Rising nitrate and phosphate levels

[Mario0240]

Hey guys!

So I’ve moved a tank from one house to another, kept the sand and rock that was in the tank, and have been running it for a few days now. I’ve been testing the water every night since Saturday and tonight noticed a sight uptick in these two levels. Ammonia is ok, for what it’s worth, but my nitrate is around 10ppm and phosphate is creeping up to .5ppm. Should I do a small, 10% water change, or, ride it out?

I’m leaning towards a water change personally...

 

[Hemmdog]

Hey guys!

So I’ve moved a tank from one house to another, kept the sand and rock that was in the tank, and have been running it for a few days now. I’ve been testing the water every night since Saturday and tonight noticed a sight uptick in these two levels. Ammonia is ok, for what it’s worth, but my nitrate is around 10ppm and phosphate is creeping up to .5ppm. Should I do a small, 10% water change, or, ride it out?

I’m leaning towards a water change personally...

The nitrate is fine but 0.5 phosphate is very high. Are you feeding flake/pellet food? Reef roids?

 

[Idoc]

A small water change isn't really going thi help much. Even a 50% water change will theoretically get you to 5ppm NO3 and .25 PO4, which is still pretty high phosohate for that level of nitrate... probably about to get cyano soon.

Maybe something to only slowly bring down the PO4 to a more reasonable level while maintaining your NO3 around 10ppm? Phosguard-like item vs GFO. But, I'd be careful and reduce it slowly over time.

 

[Mario0240]

The nitrate is fine but 0.5 phosphate is very high. Are you feeding flake/pellet food? Reef roids?

Neither. I’ve fed frozen food once since I’ve had the tank.

 

[Mario0240]

A small water change isn't really going thi help much. Even a 50% water change will theoretically get you to 5ppm NO3 and .25 PO4, which is still pretty high phosohate for that level of nitrate... probably about to get cyano soon.

Maybe something to only slowly bring down the PO4 to a more reasonable level while maintaining your NO3 around 10ppm? Phosguard-like item vs GFO. But, I'd be careful and reduce it slowly over time.

Ok. Thank you! I’ll go to my LFS today.

 

[Mario0240]

I went to the LFS today and got some carbon. We talked a bit about how I’m going to have to baby this tank for the next couple of weeks still since I shocked it so well.. but I threw the carbon in at noon today and will test again to night to see if there’s been any movement. I know it probably won’t but I’ve been testing regularly and plan to keep doing so for the foreseeable future.

 

[rkpetersen]

Carbon removes organics but won't remove nitrate or phosphate specifically.
Careful use of GFO would be a good approach, as mentioned.

 

[Mario0240]

Carbon removes organics but won't remove nitrate or phosphate specifically.
Careful use of GFO would be a good approach, as mentioned.

well it was a bag of chemi pure elite... i thought that was carbon?

 

[Paullawr]

well it was a bag of chemi pure elite... i thought that was carbon?

Chemi pure elite has gfo combined along with carbon and organic scrubbers (resin media).

As such will reduce phosphate. TBH i wouldn't bat an eyelid at your levels.

 

[Mario0240]

Chemi pure elite has gfo combined along with carbon and organic scrubbers (resin media).

As such will reduce phosphate. TBH i wouldn't bat an eyelid at your levels.

I understand now... thanks.

I know they aren't crazy. And just for informational sake, its a 90g established tank that i bought off of guy locally. I moved it from his house to my house and set it back up. It's currently occupied by a lionfish, long spine urchin, and a carpet anenome. There are a couple of soft corals in there also, but nothing crazy by any means.

I appreciate your input as i'm still reeeeeaaaaallly new to salt water aquariums.

 

[Paullawr]

I understand now... thanks.

I know they aren't crazy. And just for informational sake, its a 90g established tank that i bought off of guy locally. I moved it from his house to my house and set it back up. It's currently occupied by a lionfish, long spine urchin, and a carpet anenome. There are a couple of soft corals in there also, but nothing crazy by any means.

I appreciate your input as i'm still reeeeeaaaaallly new to salt water aquariums.

Its easy yo get caught up in the 'keep tank super clean' because XYZ book or online forum said so.
Truth is we have a lot of equipment at our disposal now which can eliminate nitrate and phosphate so effectively it can have a negative effect in the opposite way.

Lion fish etc can add a larger bio load so i understand a need to stay on top.

Personally I use microbacter 7 and regular water change with syphon. Rather than chemi cure elite go with some rox 0.8, a bulking carbon (cheaper flavour), purigen and some generic gfo.

Dont go heavy handed, find the balance. I tend to use smaller amounts in reactor changed more frequently (every two / three weeks).

I do also run ozone which i find helps.as well.

 

[Mario0240]

How do you run ozone? I’ve see videos on it but I didn’t quite wrap my head around as it didn’t seem all that important to me at the time..

 

[Paullawr]

How do you run ozone? I’ve see videos on it but I didn’t quite wrap my head around as it didn’t seem all that important to me at the time..

Its one of those if you dont know about it you dont need it.

I connect mine to a skimmer but have in the past connected to an ozone reactor.

It else break down organics so tanks with large bioloads can see benefits. BRS did a vid on them a while back. Some instances carbon can be just as effective.
Still i find it helps in my small tank.

 

[Mario0240]

fair enough...

 

[Mario0240]

Update: the chemipure i put in there seems to have helped a little. Phosphorous is down to .25 again, which was my start point.

I have a UV Sterilizer on this tank. Shouldn't that be helping, or am i mistaken?

 

[Paullawr]

Update: the chemipure i put in there seems to have helped a little. Phosphorous is down to .25 again, which was my start point.

I have a UV Sterilizer on this tank. Shouldn't that be helping, or am i mistaken?

UV will break down algae and bacteria (well zooplankton as well depending on strength and contact time). It wont change parameters though.

 

[Mario0240]

ohhh.. what about filter socks? in my excitement to get the tank and get it set back up, i forgot about the 4" filter sock i have in there.. i did a little maintenance the other day, and rinsed it as best i could since i didn't have a new one to put on there yet. I'll get some today, but could that add to the phosphate/nitrate elevation?

 

[Paullawr]

ohhh.. what about filter socks? in my excitement to get the tank and get it set back up, i forgot about the 4" filter sock i have in there.. i did a little maintenance the other day, and rinsed it as best i could since i didn't have a new one to put on there yet. I'll get some today, but could that add to the phosphate/nitrate elevation?

Yeah you want a few of them. I used to change them every few days. Then hand wash out well. Chuck them in washing machine for better clean.

 

[Mario0240]

i feel like i saw a thread somewhere about washing them in the washer. But i'm about to have a newborn in the house and i'm not so sure my wife, as awesome and understanding she is, would be ok with me using the washer to was fish poop catchers..

I do have a pressure washer i can use though, so i think that'll be my best plan of attack.

 

[Paullawr]

i feel like i saw a thread somewhere about washing them in the washer. But i'm about to have a newborn in the house and i'm not so sure my wife, as awesome and understanding she is, would be ok with me using the washer to was fish poop catchers..

I do have a pressure washer i can use though, so i think that'll be my best plan of attack.

Haha