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Phosphates in SPS Tank


haze152

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For some reason I can not get my Phosphates below .36 ( red sea test). It's a 75 gallon DT with 30 gallon sump. Alk 8 cal 450 everything else 0 water 78-80. 150 lbs live rock total in system. I have tried GFO in reactor and bag. Is it possible the test is bad. All of my coral look fine in fact since I started reactor colors look great. I have changed media 3 time in the last 2 weeks test still reads .36. Does anyone have any recommendations. I have not tried to test with hanna test yet. If anyone live in round rock or NW Austin that has one and would test water that would be great.

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It is possible you may have an expired test kit. Check the date. Most likely you have a source problem where the PO4 is coming from. If you are confident in your water source and you are not overfeeding your fish with low quality foods then only other source would be using some of the low cost coral accelerates (check for labeling which does not say "free from phosphates"), but more likely the 150 lbs of rock. Some rocks will leech PO4 into the water column for months after introducing into the tank. Pukani has a reputation for this, and is why I prefer Tonga rock.

There are a few things you can do, and using high quality GFO is a solution, however; with the levels you are describing you will exhaust your GFO very fast, possibly in only a matter of a day or so. Using the the high capacity products like ROX may give you more time between changes but the $$$ cost will work out to be about the same. Another option is the use of Cl3 or Lanthanum Cloride. This is very effective at removing PO4 from the water column and is relatively inexpensive. I wouildn't reccomend using a commercial pool spa product that is extremely common in the industry, but rather seek out a hobby product such as Blue Life Phosphate Control, Caribsea Phos-Buster Pro and a host of others out there. They are usally used as a monthly suppliment and also require the use of a fine mesh sock to capture the white precipitate produced from the reaction w/ the PO4. This measure is considered reef safe, however I would caution anyone in quickly and dramatically reducing PO4 or nitrates in a mixed reef tank where soft or LPS corals can be affected. Even SPS corals can at least temporaraly react to fast reductions. Therefore I would always exercise caution and begin the first dose at half the recommended amount. Better safe than sorry. And remember a true level of 0.0 ppm PO4 would starve any coral over time, so this should not be your goal. Many SPS hobbists claim SPS do quite well at levels above ULNS (IE): 0.02ppm and higher.

If you can mange aslower reduction of PO4 over time thru GFO and manage the costs then this is the route I would take. Especially if the SPS corals are doing well and you are experiencing no algae outbraks.

NEON REEFER

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If you had an accurate reading of 0.36, you would be probably be experiencing some pretty heinous algae right now. In light of the fact that your livestock looks well, it sounds to me more like a test with expired reagent than a nutrient issue. Try to make it to one of the stores and either buy a new test kit or have them test it. If you're ever south, I can test it for you if you drop off a sample.

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Like above if you're corals ook good it's something that does not need to be fixed today or tomorrow and a gradual aproach is best. As well, you want to verify your test kit and source for the phosphate.

A point I would like to make here is while phosphates and nitrates can certainly cause algae problems it is not a given. It is an association and not a direct correlation. I have been very surprised to see acros, montis and other corals quite happy with phosphate levels much higher than what you have. Conversely I have seen nuscence algae problems in tanks that have acceptable levels of nitrate and phosphate so the picture is much more complicated that a simple direct correlation would suggest. If you have high phophates it certainly does need to be rectified but I would let the corals apperance and behaviour dictate how aggressive I was with my treatment.

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The source water RO/DI tested at .02. After the last media change I noticedto browned out acros in tank have started coloring one is turning a bright green and the other a bluish purple. All the food I use contains no phosphates. I am using red sea pro reef crystals for salt. The test still reads .36. Since corals look good I'm not in a big hurry I don't want to strip nutrients to fast and crash. My nitrates ran 10-15 but have been 0 for last 30 days I chaned media brands. I did just buy a better skimmer and its removal is far better then the last one. From what I understand at .25 there is a good chance you will see tissue damage on sps which I am not seeing. White all the new GFO media and reactors or there I am trying to avoid carbon dosing. I will test again tonight and bring sample to LFS and compare.

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Red sea pro test .16 mine and LFS

API .25

Low end red sea 0

3 days afte new media.

So I'm guessing test again in a few days when levels Change replace media.

What is everyone using for GFO brand wise?

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You're on the right track ! Make sure with that tester that you push and hold after C.2 for the three minute timer. Also, make sure that you totally dissolve the powder reagent. It's also important that you get all of the powder without your hands touching the interior of the packet where the powder touches.

I like to do a 2 vial system where one vial is just unreacted water and the second vial has reacted water.

Also keep those smudges off the outside of the vial.

Simple right ? :)

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What did you mean Press and hold. Right now the way I have been doing it is fill vial with test water turn unit on. Wipe vial with micro fiber rag put vial in press button unit then says add c2 at that point intake vial out pour regent in shake vial till all is gone then tap vial to get bubbles out. I then wipe again with micro fiber rag and place vial in and press again and get reading.

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