Phosphates going NUTS!!!! Help please

[GeorgiaSalt]

Hey,
I am in the process of cycling my new tank, and I have put in 150 pounds of mostly cured Live rock, I picked the rock up from the dealer directly, and carried it home immediately, so shouldn't be too much die off.

I also got some live sand and made a 6" sandbed in my refugium...

Things are going good, the rock is in the tank ~72 hours now...my amonia and nitrite/nitrates zero, pH 8.25, Alk 4.5, Calcium 325 (I know, I am trying to raise it)

over the past TWO days, I have had an enormous amount of brown grunge forming on the rock and sand..AND the pvc pipes etc...so I know its not die off...it's algae.

I checked phosphates tonight, wasn't expecting much, my RO and water BEFORE the live rock was zero....but BAM 2.5 phosphates....

I think this is where my algae is getting it's stimulus...
any ideas what to do? Am I freaking out for nothing? Do I need to get phossorb? Will activated carbon absorb phosphates?

Any help is appreciated,
Thanks
GS

(pics of the awesome live rock are on my website and in vendor feedback forum here)

[eianson]

Do a search on phosphates in the chemistry forum for a complete answer. Generally speaking, growing and harvesting macroalgae is the preferred solution, but there are other things that can be done, like using an iron-based phoshate absorbing material. Check out my experience in this thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=247216

Good luck,
Eric

[GeorgiaSalt]

Ok, I topped off my water today with 4 gallons RO, typical day for me so far...Since my phosphates were so out of whack, I tested the water again after a few hours to let the topoff get mixed in.

Yesterday my Phosphates were 2.5

Today, same test kit, phosphates 1.0

I ran the control (seachem testkit) and it checked out ok...

NOTHING has been changed in the system, no water changes other than just RO topoff as noted above.

Why the swing from 2.5 to 1.0...? I know the tank is cycling, but is this normal?

I will check it again tomorrow, and in the mean time I have ordered some Phossorb (Two fishies brand) which is Ferric Chloride based...reading here seems to indicate this is the best type.

Any ideas? Maybe I should just STOP checking stuff during the cycling and freaking out over it lol...:eek1:
GS

[eianson]

Your best bet for a good answer is to ask Randy in the Chemistry forum. I know cycling leads to algae blooms, so the phosphates could be out of whack. I think you should just focus on ammonia, nitrite and nitrate until the cycle is done.

Eric