Phosphate removal

[ReefFreak1]

I have 29 HQI and I am having the hardest time keeping my phosphates at a low stable point. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions that my help me. Tank is a little over a year old.

 

[ifarmer]

first, find out where the source came from? test your rodi water.

you could run GFO, grow cheato that will help reduce the phosphate & nitrate.
Cut back on the feeding certainly will help
lastly, dose vinegar to help reduce both nitrate and phosphate

 

[tosiek]

Definitely look into GFO to help with Po4. Its the easiest way without needing to dose daily.

Also, before you do any vinegar, sugar, vodka, ect dosing make sure you read up and understand why the process works. Then you will understand and be able to correct any algae blooms, ect associated with those dosing regimes.

 

[MatthewScars]

then you do a wc, be sure to get a turkey baser and blow all the crap in the rock out and suck it up.

 

[ReefFreak1]

Thanks guys. For the use of vinegar I have started using that because I do believe that my biological bacteria is low. I and using 5% and I added six table spoons throughout the day and about three today. Overnight I have seen a difference. Will I need to dose for good until I stop or upgrade to a bigger better tank? I have roughly 35-40 pounds of live rock and twenty pounds of live sand. I figured that would have even enough. My cheato does not do well in my tank either. I feel like its just dying slowly or turning into small pcs that are getting stuck in my hyper flow 6. Anymore advice would be awesome. Thanks again.

 

[ReefFreak1]

Also as for wcing I do roughly 2 1/2 gallons a week sometimes twice a week.

 

[reefer4eva]

I'm not sure if you still need info on this but anyways.....I would do the vodka dosing before vinegar,it's much more effective,as far as you macro algae with the dosing it will most likely die once you nitrates and phosphates are close to zero only cause the nutrients they need will be non existent therefore there is no need for them anyways.do weekly water changes,check your paremeters and make sure you have a really good protein skimmer...all the nutrients will be exported thru skimming ...and most importantly GO SLOW...I'm not sure what kind of corals you plan on housing but there going to need some kind of supplement for them

 

[ReefFreak1]

Thanks for the info. I used vinegar and saw a change in color the next day. I have all sorts of corals. Sps,Lps, zoa, and feather dusters. Three clams And a bubble tip anem. I have realized that the hqi is a terrible tank to really start out with or have Sps in. The hqi light it too hot and there is no room for a good skinner nor do I want to drill the tank sooo I'm stuck until I upgrade to a better system.

 

[SanmanReefer]

Definitely look into GFO to help with Po4. Its the easiest way without needing to dose daily.

Also, before you do any vinegar, sugar, vodka, ect dosing make sure you read up and understand why the process works. Then you will understand and be able to correct any algae blooms, ect associated with those dosing regimes.

+1 on that, happened to me dosing vodka.

 

[masterswimmer]

Something not mentioned in all the above responses (of which I agree with them), what food are you using? Are you using frozen mysis cubes, or any other frozen cube type food? Those frozen cubes are notorious for using phosphates as binders. You should rinse the frozen food in a small dixie size cup of tank water. This will defrost the cube and hopefully remove the phosphates before you feed it to your tank.

Also agree with the use of Phosban (GFO). Chaetomorpha in a refugium is another good way to help with nutrient export.

HTH
Russ

 

[ecvernon]

5

 

[cody0709]

Run phosban for 2 days