phosphate?? Help!!

fartman · 04/04/2007, 07:34 PM

been having issues with brown and now hairy green algae. Did water tests and everythings ok except my phosphate levels which are very high. Running RO water and just to make sure tested my RO water and came up with zero phosphate levels. Its a new tank with no fish, just the neccessary amounts of live rock/sand. Tanks about a month old with no fish yet until I stabilize this issue.

redneck3298 · 04/04/2007, 08:11 PM

HOW HIGH ARE YOUR LEVELS??

drummereef · 04/04/2007, 08:50 PM

Sounds like your tank has been recently set up? Very normal to go through a diatom and hair algae bloom as the tank cycles and stabilizes. It will pass on its own and from a little help from your cleanup crew. I wouldn't stress too much.

marduc · 04/04/2007, 08:54 PM

For the most part phosphate should'nt be that detrimental to livestock, but it will fuel nuisance algea, but before treating the problem it might be best to identify the source.

If your RO water tests zero, then that is'nt it.

What kind of salt are you using, and have you tested freshly made salt water for phosphates (unlikely but potential source)?

Are you feeding the tank? many of the foods we use have quite a bit of phosphate in them and any uneaten food is a potential source, esp in your scenario with no livestock really as consumers.

Is your live rock pacific or aqua cultured? there is the occasional issue of Florida LR (aquacultured) leeching phosphates into an aquarium.

What kind of sand are you using? Aragonite, silica, bought at LFS, play sand?

What if anything else are you adding to the tank, or is in the tank?

As far as treating it first avenue of attack is hefty water changes, provided the freshly made salt water does'nt test high for phosphates (It should'nt unless it just is a bad batch of salt). If there is just LR and sand in there, try 3 major (50%) changes, this would ideally drop the levels to 12.5% of the original level (provided there is no internal source ie. rocks or sand)

Are you running a skimmer, this will be a great help to export it as well

Other treatment options to consider for the long term would be dosing lime (reference link ) along with using a phosphate adsorber (iron oxide types such as phosban are preferrable to aluminum based IMO). Another good long term solution is to grow macro algea in a refugium and regularly harvest and discard it along with the phosphate it absorbed from thh water column.

Edit: heres another good reference for you: Phosphate article

04/04/2007, 07:34 PM	#1
fartman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 15	phosphate?? Help!! been having issues with brown and now hairy green algae. Did water tests and everythings ok except my phosphate levels which are very high. Running RO water and just to make sure tested my RO water and came up with zero phosphate levels. Its a new tank with no fish, just the neccessary amounts of live rock/sand. Tanks about a month old with no fish yet until I stabilize this issue.

04/04/2007, 08:11 PM	#2
redneck3298 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Saint Cloud, Florida Posts: 135	HOW HIGH ARE YOUR LEVELS?? __________________ I HOPE I DIDN'T BRAIN MY DAMAGE Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon Reef 2x150 HQI MH 20000K 4X54w 460 t5's and 24 Gallon reef 70w MH HQI

04/04/2007, 08:50 PM	#3
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Sounds like your tank has been recently set up? Very normal to go through a diatom and hair algae bloom as the tank cycles and stabilizes. It will pass on its own and from a little help from your cleanup crew. I wouldn't stress too much. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

04/04/2007, 08:54 PM	#4
marduc Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tampa, Fl. Posts: 780	For the most part phosphate should'nt be that detrimental to livestock, but it will fuel nuisance algea, but before treating the problem it might be best to identify the source. If your RO water tests zero, then that is'nt it. What kind of salt are you using, and have you tested freshly made salt water for phosphates (unlikely but potential source)? Are you feeding the tank? many of the foods we use have quite a bit of phosphate in them and any uneaten food is a potential source, esp in your scenario with no livestock really as consumers. Is your live rock pacific or aqua cultured? there is the occasional issue of Florida LR (aquacultured) leeching phosphates into an aquarium. What kind of sand are you using? Aragonite, silica, bought at LFS, play sand? What if anything else are you adding to the tank, or is in the tank? As far as treating it first avenue of attack is hefty water changes, provided the freshly made salt water does'nt test high for phosphates (It should'nt unless it just is a bad batch of salt). If there is just LR and sand in there, try 3 major (50%) changes, this would ideally drop the levels to 12.5% of the original level (provided there is no internal source ie. rocks or sand) Are you running a skimmer, this will be a great help to export it as well Other treatment options to consider for the long term would be dosing lime (reference link ) along with using a phosphate adsorber (iron oxide types such as phosban are preferrable to aluminum based IMO). Another good long term solution is to grow macro algea in a refugium and regularly harvest and discard it along with the phosphate it absorbed from thh water column. Edit: heres another good reference for you: Phosphate article Last edited by marduc; 04/04/2007 at 09:02 PM.