Still struggling with phosphates...

[Shawn_epicurious]

Ran my PO4 at 0.03-0.05 for the longest time, bumped it up to 0.08-0.15 now much better for my acros way better growth and colors.

That’s good to know : )

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I have made recent changes to my feeding habits that should start helping. I feed frozen foods... I’ve started defrosting them in a small glass of tank water and dumping it all thru a net to drain off the liquid parts. ...give the net a little squeeze to get more liquid off. I have reduced amounts... a little. When I feed everything is gone in less than 5 minutes. I was also making a mistake with Nori.. I was basically feeding that 24/7... now when they do get it, I only leave it for 4 hours.

This is the salt I am using.

Oh yeah... another change in feeding I just made. I have a 12” Snowflake Eel in my tank. I was feeding it dehydrated krill.... I just switchEd to human grade “Popcorn” frozen shrimp... from the grocery store.

 

[Ducagoose]

My RODI water tests out at .05... It’s a brand new BRS 7 stage RODI system... after I mix the salt in, that goes up to .14 I am starting off in a hole

Randy has an article about phosphate in rodi. The tl;dr is don't worry about. .05 during a water change only adds like .00051 when diluted with the tank water in the water change. Food is normally the most common method of introduction. Flake and pellet add more then frozen. I would feed more frozen then dry and cut down more. I feed once a day lightly and have a refugium. Fish can go days between meals unless you have anthias or something very active that isn't a Tang. I watched a video on jf corals tanks and he only feeds his fish once or twice a week and they are all healthy and he has amazing corals on top. Just some "food for thought" lol

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Randy has an article about phosphate in rodi. The tl;dr is don't worry about. .05 during a water change only adds like .00051 when diluted with the tank water in the water change. Food is normally the most common method of introduction. Flake and pellet add more then frozen. I would feed more frozen then dry and cut down more. I feed once a day lightly and have a refugium. Fish can go days between meals unless you have anthias or something very active that isn't a Tang. I watched a video on jf corals tanks and he only feeds his fish once or twice a week and they are all healthy and he has amazing corals on top. Just some "food for thought" lol

Food for thought... points for that one! : )

Yeah okay... your comments above... the math on water changes... The part of this ecosystem causing their problem is that their “god” (me lol) is over providing. Based on what you just said... I am the problem.

and that just sucks! I like feeding them : )

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Skip a day or 2 of feeding a week.

I have been trying to do that... it feels like I am being mean to my fish! I feed at the same time every night... they have learned to gather if I walk past the tank at that time lol

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

You could run GFO

I have been thinking about that... I have a reactor. Randy made a comment that he didn’t think GFO would work faster than PhosGaurd.

 

[Jilly92]

I have been trying to do that... it feels like I am being mean to my fish! I feed at the same time every night... they have learned to gather if I walk past the tank at that time lol

You have to man up for their health! Lol 2 nights a week do an interactive activity instead, one on one attention

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

You have to man up for their health! Lol 2 nights a week do an interactive activity instead, one on one attention

OMG... .....man up! Lololololol

I raised 2 daughters on my own.... yeah, they got spoiled rotten too!

 

[Jilly92]

OMG... .....man up! Lololololol

I raised 2 daughters on my own.... yeah, they got spoiled rotten too!

Haha aww thats so sweet. Very admirable

 

[MERKEY]

I have been thinking about that... I have a reactor. Randy made a comment that he didn’t think GFO would work faster than PhosGaurd.

In the beginning of the thread you stated that your ohosgaurd is running in a high flow area of the sump.

Even tho it is high flow phosguard works best in a pressured system. Either canister or reactor....can you use phosgaurd in the reactor you have or is that being used already?

Not sure it will make a huge different but perhaps worth a try?

 

[Funston07]

I have been thinking about that... I have a reactor. Randy made a comment that he didn’t think GFO would work faster than PhosGaurd.

GFO definitely wont work faster but it will work way more effectively and you wont have to slow down so much on your feedings. Just once it does start lower it make sure to not continuously run the GFO without testing and bottom out your po4 causing you to get dinos.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

My apologies... scotch is now involved : ) )

In the beginning of the thread you stated that your ohosgaurd is running in a high flow area of the sump.

Even tho it is high flow phosguard works best in a pressured system. Either canister or reactor....can you use phosgaurd in the reactor you have or is that being used already?

Not sure it will make a huge different but perhaps worth a try?

I did not know that. I have been using carbon in that reactor. I could easily swap the carbon (to a bag) and put the PhosGaurd in the reactor.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

GFO definitely wont work faster but it will work way more effectively and you wont have to slow down so much on your feedings. Just once it does start lower it make sure to not continuously run the GFO without testing and bottom out your po4 causing you to get dinos.

Why do so many people caution me against using GFO with SPS?

 

[Funston07]

Why do so many people caution me against using GFO with SPS?

Maybe for the fact if you use it to fast and then stop it suddenly the swing in your phosphate levels. Thats why I said dont continously run it once it does start dropping. Are you SPS dominant or just mixed? It shouldnt harm the coral, more or less the misuse of it will. Start of using it slow it will definitely help you in your case. Just read up on using it, there are plenty of threads on using it to achieve what your attempting to do even in SPS tanks.

 

[MERKEY]

Why do so many people caution me against using GFO with SPS?

Gfo strips pretty quick and can affect ph and alk which when swinging can hurt corals especially sps.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I didn’t read the entire threat but you better watch out if you’re using too much gfo or chemipure, it would strip your sps in no time. Why do I know? I am still dealing with high phosphate myself and learned the hard lesson. My current is about .29.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Maybe for the fact if you use it to fast and then stop it suddenly the swing in your phosphate levels. Thats why I said dont continously run it once it does start dropping. Are you SPS dominant or just mixed? It shouldnt harm the coral, more or less the misuse of it will. Start of using it slow it will definitely help you in your case. Just read up on using it, there are plenty of threads on using it to achieve what your attempting to do even in SPS tanks.

Yeah...time to do some reading.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

You can drop it by lanthanum chloride such as phosphate rx. I dropped my down from .90 to now .29. But some however no matter what I do, it’s always hovering at that range lol

 

[Funston07]

Why do so many people caution me against using GFO with SPS?

Do you run a skimmer and how big is your tank?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Do you run a skimmer and how big is your tank?

Because either they learned a hard lesson or heard about it. You’re welcome to run 100% and tell us the end results.