Phosphates.

[mandi29221]

I have phosphates in my tank I'm uploading my water parameters with this post. But I'm confused on where it's coming from. I'm using a rodi system. It reads 4tds no matter what. I only feed 1 frozen brine cube, n thawed shrimp to my eel. A day. I have 2 puffers topaz, n green spotted (brackish acclimated to full salt). I did my research, but every where states it's from your water, or food. I really would like to pin point this. And find a solution. What should I use to remove phosphates? I do have a skimmer a point of sale (seaclone) I do not have a reactor. Should I buy one? Please help my tank is ticking me off. Not a newbie so big words don't scare me. Lol picture of algae is from 3 weeks ago. It got worse. I used a toothbrush n scrubbed EVERYTHING. It's slowly coming back. I also cut off all white lights been 1 week. Only blues. 3rd picture was the algae 2 weeks ago.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

What type if rodi do you use and how old?

Mine reads 4 tds pre DI and 0 post DI

 

[mandi29221]

What type if rodi do you use and how old?

Mine reads 4 tds pre DI and 0 post DI

It's a company called purewaterclub.com. I get 4tds after the di. Before di I get 69tds

 

[theMeat]

Something is wrong with your RODI.
Once you start getting .004 out of RODI it’s time for maintenance.

A gfo reactor and water changes will cut down on phosphates.

Bringing your salinity up to 1.025 will make your skimmer produce more

 

[mandi29221]

Something is wrong with your RODI.
Once you start getting .004 out of RODI it’s time for maintenance.

A gfo reactor and water changes will cut down on phosphates.

Bringing your salinity up to 1.025 will make your skimmer produce more

I've only gotten maybe 300 gals out of it so far. But I'll change everything

 

[SPR1968]

For a quick fix Vibrant liquid should sort you out and there is a whole thread on here you can read. It will clear up the algea and I’ve personally used it once before.

BUT You need to fix the basics, so sort your RODI system out first to get 0TDS water.

Then get your Phosphate locked down to around 0.03ppm. GFO such as Rhowaphos in a reactor will do this but be patient and you will need to change the media often when you start out.

Also check your nitrates as well.

Hope this helps you out a bit

 

[Maggie321]

Rinse your frozen foods also. The liquid it is stored with is loaded with preservatives, phosphates especially. Always rinse through a fine mesh.

 

[tthouston]

I agreed with Shaun for quick fixing first.
1- Go with Vibrant to make your DT looking good first
2- Set up Carbon and GFO reactor next to control phosphate. with your question Where is phosphate come from? I may say may be in your rocks.
3- Last but not final is set up the sump with internal skimmer with chaeto algae.

Notice: You need to stop dosing Vibrant couples weeks before introducing chaeto algae.

 

[Paul B]

I would not do anything. Your phosphates are not causing algae, the newness of your tank is and it is normal in a new tank. Leave it alone or pull it out by hand. The tanks that start out dosing all sorts of things to try to "cure" something that is not a disease end up tweeking forever and the tank never settles down.
My nitrates are 160 and my phosphates are 2.0. Way higher than yours and I have no algae. Algae grows on all healthy reefs in the world and eventually when that tank ages, it will go away unless you mess with chemicals.
It is an old wives tale that I heard from an old wife that nutrients cause algae. Don't believe it.
I took these a few weeks ago in the Caribbean. Notice anything familiar?





And I took this off a remote Island in Hawaii. Don't fall for that tank parameter thing. It is healthy, normal and it will leave on it's own as long as you don't mess with it.

 

[mandi29221]

Thank you so much. Every one said it's my fault I'm feeding the algae with nutrients. N my parameters are wrong. My tank has only be cycled since 1.5 week in march. I will wait it out. Ppl were saying my parameters r wrong because the algae is eating it. N one person called me a moron for not knowing how to properly test. I know how to do all of this. But in the long run would a uv sanitizer help other issues as well. We won't have money for one yet but I heard then benefit alot in a reef tank

Sent from my SM-S903VL using REEF2REEF mobile app

 

[Paul B]

But in the long run would a uv sanitizer help other issues as well. We won't have money for one yet but I heard then benefit alot in a reef tank

NO!

one person called me a moron for not knowing how to properly test

No one on here would call you that, but they call me nuts all the time. They are probably right.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have phosphates in my tank I'm uploading my water parameters with this post. But I'm confused on where it's coming from. I'm using a rodi system. It reads 4tds no matter what. I only feed 1 frozen brine cube, n thawed shrimp to my eel. A day. I have 2 puffers topaz, n green spotted (brackish acclimated to full salt). I did my research, but every where states it's from your water, or food. I really would like to pin point this. And find a solution. What should I use to remove phosphates? I do have a skimmer a point of sale (seaclone) I do not have a reactor. Should I buy one? Please help my tank is ticking me off. Not a newbie so big words don't scare me. Lol picture of algae is from 3 weeks ago. It got worse. I used a toothbrush n scrubbed EVERYTHING. It's slowly coming back. I also cut off all white lights been 1 week. Only blues. 3rd picture was the algae 2 weeks ago.

While a faulty RO/DI that produces 5 ppm TDS water may well be a source, foods are always a source, and it doesn't much matter if they are eaten by your fish or rot on the bottom. Nearly all of the phosphorus in them ends up as food in the tank.

 

[Susan Edwards]

I use phosguard in a mesh bag if my phos start to climb over .1 A day or 2 then I take it out. I had bryopsis really bad in my first tank and did use fluconazle as nothing dealt with it and I was hitting my 8-10 months. It was getting worse and smothering corals. Cleared it up and been pretty clear since. Maybe add more CUC to help deal with the algae?

Depending on if you have corals or plan to, nitrates should not be 0. Mine run 40-80 in all my tanks, even my coral frag tank and I don't have fish in there! Not sure why. Drives me nuts.

 

[tripdad]

Please don't get hung up on numbers. Watch your tanks inhabitants for health, try and stay within reasonable limits, but don't get caught up chasing No3 = 5 and Po4 =.02. There are many successful reefers with crazy numbers. If the tank is young and algae is a problem then limit import, i.e. rinse food as said before, fix RODI, etc. or increase export via better skimmer, chaeto in fuge , etc.. But DO NOT chase numbers. You can add clean up crew to eat it but they still "process" it back into the water so true export works best. Also realize puffers are notorious waste makers by nature so you may have to do more water changes depending on tank size to keep nutrients in reason.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

It's a company called purewaterclub.com. I get 4tds after the di. Before di I get 69tds

What is your water pressure at the membrane like

 

[mandi29221]

62psi

 

[mandi29221]

What is your water pressure at the membrane like

62psi

 

[Docdiggy]

When I dosed nitrates the phos dropped. I too was at 0 nitrates.

 

[Forsaken77]

It's a company called purewaterclub.com. I get 4tds after the di. Before di I get 69tds

That's a problem for an rodi unit to do that. Are you sure your DI resin isn't depleting too fast? Either you have harsh water, the sensors aren't calibrated properly, or there's something else going on. You should flush the system, until the tds gets to it lowest point without the flow restrictor engaged, before and after use. Try to use a flow restrictor that can be opened and closed. Some are the capillary type and are inside the drain tube. No good.

It sounds like a lot of tds creep is building up. Also, new membranes are supposed to be run for an hour, according to BRS, before being put into use. I would also recommend getting a 3-way valve for after the membrane so your flush water doesn't go into the di resin. Then have the flush end of the valve combine with the regular waste water output with a diverter. Just use it to combine the 2 sources into one before the drain.

Do you have chloramines in your water? If your carbon is depleted it will let chlorine and chloramine through and will damage the membrane. Also chloramine needs a specific carbon block.

You should probably have 2 DI canisters to clean up the 4 TDS because who knows what in it until it's tested for. Are they color changing DI resins?

Did you run tests on your freshwater supply before and after the rodi unit? Also, having a TDS pen to dip in the water is more accurate than inline ones. Though the inlines give a good base for different sections of water filtration along the way.

Your tank is young. Let it do its thing and concentrate on the rodi system. Something is off there.

You also mentioned getting only 300 gallons. But that is 300 gallons of good water and probably another 900 of water down the drain with a 4-1 ratio. So it's actually 1,200 gallons that passed through the system.