High Phosphate Levels

[Mr31415]

I posted in General Discussions but nobody seem to respond - so here goes:

I recently started a 480g predator tank. It has 528g of total water volume, running since 1 June 2007, has 350kg crushed coral, 80kg fully cured LR. Only some zoanthids and mushrooms.

Fish - Volitans Lionfish, snowflake eel, zebra eel, small twinspot coris, comet, bird wrasse, foxface. I am running a tiny GAC reactor, and have a refugium with chaeto on reverse photoperiod.

Why would my phosphate (P) levels measure 0.17mg/L? That is P, NOT PO4 3-.

I feed the wrasses daily a small amount of mysid/brine/vegetable matter. The other animals are fed once a week a variety of food such as mussel, prawns, lancefish, krill etc.

Tested the RO water I used to fill the tank - it tested at 0.008 mg/L P or less, and the salt is Tropic Marine Pro Reef salt.

Hobby Experience: SW Since 1 June '06
Current Tanks: 145g Reef Aquarium since 1 Jun '06, 480g Predator+LR+Softies since 11 Jun '07, 12g Nano since 29 Jun '07, 30g QT

[J. Montgomery]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10317598#post10317598 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mr31415
Why would my phosphate (P) levels measure 0.17mg/L? That is P, NOT PO4 3-.
I'm not sure what you want to hear . . . big animals take big dumps and big dumps have lots of phosphates. Are the phosphate levels causing a problem?

[Mr31415]

Algae, yes. I just cannot see how 5 feedings over 1 month in a tank with 528g of water can raise the P value from 0.008 to 0.17...

[Billybeau1]

Could it be coming from the rock ?

In any event, you could pick up a H.O.T. Magnum or a Magnum 350 and run a combination of GFO and carbon in it. Solves two problems. :)

I use PhoSar HC and Matrix carbon. Zero phosphates. :)

[Mr31415]

I already have a GAC fluidised bed reactor in there...

Just added another one but with 500g RowaPhos...

[Billybeau1]

Cool. Let us know how it works.

Rowa didn't work for me, thats why I switched but many people have been pleased with the results. :)

[undertai]

try the phospure from drs foster and smith carbon and phosphate already mixed together. Use in in my tank with now problems. Phospates stay lower than .05 need to change my ro filters.

[Mr31415]

Here in South Africa we have limited choices. I have only ever seen RowaPhos and PhosBan.

[bertoni]

Both of those products seem to be fine, so they may do the trick.