Help with phosphates

[Bray84]

Hi so I was using faulty test kit to test phos to god knows how long and now got a reactor which had from few months now. Thing is can't seem to get my phos down and I'm using ultra phos in reactor. Few months ago had bad break out off blown aglae, why got reactor and at time got my phos down low. Since the algae has gone I cant seem to get phos low no matter how much I put in and getting to the max to use so should I try something else or will it be leaching out the rocks.


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[Gregcoyote]

You should be able to gradually work the phosphates down with GFO, Phosguard or other phosphate binding products. Source of phosphates is generally; tap water, over feeding, fish died and wasn't removed, or some types of fresh live rock. Even as algae dies back it re-releases nitrates and phosphates. The ratio is as high as 16 parts nitrate to one part phosphate. So you have to continuously provide a fast binding agent to grab the phosphate before more algae is created. You end up starving the algae, but you can only go so far as your corals need some very small traces of phosphates to sustain its algae.

The only other long term solution I have found is using a ATS to use algae to starve out other algae.


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[Bray84]

I'm using fauna Marin ultra phos at min as told there good but have been adding bit more and still not lowering plus got cheato but don't know if it's doing much.thing that's happened is had bad test kit and when got new one it read .24. I only feed half a cube or some flake 3 sometimes 4 times a week and do 15/20% wc with salted ro water each week. Only thing can think to do is add more ultra phos but I'm nearly at max limit.


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[Gregcoyote]

.24ppm isn't the end of the world by any means.


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[Bray84]

That's what it was before had brown aglae outbreak when tested with new test kit now have it at around .07 but want it lower to try kill off rest of algae in tank. Only coral got at min is gsp and one zoa frag but wanting start adding more so trying get water good.


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[Gregcoyote]

I don't suggest getting it below .05ppm.


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[Bray84]

Why not if not got corals


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[Gregcoyote]

I thought you had some corals. My mistake.


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[Bray84]

Yeah only gsp and zoa what came on some rock both are bit hardy so low phos shouldn't kill them


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[Bray84]

Think just going do two 15-20% wc aweek for at least 4 weeks to help get it out the rocks.


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