I'm guessing that you're not running your gfo in a reactor, I highly recommend using one if that's the case. You can order a all the parts to make one for about 30-40$ on Amazon including pump. You can also get the high capacity gfo from bulk reef supply and it will really pull the phosphate out better than some of the cheaper gfo.
Pulling my hair out with phosphate issue
- Thread starter ChrisQ0904
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If everything looks good I wouldn't really worry about it. Get some tangs, and if you want to bring it down do it really really slow and try something gentle. I like carbon dosing and continuing to feed frozen food or dose KNO3 if absolutely necessary. IME GFO is killer tough and strips water fast. Obviously others have great success, I don't, and I've killed some SPS with this. I've had phos at 0.32 and everything was perfect reef wise. I've spent a lot of money on coral chasing numbers FWIW.
Lots of good advice on here, just think it through and move slower than you want to...the human want factor is strong in reefing.
Lots of good advice on here, just think it through and move slower than you want to...the human want factor is strong in reefing.
Mortie31
Valuable Member
Have your levels always been about PO4 of 1? When you added the dead rock had you soaked it thoroughly until Phospahates were zero? Rock is a great sponge for phosphate and the volume it can hold seems to be huge. You don't realise how much until you try to lower the levels in your water, large water changes , and a phosphate media and lots of patience will eventually lower it, the problem is if your rocks have been sitting in PO4 of 1 as soon as you lower the water levels below this they seem to leech phosphate back into the tank, hence your yo- yoing levels. It took me a year to get mine down from 0.25 to the 0.05 they are at now, keep up with good husbandry, water changes, and you will have to use some form of absorber, i used rowa and AF for ages but then I ended up going for LaCl to help as the medias are dang expensive...
OP
OP
ChrisQ0904
Valuable Member
Im not running GFO at all right now, but when I did run it I had it slightly tumbling in a reactor. I just placed an order for xport-P04 from brightwell as a recommendation from someone who commented on this thread. They seem to really like it and I dont need a reactor to make it tumble so I figured I would give it a try.
No they have not aways been .1 about a month ago my P04 was .03-.04 but something is making it go up. I am leaning towards what others were saying that my husbandry isn't 100% and my rock my be leaching. With this aquarium I have had several swings from "normal" to high and back down again.
Xclusive Reef
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why not get a tang and a good clean up crew to clean up all that up?
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ChrisQ0904
Valuable Member
Someone locally recommended to do the same and I'm currently trying to raise it but slowly. I'm doing it by dosing nitrates but it kinda freaks me out to dose nitrates.
I currently have a tomini that doesn't seem to be eating much algae so now I'm trying to catch it so I can put a small scopas in the tank
grink
Community Member
Rock sometimes has a tendency to Leach po4. You may go through several batches of gfo until you see it consistent drop. At that point you may be able to use less and maintain a balance. I would lower nitrates as well.
Do you use filter socks? If so how often do you change them? Your tank maintenance sounds really good. What test kits do you use? Your phosphates are are coming from somewhere. You just need to find out from where. You gotta think it could be from your sump if that's dirty. Your plumbing could have build up in it.
hypnoj
Community Member
Why on earth do some reefers feel like langthum chloride is chemical treatment but GFO isn't? All of you having PO4 trouble do yourself a favor and cross over. It is the only way to fly.
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ChrisQ0904
Valuable Member
I do use filter socks and I clean/change them every week during my WC. Im using the hanna phosphorous checker to check my P04.
Dash
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I have a similar size system 75 gal (no sump) and 9 fish including 2 puffers. For about the first 6 months I couldn't get nitrates below 40. I only have a hob skimmer for nutrient export. The big difference for me was vacuuming the sand. (When I do my monthly WC) A lot of gunk gets picked up for sure and it's not that hard to do. I have a lot of rock btw. My nitrates dropped to barely detectable levels. I was amazed as I was so used to seeing orange
dankreef
Well-Known Member
Someone said it I skimmed 3 pages. Your problem is the coral feeding. Those products are crazy high p04 . I'm sure everything else is fine just cut the coral food you don't need any of that stuff . 99.9 that's the problem . Rinse your food with fresh RO as well before feeding .
Forsaken77
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Can you please link to the components you need to build a reactor for that cheap? Or just copy & paste the names of all the parts from Amazon? I've been looking everywhere to find a base reactor with top and then the parts & pump and come up empty. All I find is reactors from BRS or Marine Depot, which for the bigger ones are expensive.
I'm looking into starting a side project that requires a reactor and pump. The bigger, the better
MartinWaite
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One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that if you have problems with algae you will be getting false readings from your test kits as the algea will be consuming the PO4 and the nitrate. So you need to find what is giving you the high and false readings. I would continue with cleaning your sand bed but up to a maximum of 1/3 of the base at a time. Also you don't say how long or what the intensity is of your lights for led reduce red and green down if possible and reduce time down to Max 8 hours per day for all lighting and run your cheato lighting on a reverse cycle to the tank.
Personally I'd stay away from uv if you can they are a pain to set up properly you need to have a pump that pumps at the right gph to suite the size uv and it's not always clear on the uv packaging and then they can't tell the difference between the good and bad bacteria that travel through it they kill all. Good luck
Personally I'd stay away from uv if you can they are a pain to set up properly you need to have a pump that pumps at the right gph to suite the size uv and it's not always clear on the uv packaging and then they can't tell the difference between the good and bad bacteria that travel through it they kill all. Good luck
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CFOGE3K/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_yzLqzbY12JG0S
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CFOGE3K/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_yzLqzbY12JG0S
The cartridge can be bought cheaper on eBay but here's the Amazon link
Then you need a 300-400 gph pump cheap ones are on Amazon anywhere from 13-18$ , I got a lifeguard quiet one pump for 15$ used-like new in Amazon you'll just have to search through them,
And last you'll need two 3/4" npt threaded male and either barbed or push connect adapters for your hose to connect to housing, I got the push connects at Lowe's for 3$ a piece and 3' of hose for 1$ . If you take the time to search through used stuff on Amazon you can make it even cheaper if your patient.
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waxhawreefer
Active Member
Thx is just liquid gfo, ur Rock is leaching phosphates, it will do it for a while, my first tank I had to deal with it for over a year, my new tank 5 months from pukani rock, just do the math and dose once a week eventually you'll win might take a while, then u will handle the algae problem!
Brian W
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I had issues with my tank with sand....I still have issues with the sa,e tank with bare bottom. I thought it would help...it does somewhat buy the algae just seems to concentrate on the rocks more than the sand bed.
