Phosphates and Algae ?

[Z06-Hec]

So the rule is if you have algae you have phosphates right?
So if you correct the problem and get to 0 phosphates how long before the algae dies off?
If it even does...
My nitrates are about 10 or so, hard to tell when the color is so faint.
Phosphates to my eye really look like 0 thats how faint that color is. I know i feed a bit much so they can climb easily but i dose Phosphate RX when i need and they immediately drop to close to 0.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Depends on the algae and what you really mean by zero, since no tests we use can actually demonstrate 0.000 ppm phosphate.

A lot of algae growth itself is a way to get low phosphate as it takes it up.

You need to intercept the phosphate (or nitrate or whatever nutrient you are trying to limit) before the algae gets it.

GFO is a good way, and the lanthanum you are using may work as well.

 

[Z06-Hec]

i stopped using GFO when i found the Phophate RX. It immediately started reading close to no color, very hard to tell when its that low.
Every since I lost my lawnmower blenny ( not sure if there is any correlation there) i have been getting hair algae.
I just bought another blenny but he is smaller. I can see him start working but he has a bit of work ahead of him.

 

[Z06-Hec]

So if i keep them as low as possible what happens to the algae? will it eventually die off... or how long will it take to go away ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you had phosphate very low, it will die, but so may other creatures that need it. So you would typically lower it carefully when at the point where you can detect none. Not sure how long it will take to die, but if low enough it cannot grow.