how do phospahtes get in water

[tropicfishman]

ok besides the fact they can be in your tap water, how do they get there? does the water treatment plant add them for some kind of filtering additive or do they occur naturally? cuz my tap test pretty high for phosphates and so does my tank and i've exhausted myself trying to figure out why its so high, thanks for any help

 

[rich311k]

Could be run off from fertilizers.

 

[QTOFFER]

Phosphates in tap water most likely come from ferterlizer runoff or possibly from phosphate rich minerals in the area. Fish food contains phosphates too.

If your tap water is high, the only thing you can do is mix in some RO water. Are you having grief with algae?

 

[krap101]

i have a feeling im way off, but cant phosphates come from certain rocks?

 

[tropicfishman]

Its weird outta nowhere brown hiar algea has covered my bubble tube, a small plant in front and has now bloomed on the front glass, in the same place everytime, no matter how many times I remove it it keeps coming back

 

[Devilishturtles]

What are your exact nitrate and phosphate readings? You can try Seachem PhosGuard. It will lower your levels to under .5 ppm, but has to be replaced when the phosphates rise again, every few weeks, although at first it may rise again in days.

 

[tropicfishman]

My current phosphates for one tank is way over 10.0 ppm and the other is at 0.0 ppm amazingly, they both share a Nitrate level way over 160 ppm, I'm using API test kits and there all brand new. Could I not have a great enough bacteria colonie somehoe, the tank ahs been up for around 6 months, even when I vaccuum now I barely get any waste as it is

 

[Devilishturtles]

Are you using the same substrate and food for both tanks? Live plants in either tank? Any rocks in the tank with high po4? With 160 ppm nitrate, it sounds like its been a while since you've done a water change, so I think that would be my first course of action. Atleast 50%. They day after, do another 50%, followed by another the following day. Your nitrates should be well under 20-30 ppm by then which is much more manageable than 160 ppm.

As far as a bacterial colony, as long as your tank is reading 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, you don't have a problem there.

Also, sorry if you already mentioned this, but what does your tap water test in phosphate? How about nitrate?

 

[BrianNY]

This sounds like BBA to me. As far as I know, phosphates aren't the problem. It's something that is very difficult to get a handle on. You must be diligent about removing it or it will take over.

 

[Menagerie]

BBA?

 

[tropicfishman]

black beard algea