Phosphates spike after water change ??????

[Jfarooqpak]

Hi. I can’t seem to understand why my Phosphates spike after a water change. My tank is finishing up a mini cycle that it entered due to me adding a lot of dry rock. Almost all the readings are normal now except Phosphates. They were reading above 1. Then went down to 0.9 then today they were at 0.59 before I did a water change. about 2 hours after the change phosphate was reading 0.9 again. I use Hanna hand held checker.
thank you for your help everyone.

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

What salt mix are you using? Are you using RODI water? I know I get detectable phosphates from IO Reef Crystals sometimes.

 

[Bbfishb81]

Do you use tap or rodi water? Depends on time of year and where you live, could be in the tap water during to additives used to treat our drinking water.

 

[Bbfishb81]

What salt mix are you using? Are you using RODI water? I know I get detectable phosphates from IO Reef Crystals sometimes.

He's right, could be a salt your using as well.

 

[Jfarooqpak]

He's right, could be a salt your using as well.

I buy my saltwater. This 5 gallon was bought at LAX Aquarium in Los Angeles

 

[Jfarooqpak]

Do you use tap or rodi water? Depends on time of year and where you live, could be in the tap water during to additives used to treat our drinking water.

I buy my water. This 5 gallon was bought at LAX Aquarium in Los Angeles.

 

[Jfarooqpak]

What salt mix are you using? Are you using RODI water? I know I get detectable phosphates from IO Reef Crystals sometimes.

I buy my water. This 5 gallon was bought at LAX Aquarium in Los Angeles.

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

Have you tested the water you bought prior to doing a water change? I am thinking it is the water you bought IMO.

 

[lapin]

Since you are not making your own salt water, test the salt water you are adding for PO4

 

[Albert Bazaar]

Good advice.Sound Wisdom!!!
SOMETIMES ONE HAS TO ELIMINATE WHAT IT IS NOT FIRST.

 

[Jfarooqpak]

Good advice.Sound Wisdom!!!
SOMETIMES ONE HAS TO ELIMINATE WHAT IT IS NOT FIRST.

Just checked the water I got from LAX. On Hanna Checker the reading was 0.15 and it was pretty much zero on API

 

[Jfarooqpak]

Since you are not making your own salt water, test the salt water you are adding for PO4

Just checked the water I got from LAX. On Hanna Checker the reading was 0.15 and it was pretty much zero on API

 

[Jfarooqpak]

Have you tested the water you bought prior to doing a water change? I am thinking it is the water you bought IMO.

Just checked the water I got from LAX. On Hanna Checker the reading was 0.15 and it was pretty much zero on API

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

Do you run anything to remove phosphates?

 

[Jfarooqpak]

I use Rowa phos in a mesh bag in the second chamber of my BioCube.

 

[lapin]

So you are adding water that is lower in PO4 and your PO4 level goes up. This is strange.
My next guess is
Pukani Dry Rock which is known to leech PO4

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

Ok, so ROWAphos claims to not leach phosphates back into the system once exhausted, so we will rule out the ROWAphos. Can you tell us a little bit more about what all you have in your bio cube like fish, live rock, corals, etc?

 

[SeaDweller]

So you are adding water that is lower in PO4 and your PO4 level goes up. This is strange.
My next guess is
Pukani Dry Rock which is known to leech PO4

Why would you suggest it's Pukani rock, when there's no mention of pukani rock at all?

 

[lapin]

Why would you suggest it's Pukani rock, when there's no mention of pukani rock at all?

The OP is not giving us much info, so these are my guesses without knowing all the facts.
Rock absorbing PO4 then leeching is something that can happen.
If its not comming from any new water or substance entering the tank then its in the tank already.

 

[Jfarooqpak]

Ok, so ROWAphos claims to not leach phosphates back into the system once exhausted, so we will rule out the ROWAphos. Can you tell us a little bit more about what all you have in your bio cube like fish, live rock, corals, etc?

12 corals. Small ones. 3 acans 2 Favites and rest all Zoas.