Phosphate D;

Unreal k · 12/06/2017, 04:44 PM

Hey guys my phosphates are at .53 according to my hanna checker, my tank is a 24g AIO, is been running for almost 2 months now,no fish just a clean up crew 5 nassarius snails,2 turbo snails,first 2 weeks i had some diatoms then they all clear out,now is been 2 weeks i have a huge population of copepods,my filtration i have protein skimmer,miracle mud and a chemi pure blue bag with carbon. would a media reactor would do any change?

mcgyvr · 12/06/2017, 04:47 PM

Is this the first phosphate test you have done on it? if not is this a recent problem or its just been rising with time?
Are you feeding anything to the tank? if so what/how often?
What type of rock did you add?

Typically excessive phosphate issues come from food or are leaching from rock that has absorbed phosphate overtime..

Also what is your current water change schedule?

Unreal k · 12/06/2017, 04:56 PM

i did put some small pellet food so my snails can eat something,i have only made 2 water changes so far a 10% and 3 days ago i did a 30%.i have 20lbs of
Aquacultured Live Rock i purchase in my LFS. should i do more water changes?

mcgyvr · 12/06/2017, 05:05 PM

You missed a few questions/answers but..
So depending on how much food you have been putting into the tank you may have caused the problem by overfeeding.. food is a major source of phosphate in an aquarium..

If you caused it the solution is to simply stop overfeeding (or feeding at all..) they usually don't need any food added to the tank at all..
Feed fish when you have them.. Don't feed now..

In general its usually a good idea to start doing about a 20% water change every 2 weeks and see how your tank responds to that and adjust accordingly..

Water changes will definitely reduce the phosphate levels..

Uncle99 · 12/07/2017, 10:31 AM

Are you cycled then the phosphate reading?
You can drop phosphate temporarily by using agent green an LC product but follow directions to a tee. Then in a week take another reading. If high your not cycled, feed too much for the current stated of your export ability or your rock is a phosphate factory...

mcgyvr · 12/07/2017, 10:53 AM

I "might " recommend GFO or LC (lanthanum chloride) products if phosphate leaching from the rock is the issue but thats probably the only time I would do that.

Uncle99 · 12/07/2017, 12:48 PM

I have found if it is coming from the rock, I discard the rock.
Had this a few years ago when adding a live rock. Could never lower phosphate.
That rock also had an unusual amount of GHA. Took the rock out, lowered phosphate with LC 1 ppm per day and in two weeks the 15ppm was zero.
Phosphate has never returned in over a year.

Now for the rock....dried it out completely for months.....did an acid wash.....rinsed.....dried it out again....put it in a bucket and presto....in one week sky high phosphate.

I think that people take their LR back to the LFS when they exit the hobby and the LFS just resells it.....but it may have come from a unmanaged tank....

Now using this new Carbi-Sea dry rock....which is great to add more rock without pests, hitchhikers and phosphate buried in my rock. The stuff is already purpled up dry and stayed that way when added.....love that stuff but not cheap

12/06/2017, 04:44 PM	#1
Unreal k Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 8	Phosphate D; Hey guys my phosphates are at .53 according to my hanna checker, my tank is a 24g AIO, is been running for almost 2 months now,no fish just a clean up crew 5 nassarius snails,2 turbo snails,first 2 weeks i had some diatoms then they all clear out,now is been 2 weeks i have a huge population of copepods,my filtration i have protein skimmer,miracle mud and a chemi pure blue bag with carbon. would a media reactor would do any change?

12/06/2017, 04:47 PM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Is this the first phosphate test you have done on it? if not is this a recent problem or its just been rising with time? Are you feeding anything to the tank? if so what/how often? What type of rock did you add? Typically excessive phosphate issues come from food or are leaching from rock that has absorbed phosphate overtime.. Also what is your current water change schedule? __________________ Who me?

12/06/2017, 05:05 PM	#4
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	You missed a few questions/answers but.. So depending on how much food you have been putting into the tank you may have caused the problem by overfeeding.. food is a major source of phosphate in an aquarium.. If you caused it the solution is to simply stop overfeeding (or feeding at all..) they usually don't need any food added to the tank at all.. Feed fish when you have them.. Don't feed now.. In general its usually a good idea to start doing about a 20% water change every 2 weeks and see how your tank responds to that and adjust accordingly.. Water changes will definitely reduce the phosphate levels.. __________________ Who me?

12/07/2017, 10:53 AM	#6
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	I "might " recommend GFO or LC (lanthanum chloride) products if phosphate leaching from the rock is the issue but thats probably the only time I would do that. __________________ Who me? Last edited by mcgyvr; 12/07/2017 at 10:59 AM.

12/06/2017, 04:56 PM	#3
Unreal k Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 8	i did put some small pellet food so my snails can eat something,i have only made 2 water changes so far a 10% and 3 days ago i did a 30%.i have 20lbs of Aquacultured Live Rock i purchase in my LFS. should i do more water changes?

12/07/2017, 10:31 AM	#5
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Are you cycled then the phosphate reading? You can drop phosphate temporarily by using agent green an LC product but follow directions to a tee. Then in a week take another reading. If high your not cycled, feed too much for the current stated of your export ability or your rock is a phosphate factory...

12/07/2017, 12:48 PM	#7
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	I have found if it is coming from the rock, I discard the rock. Had this a few years ago when adding a live rock. Could never lower phosphate. That rock also had an unusual amount of GHA. Took the rock out, lowered phosphate with LC 1 ppm per day and in two weeks the 15ppm was zero. Phosphate has never returned in over a year. Now for the rock....dried it out completely for months.....did an acid wash.....rinsed.....dried it out again....put it in a bucket and presto....in one week sky high phosphate. I think that people take their LR back to the LFS when they exit the hobby and the LFS just resells it.....but it may have come from a unmanaged tank.... Now using this new Carbi-Sea dry rock....which is great to add more rock without pests, hitchhikers and phosphate buried in my rock. The stuff is already purpled up dry and stayed that way when added.....love that stuff but not cheap