How to keep phosphate up?

[Tripod1404]

Hey guys,

I am experiencing a rather unusual issue. Recently (about a month ago) increased the flow around my tank and this caused my phosphate levels to gradually drop and for the past week or so, I cant even keep it steadily above 0-0.01 ppm (based on Hanna ULR). I know it is not a device/measurement issue as I have standards that work and If I measure just after feeding, I can detect phosphate.

I assume increased flow made bio filtration more effective, maybe too effective. For a long time, I have been dosing nitrate to keep it around 3-4 ppm. Should I also dose phosphate?

When I feed I can see small increases in phosphate. Yesterday I made a massive feeding to so for how long phosphate stays in water. I literally turned water milky white with frozen food. 1 hour after this phosphate jumped from 0 to 0.1 ppm. Now 24 hours after this, it is back to zero.

My SPS corals started to show less polyp extension and so this is why I am suspecting low phosphate.

So my question is, should I continue with these massive frozen food feedings or should I directly dose phosphate?


Also, I dont use GFO or other types of absorbing media.

 

[Subsea]

It sounds like your coral and tank biofilter are all competing for the same nutrients. Feeding heavier would do that, but you may get some nuisance algae.

I would dose nitrate and phosphate in the Redgield Ratio of 16:1

 

[thinhn1]

Have you tried turning down your skimmer?

 

[Shankytank]

Why he needs nitrate and phosphates ?
Im a different story, need to decrease nitrate and phosphates

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[pisanoal]

I have dosed both in the past. You probably have enough if you wlarent dping anything to lower it, but it wouldnt hurt to try dosing a little bit and see if your sps improve. Alternatively, put your skimmer on a timer to shut it off during lights on and see if that raises it over time.

I used seachem flourish phosphorous.

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[Tripod1404]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. This morning I checked the phosphate before the light turn on. It aw at 0.03ppm. So my consumption mainly happens after the light come on. I have ver little to no nuisance algae in DT, so I assume it is mainly being taken up by corals and perhaps coraline algae.

 

[rjjr1963]

I dose Seachem Flourish Phosphate. Their calculator is right on target. I maintain .07ppm phosphate and 4 to 5 ppm of nitrate.

 

[RobZilla04]

How about increasing the bio load? If you cant fit / don't want more fish, what about adding to the clean up crew....

Just a thought.

 

[JTL]

I checked my phosphates with my Hanna meter. It registered 1 ppb which is .003 ppm phosphate. Too low. My nitrates are sitting at 0 even with dosing Neo Nitro.

 

[FoxFace Fish]

i do not know what corals or fish you have but you could feed heavier for the fish

also spot feed some corals with brine shrimp

 

[JTL]

I only have 3, soon to be 4 small fish so I am a little limited but I have been over feed a little. I have about 50 corals that I purchased as frags 6-8 months ago and I feed them a couple of times per week. I am going to put in some more Neo Nito but it doesn't seem to do anything for nitrates and may be holding down the phosphates.

 

[FoxFace Fish]

feed some more my lobo can easily eat 10 shrimp at a time every 3 or 4 hours