Phosphate Climbing

[newsalt]

Something is going wrong. I have a problem with hair algea. I added Cheato to my fuge with a light on a reverse cycle. I'm using OptiPhos phosphate media from Polyp Labs. I use RO/DI water. I've been using Prodibio (BioDigest and BiOptim) every other week for the past month. A few weeks ago, my phosphate was around 0.04 (Hanna). I measured it last night and it was 0.32. I chek it again tonight and it's climbed to 0.50. Seem like it started climbing since I added the chaeto. I thought the chaeto would help. I'm thinking the OptiPhos is cr@p. I'm switching to Phosban tomorrow. Anyone have any other ideas why the phosphate is going up?

[chucksta1]

Does your DI resin change colour when used up? Have you checked make up water for phosphate?

Just guessing....

[newsalt]

Just tested my RO/DI water....0.05.

The only other thing I did was this...the chaeto I put in my fuge kept floating around and looked like it was going to end up in the return section of my sump. So, I added a piece of eggcrate to my fuge section to keep the cheato in there. Could the egg crate be leaching phosphate?

[reefD]

yeah lets review the possable sources of phos other than water....
food can increase phos.......what do u feed ur tank inhabitants? consider all foods even filter feeding foods like phyto.or marine snow........many common aquarium products used, such as some sea salt mixes, activated carbon, KH buffers can also be a source of phos.Phosphates are present in the aquarium in many forms. The one form we are interested in most, is ortho-phosphate. That is, indeed, the chemical form that algae can very easily use as a nutrient for growth, and do

let me summaries
high fish and/or coral population in the aquarium,
plant material that dies off and mineralization,
breakdown of undigested food in feces,
bacterial die-off and its decomposition and mineralization,
algal die-off and its decomposition and mineralization,
any other living material that dies, decomposes,
fish slime (and coral slime in reef tanks) that decomposes. all are factors to consider . check all these possible causes maticulously.

[reefD]

did the problem exist before u added cheato?

[reefD]

ok sory i just read ur post carefully. the cheato would help but sounds like its dieing due to another issue in your tank. if it doesnt grow like a weed and gets ugly looking then get it out asap. next whats the bioload of your tank? i mean fish and inverts. what do u feed them? how often, also do u dose? supp;ements and coral foods?

[reefD]

egg crate not something that would do this. i would look at the factors i gave u above.

[reefD]

and stop using phos sponges for a solution. they do help and relives the situation but its a band aid long term not a resolution to the causes . if u dont find the source the sponges u are using will reach a point of full absorption, they may leach it back or not. either way it needs to be replaced to keep levels low. the solution would be to find the source. the sponge will always reach a point where it is useless. sometimes faster than u think

[newsalt]

I've cut back on feeding so much it's ridiculous. The only thing I'm feeding now is Nori every other week or so for the tangs (although other fish eat it too) and Hikari Pellets. My bioload is:
Yellow Tang
Hippo Tang
3 Green Chomis
Royal Gramma
6 Line Wrasse
2 False Percula Clowns
Sand Sifting Starfish
Snail, hermits, emerald crab
SPS , LPS corals

I don't use carbon. I'm using Renew from Seachem because I read it dosen't leach phosphates like some carbon does. The cheato has only been in the fuge for about 3 days.

[reefD]

ok this is a 120 gallon tank? right? and next thing i need to know...whats your nitrate readings?

[newsalt]

Checked less than a week ago...0.02 (Salifert). I'll check again tomorrow.

[reefD]

the pellets...do they hit the bottom when feeding? and if so does the fish eat them off the bottom fast?leaves nothing on substrate in minutes?. i say fish not inverts

[reefD]

let me be clear did your algea problem start when u added the cheato? or was it there before?

[reefD]

how long has the algea issue been present in ur tank? how old is this tank?what salt brand do u use?

[reefD]

imp! keep fuge light on 24 hrs! its more effective. plants dont get tired ...do a search on 24hrs sump lighting its fine and better for the algea to stay programed to keep growing...and feeding on nutrients . the 24hrs also keeps the plant from considering reproducing and thus dieing like in the fall.

[cloak]

burp alert!

[newsalt]

I had the algea problem before I put the Cheato in the fuge. The pellets I feed usually don't make it to the bottom, the fish get them all while they're floating in the column. My tank is 15 months old. I use Reef Crystal salt.