PO4 just won’t go down. Source unknown. Need help!

[glb]

That doesn't make sense. If you need acid to dissolve the calcium carbonate to get phosphate to release, then it isn't being released to the tank without acid and isn't a concern. You can speed the removal with acid, but it is not "needed".

Randy would it make sense to remove the rocks in the sump and treat them for phosphate removal?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think the chamber I was testing from in the sump has the highest po4 because the po4 overdose happened in that chamber and the rocks absorbed it. It could be that my flow in the sump is slow, but that’s my guess about why the numbers are different. I’ve tested from each area twice now and got similar results.

While that might explain why it is higher, I don’t think it could possibly be as you report. The flow will very rapidly drive up the display tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy would it make sense to remove the rocks in the sump and treat them for phosphate removal?

it wouldn’t hurt. But I do not seeing in be a full answer.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I am having almost the same issue, I think my dry rocks are release P04. It was tested .90 then I slowly using Phosphare RX and drop it down to about .19 now in 6 weeks. I am running GFO to maintain it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am having almost the same issue, I think my dry rocks are release P04. It was tested .90 then I slowly using Phosphare RX and drop it down to about .19 now in 6 weeks. I am running GFO to maintain it.

It is certainly not uncommon for new dead rock to release phosphate. That is why many people treat these rocks before using them.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

It is certainly not uncommon for new dead rock to release phosphate. That is why many people treat these rocks before using them.

I am paying my laziness now. Lesson learned.

 

[glb]

It is certainly not uncommon for new dead rock to release phosphate. That is why many people treat these rocks before using them.

That’s absolutely right. I bought dry rock from Marco Rocks which was guaranteed to not have phosphates. My phosphates bottomed out and I starting dosing because I had dinos, cyano, you name it. The rocks in the sump were in the dosing chamber. Now all that dosing is coming back to haunt me. I have a gfo reactor coming today which should help, along with water changes.

 

[glb]

While that might explain why it is higher, I don’t think it could possibly be as you report. The flow will very rapidly drive up the display tank.

I’ve also wondered if my Hanna checker reagent might have been a bad batch. The high readings started around the time I opened a new box.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I’ve also wondered if my Hanna checker reagent might have been a bad batch. The high readings started around the time I opened a new box.

I doubt if my freshly made water was bad, but tested it .01 so it’s my tank and Hanna is still accurate. I bought it new two months ago

 

[K7BMG]

I’ve also wondered if my Hanna checker reagent might have been a bad batch. The high readings started around the time I opened a new box.

Yes thats possible.
Fish of Hex posted a video on that very subject.
What he does now when he gets a new reagent is do two tests.
One with the old reagent and a follow up with the new for instant comparioson.
I would have to rewatch the video but he had an issue where he dosed Alk based on a reagent change and had a spike.
So lesson learned for me, when I change reagents on my Hannas.

Of course in the video his new bottle matched the old this time round.

 

[glb]

Yes thats possible.
Fish of Hex posted a video on that very subject.
What he does now when he gets a new reagent is do two tests.
One with the old reagent and a follow up with the new for instant comparioson.
I would have to rewatch the video but he had an issue where he dosed Alk based on a reagent change and had a spike.
So lesson learned for me, when I change reagents on my Hannas.

Of course in the video his new bottle matched the old this time round.

I have a new batch of reagent on the way. I’ll save an old one and test with both.