Super high phosphate help!

[stevensmks2]

Yup, it’s about 1.0. My corals are dropping like flies. I just did a small water change and added some chemipure that supposed a phosphate removal. I got some phosguard not sure if I should add them in there too

plan on doing some large 50% water change of my 125g. Tanks being running for about 1.5 year.

It should be my fault that I added a bunch of dry rocks and stopped using chemipure last month.

any other suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Dumb question but are you using RODI water?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I'd be surprised if phosphates are your problem, lots of people run that high and even a sudden increase wouldn't necessarily kill things off that fast (especially LPS). Maybe your rocks are leaching something else? Have you checked your alk and pH?

I have seen that Ross guy video that he had his tank higher than mine po4. My sps were fine but it was the lps that dropping dead one after another and duncan was the most recent. Since I dropped the po4, my duncan seems to be slowly recovering.

now maybe I stripping it, a couple of my monti are not doing good, small areas of the corals are bleached.

I am adding acropower and dosing phosguard at the same time. Will be testing po4 daily.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Dumb question but are you using RODI water?

Yes, it was tested 0 tds.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

ya I was going to suggest do an API test. I did a API test once and it saved my tank. I was chasing the wrong issue! And if it is your rocks leaching it out it will take awhile to lower. Run GFO (start slow) until the numbers are down and stable. At some point the phosphate will be gone. Also check your RODI water to make sure it isn't the source. An ATI test will also test your RODI by the way. Do know though that water changes are not a great way to reduce the phosphates.

I think rocks were one of my culprits too.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I agree with dosing LC until you get a more stable and acceptable number. Then maybe swap to GFO or one of the others to maintain levels.

Will wait another week since I still got half jar of phosguard from 2 years ago.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Update, first thanks for commenting and I have just tested again, dropped down to .55. I think that’s not a quick drop which is good.

my plan:

continue running phosguard, if po4 doesn’t drop or increase, I will replace new phosguard in the reactor.

continue acropower since phosguard is stripping the nutrients.

continue dose 2 tablespoons of kalk in 5g bucket ATO

Feed less.

will run GFO once drop down to around .10, that’s prob in a few months lol.

any other suggestions are still welcm

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Update: just checked my phosphate and it was .54. It’s not dropping and steady. I am going to do a large water change but should I increase phosguard a bit?

 

[fishguy242]

hi imo phosguard is the best does not leach when full,if you have a sack in there roll it around abit mix it up so center of sack can do a little more before disposing jmo from exp

 

[Rubblereefer]

Another volte for lanthium chloride. It’s easy to use and immediately drop levels to where you need them, then you can maintain that range with gfo.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

hi imo phosguard is the best does not leach when full,if you have a sack in there roll it around abit mix it up so center of sack can do a little more before disposing jmo from exp

I am running it in a reactor. I will just open it, slightly stir it and add maybe around 1/3 more to it. According to phosguard if the level is not increasing, it means the media still good. So I will just add some new ones in

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Another volte for lanthium chloride. It’s easy to use and immediately drop levels to where you need them, then you can maintain that range with gfo.

Sounds good, I will give it another week with phosguard. I am not familiar with LC, would be greatly appreciate if you can post a link or brand new.

 

[clm65]

Update: just checked my phosphate and it was .54. It’s not dropping and steady. I am going to do a large water change but should I increase phosguard a bit?

About a year ago my PO4 was around 2.5. The problem is the phosphate gets bound up in the rocks and sand and leaches out into the water. A water change might give you immediate relief, but the rocks/sand are going to just release more until an equilibrium is reached. GFO and phosguard and similar products are good, but they only have a limited capacity to absorb phosphates. And they are relatively expensive. That is why some of us recommend LC. You can drop your phosphates a little at a time, every few days or so, until a relatively low equilibrium level is reached. Then swap over to one of the granular products to maintain levels. That is what worked for me (I did try GFO first, but at my levels it was spent very quickly). I'm not saying your approach will not work. Just be prepared to keep swapping out product. Of course this will depend on how big your tank is and how much rock and sand you have.

 

[clm65]

Sounds good, I will give it another week with phosguard. I am not familiar with LC, would be greatly appreciate if you can post a link or brand new.

I like Phosphate Rx. Some people use Seaklear (pool water stuff), which is much cheaper per ounce, but I'm too chicken to try pool chemicals in my tank. Just make sure to dose it into a 1 micron sock or into the center of your skimmer. Here is a good video:

 

[nolifer]

I'm just going through the same problem as you. my po4 level was 0.150 ish it's now 0.077 I've been dosing quantum phosphate remover to drop my levels down, rowa is just too messy for me you always get the brown color to it. lanthanum seems cleaner to work with and cheaper in the long run even thou it works faster than rowa IMO. was your nitrate ok?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

About a year ago my PO4 was around 2.5. The problem is the phosphate gets bound up in the rocks and sand and leaches out into the water. A water change might give you immediate relief, but the rocks/sand are going to just release more until an equilibrium is reached. GFO and phosguard and similar products are good, but they only have a limited capacity to absorb phosphates. And they are relatively expensive. That is why some of us recommend LC. You can drop your phosphates a little at a time, every few days or so, until a relatively low equilibrium level is reached. Then swap over to one of the granular products to maintain levels. That is what worked for me (I did try GFO first, but at my levels it was spent very quickly). I'm not saying your approach will not work. Just be prepared to keep swapping out product. Of course this will depend on how big your tank is and how much rock and sand you have.

2.5!!!!!! Though mine was high (.90). Tank is 120 with 30g sump. I added about 20-30lb of dry rocks in the course of few months.

now definitely want to try LC

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I'm just going through the same problem as you. my po4 level was 0.150 ish it's now 0.077 I've been dosing quantum phosphate remover to drop my levels down, rowa is just too messy for me you always get the brown color to it. lanthanum seems cleaner to work with and cheaper in the long run even thou it works faster than rowa IMO. was your nitrate ok?

nitrate should be around 10-20ppm. Using API but I had crossed check with freshly made water, so should be somewhat reliable lol.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

So just took a quick peak about lanthanum chloride and some had their fish died from using it. Have you had or heard anything bad about this?

 

[nolifer]

If your nitrate is high nopox will work if your nitrate is fine you just need to reduce the phosphate wwc use the Brightwell version of quantum

 

[clm65]

So just took a quick peak about lanthanum chloride and some had their fish died from using it. Have you had or heard anything bad about this?

I have heard of people having problems with their tangs, but I have two tangs and never had a problem with them or any of my fish.

 

[clm65]

2.5!!!!!! Though mine was high (.90). Tank is 120 with 30g sump. I added about 20-30lb of dry rocks in the course of few months.

now definitely want to try LC

Yup, fish only tank that was over fed for about 17 years. Only really looked at phosphates when I wanted to start adding some corals about a year ago. By then I really built up a phosphate storage media with my rocks. Some types of dry rock are also known to naturally have high phosphates. Doesn’t sound like you have too much rock, so it shouldn’t be too bad getting yours under control.