High Phosphates Problem

[hooked82]

So CurtSwearing suggest I open a new thread to help deal with my high phosphates. Here's my tank info just to get that out of the way. It's a 125g tank with a 30 gallon fuge and 25 gallon sump. For lighting I've got 250w 14K MH's, with brand new bulbs. Only 2 of the 3 are running at the moment as I need another ballast but thats neither here nor there. I am also running an ETSS 800 skimmer to pull out the crud. My overflows dump into a filter sock that I'm replacing every 3-4 days. I've got about 1000~1100gph through my return and I have 2 MJ1200's modded for a total of about 5000gph of flow. The only fish are a yellow tang and a purple tang, and a good sized cleanup crew that has yet to earn their keep yet

The tank is only a month and a half old so I am expecting algae blooms and I can deal with it. Theres about 200lbs. of LR that came from the same tank of about 5 years old. I am using new sand that was seeded from random tanks. I'm thinking that the rock could be holding a good amount of phosphates so I'm not ruling that out. I doing a 20gallon water change tonight, and plan on doing a larger one this weekend.

My makeup water container is a trash can that I've been using for a few months. I am going to replace it as I'm sure this has a little to do with the phosphates leaching from the plastic as suggested in another thread.

Here's my water params: (All tests were with my salifert kits)
pH:8.2
kH:8.3
Alk:2.97
CA:495
Ammonia:0
Nitrites:0
Nitrates:0
PO4:2.7(Yeah I know)
Tap Water TDS: 56
RO/DI Water TDS: 0

Oh, I have a TLF Phosban Reactor on the way, as well as some Seachem GAC to help clear the water.

So my question is, I know I have a phosphate problem, but what are some ideas on why it is so high?

 

[Brenden]

What is the PO4 level in your new SW and your RO/DI water?

 

[hooked82]

I will check it here in a bit and post it up.

 

[Brenden]

Check the new SW first. If it is low do not bother checking the RO/DI.

 

[class clown]

Good luck David..

i'll throw a couple things out there. So like where Brendan was likely headed, let's rule out first that it's being added to the system. to do this:

1. Check the TDS coming straight out of your RODI to make sure your getting double 0's.
   
2. Check the TDS of the water after it sits in your trash can for a little while - verify double 0's again or only slighytly higher.
   
3. then, run a phosphate test on the water before your about to add it and make sure it's 00

If at each stage in the game, your 00's, at least we can rule out that your adding bad water to the system.

 

[class clown]

Actually, after reading brendan's suggestion again.. I agree with him. 86 my suggestion. That's probably your best starting point - check phosphates of new water being added first and work downwards or upwards from there.

(make sure it's at regular temperature and has been mixed well of course).

 

[hooked82]

Ok, just checked them all again.

RO/DI: 0
Mixed SW: 0(Mixed and at temp for 3 days now)
Tank Water: 2~3(Hard to tell exact because it jumps from 2 to 3 on the salifert card)

 

[Brenden]

What do you feed and how much?

 

[hooked82]

Right now I feed a little bit of spirulina in the morning and then formula one and mysis shrimp at night. Every few days I give them some dried seaweed(have yet to find nori locally). I know that dried seaweed/nori is pretty much a phosphate sheet but I havent fed them all too much of that since being in the tank. I probably overfeed a bit but the food stays in the water column until its all gone thanks to the mj's. The fish have only been in there about a week and a half at most. Have only had lights on the tank for about 2 weeks.

 

[Curtswearing]

Formula One frozen or Formula One flake?
On the Mysis shrimp, do you thaw in RO/DI water and then dump all of the water out and only feed the shrimp or do you pour the water into the tank? Frozen seafood is LOADED with polyphosphates so you want to soak this off in RO/DI water or at least rinse it very well in tap water prior to feeding.

 

[hooked82]

Formula One frozen. I dont dump the water on the mysis, but I will from now on. But can this alone accumulate such high phosphates?

 

[jsmkmavity]

yes it can and it builds up in everything and can take a long time to bring back down. also the rock/sand you got may have already had some P's.

 

[DonW]

Your tank is way to new to come to any conclusions. The phosban reactor will help. Since you dont have a bunch of sps you can load it up pretty good. It may just be as simple as your LR released a bunch of P due to die off.
P is one of those thing that you need to pay attention to all the little inputs because they add up quickly. There is usually not one big source that is causing the proplem. If your sure the tank has completly cycled I'd do some big water changes like 50 gallons a week and give it some time while your doing this.

Don

 

[hooked82]

Yeah I understand that the tank is new, I know I'm going to get algae blooms, just didnt know if the very high P was something going wrong. It probably accumlates to all the things that I'm lazy with like not draining frozen foods and stuff like that. I will try all of your suggestions and see what happens.

One other question not exactly pertaining to this but I'm picking up a clam tonight, is it a bad idea to do this with high phosphates?

 

[DonW]

Yeah I understand that the tank is new, I know I'm going to get algae blooms, just didnt know if the very high P was something going wrong. It probably accumlates to all the things that I'm lazy with like not draining frozen foods and stuff like that. I will try all of your suggestions and see what happens.

One other question not exactly pertaining to this but I'm picking up a clam tonight, is it a bad idea to do this with high phosphates?

Personally I'd wait. Its not the P that is the issue. If your going to add a phosban reactor and quickly try to get the P down then this will effect chemistry.

Don

 

[hooked82]

What if I were to just add some phosban in a media bag and run that in one of the baffles in my sump. If I were to put it in right now and later tonight add the clam would that not be enough time for the phosban to start balancing out the chem?

 

[DonW]

What if I were to just add some phosban in a media bag and run that in one of the baffles in my sump. If I were to put it in right now and later tonight add the clam would that not be enough time for the phosban to start balancing out the chem?

If you want the clam then just go slow with the phosban. It will just take longer for the P to come down.

Don

 

[hooked82]

That's what I will have to do. As long as I can get the phosphates under control, I'm not in an extreme hurry. I would hold off on the clam but the guy needs it gone today. Maybe I will see if I can take it to the LFS and hold it.

 

[mark peacock]

hi just thought that i would mention my issue with the same it took me a week to resolve my phos problem and mine was over 3.0 and that was replacing the phos remover everyday to get rid of it now i run with it 24/7 and i will check every week never did before now i can see loads of improvement due to advice from RF.

 

[MikeS]

How much live rock do you have? where did you get it and how did you cure it?

MikeS