Phosphate

[CoralClasher]

How fast should my 120 gallon reef go through phosphate? Mainly sps and lps, not many yet. Two days ago I brought the nitrogen up to 4 and phosphate up to 0.22 today I'm at 0.00 phosphate nitrogen still at 4 any advice?

 

[SPR1968]

Hi Jon

You really want to keep your phosphate very low and a good target it 0.03ppm, 0.22 is high and could start to cause algae issues.

If you have algae problems already, it could be using the phosphate as food and giving a false 0 reading

 

[CoralClasher]

Rocks are still greenish no visible hairs in weeks. I just don't want to bleach the corals again. My lights haven't been on yet today corals look a lot better as the day goes on.

 

[CoralClasher]

Should I skip adding phosphate and just give the corals some amino acids?

 

[RobZilla04]

How old is that system. Looks like only hours as opposed to months .

 

[CoralClasher]

Well I've had the rocks for about 20 years. Had it running for 12 years had to move and didn't start it for two years did the acid dip to the rocks got a few rocks from lfs now it's been running for five years maybe 4 I lose track of the years lately lol.

 

[CoralClasher]

The best thing I've done to the tank is got rid of the sand little over a year ago. Green algae has been going away ever since just slowly.

 

[CoralClasher]

Haven't had to run gfo for 6 months. Only use carbon once a month for two days. Biopellet reactor and a good skimmer is all I use.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Likely the rocks are soaking some P04. Go slow and dose till it's .02, keeping N03 around 5ppm and you should be fine.

 

[CoralClasher]

Thanks. Is there a time of day best for adding phosphate?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thanks. Is there a time of day best for adding phosphate?

No not really. Anytime should be good.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Off topic, what lights are you running?

 

[CoralClasher]

2 Giesemann verrve

 

[Flippers4pups]

2 Giesemann verrve

Okay, those are nice!

Any idea on par on your corals?

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

So the rock in the pics has been in the tank for 4 years? No coraline algae or anything on it, very strange.

 

[CoralClasher]

Okay, those are nice!

Any idea on par on your corals?

I like the lights but it's hard to fine tune them with the app. I have no idea of the par tho.

 

[CoralClasher]

So the rock in the pics has been in the tank for 4 years? No coraline algae or anything on it, very strange.

Yeah strange I'll get some coralline on the bottom for a few days then it goes away?

 

[CoralClasher]

Do I need or want coralline algae?

 

[Colin_S]

Hi Jon, i can't believe how clean your rocks look, i don't mean to hijack your post, just after some advise if you don't mind. i've had my tank up for about a year to the day. ever since i've been battling phosphate, from 0.6!! now its down to 0.07 - 0.1. i'm dosing daily to get it lower but if i miss a few days dosing due to work it rises quickly. i have about 8 snails that bury themselves and eat left over food, is that enough?. i don't over feed, if anything i probably under feed. i'm in the process of setting up a refugium. i have tested my water in the auto top off, it came out at 0, same water i use for water changes. what caught my eye in your post was when you mentioned how you got rid of the sand/substrate and you phosphate started to drop. is this a common thing? because i'm sick of seeing green hair algae! thats all i ever seem to be cleaning of the rocks! i have a 150g dt.

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

Yeah strange I'll get some coralline on the bottom for a few days then it goes away?

Do I need or want coralline algae?

If you can't keep coraline, it could be a warning sign that some of your parameters are not dialed in.

What is your Alk, Cal and Mag? What test kits are you using for all?