have a small amount of flake and pellet food mixed in. 1 sheet of nori a day. They eat it all. I'm sure they would love more but I'm not sure what to do. Over the last 2 weeks, I've easily done 400% water change trying to bring it down. 30% one day, 30% the next, so on. My phosphates have not moved. I'm at my max of 300g of rowaphos in my reactor, which is a lot on a 220.

Suggestions???

Everyone looks okay. But they were also sitting in 40ppm nitrate so anything would be happier now. Corals all have color, nems opened back up and slowly coming out, I just don't want any issues.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

Others have suggested Phosphate Rx. I have never used it personally.

 

[Spare time]

What refugium light do you have?

 

[Spare time]

Maybe it's time to replace the gfo or add more?

 

[Seansea]

Just dose some ephos from tropic marin. Its lanthunum chloride but if you follow directions it will knock it right out. I set up an upside down water bottle with a pin hole in it and let it drip in my sump pre skimmer. Lowers it right down

 

[thecitadel]

Others have suggested Phosphate Rx. I have never used it personally.

I'll look into it. Thank you.

What refugium light do you have?

Kessil H80. In the process of bringing down my nitrates, I actually added a no name brand grow light from my tomato days which is rated at like 200w in bloom spectrum. Definitely made the cheato suck up the nitrates.

Maybe it's time to replace the gfo or add more?

Replaced this one 3 days ago, 3rd time in 3 weeks and 0 movement. As I said, reactor is at its limit of 300g, otherwise it isn't fluidized anymore. I do have another reactor, but I'm almost out of the 1000g bottle of rowaphos lol so thinking of gfo hc next.

Just dose some ephos from tropic marin. Its lanthunum chloride but if you follow directions it will knock it right out. I set up an upside down water bottle with a pin hole in it and let it drip in my sump pre skimmer. Lowers it right down

I do have Phosphate e from brightwell but I don't really like dosing. I'm thinking of it. Is it the same?

 

[Pistondog]

See here for lanthanum chloride use
Post in thread 'DIY Lanthanum Dosing' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-lanthanum-dosing.969669/post-11125489

 

[thecitadel]

See here for lanthanum chloride use
Post in thread 'DIY Lanthanum Dosing' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-lanthanum-dosing.969669/post-11125489

Most comments state fish having issues, specifically tangs, which I have. I'd be concerned.

 

[thecitadel]

See here for lanthanum chloride use
Post in thread 'DIY Lanthanum Dosing' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-lanthanum-dosing.969669/post-11125489

Okay I read through, I am intrigued for sure. I'm just not understanding. You drip dose it into the overflow into a sock?

 

[Jedi Knghit]

As I understand it water changes are not the best way to to lower phosphate, but it seems hard to believe that it hasn't budged with as much as you have changed. Have you tried another test kit just to make sure the kit isn't bad?

 

[Seansea]

Okay I read through, I am intrigued for sure. I'm just not understanding. You drip dose it into the overflow into a sock?

Like this. Use a pin or tack to make holenin cap. I under dose and bring it down under .1 over a few days. Do this about every few months when phos creeps up. Never had a problem with any fish or coral. Just remeber you want it preskimmer cuz the skimmernis gonna pull out the final particles. I believe coral actually eat the precipitate as well but not sure about that

 

[thecitadel]

As I understand it water changes are not the best way to to lower phosphate, but it seems hard to believe that it hasn't budged with as much as you have changed. Have you tried another test kit just to make sure the kit isn't bad?

Brand new kit that's in line with my lfs test.

 

[Spare time]

How long is the refugium light on?

 

[thecitadel]

How long is the refugium light on?

24/7

 

[jda]

If you really want to look after phosphate, you will need a better tool. Hannah Checker is better than Salifert.

2.5ppm of phosphate is really high. It might not actually be this high. If it is, then you will need a lot of media to bring it down, like gallons of GFO. Lanthanum Chloride will work too. Both will need changed/dosed daily and precautions used.

There is likely a massive amount of po4 bound into rocks and sand that can take a while to unbind all of it as you remove po4 from the water.

Phosphate E and Phosphate Rx are rebranded lanthanum chloride for aquarium use. You can get lanthanum chloride for swimming pools that is cheaper and lasts longer (stronger).

 

[Lavey29]

Okay I read through, I am intrigued for sure. I'm just not understanding. You drip dose it into the overflow into a sock?

I just half does phosphate RX directly into my skimmer cup and I split the half dose into 2 so basically 1/4 dose twice daily into my skimmer cup. Brought phosphate down but it takes time because it is leeching out of your rocks as you remove it from the water column.

 

[thecitadel]

If you really want to look after phosphate, you will need a better tool. Hannah Checker is better than Salifert.

2.5ppm of phosphate is really high. It might not actually be this high. If it is, then you will need a lot of media to bring it down, like gallons of GFO. Lanthanum Chloride will work too. Both will need changed/dosed daily and precautions used.

There is likely a massive amount of po4 bound into rocks and sand that can take a while to unbind all of it as you remove po4 from the water.

Phosphate E and Phosphate Rx are rebranded lanthanum chloride for aquarium use. You can get lanthanum chloride for swimming pools that is cheaper and lasts longer (stronger).

Yea I'll be purchasing a Hanna one in the next few days, but my lfs also achieved this reading 3 weeks ago. I'll know better in a day or so.

I just half does phosphate RX directly into my skimmer cup and I split the half dose into 2 so basically 1/4 dose twice daily into my skimmer cup. Brought phosphate down but it takes time because it is leeching out of your rocks as you remove it from the water column.

When you say cup, you mean the neck right? And yea I know it will pull some and go back up, but that's it balancing out

 

[Pistondog]

Okay I read through, I am intrigued for sure. I'm just not understanding. You drip dose it into the overflow into a sock?

MAnufacterer says dump into tank. This creates a cloud of flocculant that tangs are sensitive to. So avoid the cloud. Drip diluted into overflow, catch most flocculant in 5 micron sox. Minimize the amount that gets into dt.

 

[Lavey29]

Yea I'll be purchasing a Hanna one in the next few days, but my lfs also achieved this reading 3 weeks ago. I'll know better in a day or so.


When you say cup, you mean the neck right? And yea I know it will pull some and go back up, but that's it balancing out

Yes I just opened the lid of the cup and dripped into the neck.

 

[thecitadel]

MAnufacterer says dump into tank. This creates a cloud of flocculant that tangs are sensitive to. So avoid the cloud. Drip diluted into overflow, catch most flocculant in 5 micron sox. Minimize the amount that gets into dt.

Question for you.

Say, 300 Gallon total water volume and 2.5ppm phosphate. How much would you mix and dilute and how much would you drip?