High Phosphate Help!

[Gilbert]

I have a 92 gallon corner reef tank, 20 gallon sump, nwb-150 octopus skimmer, 400 watt 20,000k . I've been trying to grow coralline algae for the longest time and haven't had success. I'm pretty sure its because of my phosphate level, but I went out and bought a sea chem phosphate kit and this is my readings. I long time ago I put a piece of live rock filled with coralline algae and I just watched it bleach away. Went out and bought 20lbs more of live rock with good coralline, so I need some advice on that too

 

ph 8.3

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 10

phosphate 3

alk 15

cal 470

[Gilbert]

Also, has any one tried dosing vodka or sugar? for nitrate and phosphate reduction?

[Reefoholic]

I think Chemipure helps a lot. You can also try Phosban; both will work.

[Gilbert]

I've never put active carbon? up until 3 weeks ago, I went out and bought 2 medium size bottle chemi-pure elite which was what the LFS recommended.

[Reefoholic]

ChemiPure has been effective in my experience. Do you do regular water changes? What do you have in the tank besides rocks? Also, have you let the rocks cure enough? Has the first cycle been completed?

[tpallas]

Alk looks kindof high. Carbon dosing may work in your situation.....what kind of corals do you keep? You might try something like Prodibio or Zeo, or GFO.

[Reefoholic]

MicroBacter 7 from Brightwell Aquatics. Also you can try BioFuel from Brightwell as well. It is similar ro Vodka dosing.

 

In any event, the rocks might still be giving out some phosphate if they are relatively new.

 

 

[Gilbert]

I started this tank about 1 1/2 yrs ago, cycled everything properly but I only tested the water for the basic parameters which read out fine. I put my new live rock in with coralline algae and I'm starting to see bleaching, but mostly where my light hits it. I also recently purchase the cal, alk, phos testing kits to try and figure out what the problem is. I only have softies as far as corals, because I've never been able to really keep the hard corals alive. Yes I do pwc weekly, I did a 12 gallon water change last night, and also did a water change with that same amount last week. Using ro/di water for everything.

[hypertech]

The phosphate is going from somewhere. GFO will help reduce it, but the best is to figure out and address the source. Its usually your source water or feeding that elevates it.

[Reefoholic]

What do you feed usually and how often? It is strange for the coralline algae to die because I have coralline even in the remotest of spots where there is little or no light at all. Maybe try placing the rocks with coralline not in direct light? This article states that coralline algae can adapt to lighting and there many types as we all know:

 

http://ozreef.org/faq/general/encourage_coralline_algae_growth.html

 

Microbacter7 and BioFuel from Brightwell are both very easy to dose and effective. I would try those before investing in a bio pellet reactor and all.

[Gilbert]

I feed a mixture of brine shrimp, blood worms, and frozen cyclopeeze. I feed 3 times a day with a little bit less than a tbl spoon per feeding. Do I need to use both mircrobact7 and biofuel?

[hypertech]

That sounds like about 3x too much food. How many fish do you have? Do they eat all that right away when you add it?

[ridetheducati]

I feed a mixture of brine shrimp, blood worms, and frozen cyclopeeze. I feed 3 times a day with a little bit less than a tbl spoon per feeding. Do I need to use both mircrobact7 and biofuel?

 

That is a lot of food. Cyclop is a potent phosphate source.

[Gilbert]

I have 9fish and they eat most of the food except some of the cyclopeeze, but I think my corals filter it out.

[surf&turf]

Cut your feedings back to once a day. Make sure you rinse your frozen food in fresh water before you feed, except the cyclopeeze, If your phosphates are at 3 you really need to add a phospad or a GFO reactor to help reduce your phosphates.

[ridetheducati]

I have 9fish and they eat most of the food except some of the cyclopeeze, but I think my corals filter it out.

 

Nine Gobies or Naso Tangs?

 

As previously mentioned, cut feeding back to once per day and implement GFO.

 

Note: We are assuming you have excellent source water (TDS=0).

[Gilbert]

3 tangs, solar wrasse, cleaner wrasse, pair of gold stripe maroon clownfish and 2 chromis. I just replaced all my filters including membrane for my ro/di 2 weeks ago, replaced all my poly filters and filter sock too. TDS is 0. I will cut back on feeding. I'm a little short on money to purchase a reactor so if I were to go GFO I would have to place the media in my filter sock. What would be more beneficial, using the brightwell microbacter7 with bio fuel or just stick the GFO in my filter sock?

[Reefoholic]

I used Brightwell products with great success before. Microbacter7 and BioFuel will help reduce phosphate and also help with beneficial bacterial population and growth, nevertheless dosing them WILL NOT eliminate the source for high phosphates.

 

If implemented correctly GFO will be a more permanent solution to cope with phosphate issues. I think you should try to pin point the source of this problem. (I am almost very confidant that it is excessive feeding).

 

High nutrient water almost always equals to problems with SPS in my opinion/experience.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gilbert]

I'm going to try dosing Microbacter7 and some cheap old Aristocrat vodka to see what happens, will dose tonight!

[Gilbert]

Did the second dose this morning, the fish seem more relaxed and not breathing so hard, and my corals all good better than they have in months. My bubble coral is big and bubbly and not kind of stringy. There was some brown algae starting to grow and now its not there anymore. Protein skimmer is in overtime mode and skimming so much junk out. Water clarity has improved noticeably. Will do water para testing tonight! So far so good!

[hypertech]

Be careful with that vodka. If you dose too much you can get a bacteria bloom.

[Chad]

I have a 92 gallon corner reef tank, 20 gallon sump, nwb-150 octopus skimmer, 400 watt 20,000k . I've been trying to grow coralline algae for the longest time and haven't had success. I'm pretty sure its because of my phosphate level, but I went out and bought a sea chem phosphate kit and this is my readings. I long time ago I put a piece of live rock filled with coralline algae and I just watched it bleach away. Went out and bought 20lbs more of live rock with good coralline, so I need some advice on that too

 

ph 8.3

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 10

phosphate 3

alk 15

cal 470

 

OK, a bunch of issues here that I can see.

 

First off, is that number for ALK correct? Have you independently verified it to be correct? For that matter, have you independently verified all of the values in question? (by independent I mean with a second test kit that is either yours or someone elses) IMO, this is always the first step to solving these issues.

 

Second, I think your not being able to grow coraline has little (or nothing) to do with the phosphates... I think it has more to do with the 400W MH light you have. Coraline grows much better under more subdued lighting. I have a 250W MH in my tank and the coraline only grows in shadows for me.

 

Third, on the issue of phosphates, I really think you will be better served by adding some fast growing plant matter (like chaetomorpha or similar) to a refugium - no way to overdose that and it is self limiting; if there aren't any phosphates or nitrates, it doesn't grow.

 

Vodka was all the craze a few years back, but I don't know that many folks who still do it... Those that still use the concept have mostly switched (from what I can tell) to solid carbon forms (like biopellets) or ceased the practice.

[zygote2k]

I second the verification of tests. When you test your water with reliable test kits, let us know and then we can help you.

[Gilbert]

I just bought the alk and phos kit by sea chem like last week so I figured I would get good readings I even did the reference testing with all the kits to make sure it read accurately, but that's a good idea anybody close to Alexandria want to do some water testing for me or maybe just check out the tank to see if I can improve on anything and work with what I have? I kinda figured the 400w mh might be too bright for the coralline, so what should I do in this situation? cut back on lighting? as far as bio pellets can I just put them in a mesh bag and put it in my filter sock? I don't have a reactor