Phosphates??? Help!

gemmasicolo

New member
I need a little guidence with my phosphate problem because I'm new and I don't understand it too well.
About a week ago I had my lfs test my water and the phosphates were off the chart. They said I was feeding too much, and I'm sure I was. I was feeding a pinch of spectrum pellets and Rod's Reef frozen food daily. (I have a YWG, True Perc, 2 shrimp and snails). So they told me to try the Chemi Pure Elite and to feed less to try to get the phosphates down. So for a week I've been feeding only the pellets once a day. I went back today and he said they were still a little high (borderline). He also told me phosphates come from the ground up bones in the food.
Soooo...... I have a Nano Cube and I don't really understand too much about how equipment works and what I would need to help with the phosphates. The lfs also said to try a chemical (don't remember the name) that would take the phosphates out but that I would have to dose regularly.

I need some advise on what I need to do.

Is there some natural way to keep the phosphates down?
Does Rod's Food contribute or is it the Spectrum pellets?
If I need a phosban reactor, which one would work with the Nano Cube?

Any insight would help me out a lot. I wanted to ask you guys first and do some research before I started buying chemicals and dumping things without understanding it first.

Thank you!
 
A water change would be my first suggestion, also phos ban would be another choice, either putting it in a phos bag or getting a little phos reactor, with a nano you probably can fix this pretty easily with a couple of water changes, and cutting way back on your feeding. Good luck
 
The pellets will be adding way more than Rod's Food. I only feed Rods food. Do you use RO/DI for your source water?

Stop the pellets, use Rod's. Water changes is another way to export Phosphates. It's really hard to add a reactor to Nano-cube with out cutting holes in the back since it won't fit inside the back. When I had a nano I just used the bag that comes with Phosban in a back chamber of the nano. It's not as effective and efficient as the reactor but still does work. You can also try using a Poly Filter pad.
 
It is almost impossible to eliminate phosphate in food. Phosphate fuels the cells mitochondrion which is a cell's battery for storing energy. Since food is from living tissue there is phosphate present. Do the water changes and look into a Granular Ferric Oxide phosphate removal product.
 
If you dont have a ro/di it would be a piece of equipment that would bennift your tank. You can find some good ones for decent prices like the filterguys.com or bulkreefsuppluy.com

Ro/di is one of the most important pieces of equipment you should have to ensure that your water quality is pristine.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14757529#post14757529 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by YE||0W TA|\|G
Ro/di is one of the most important pieces of equipment you should have to ensure that your water quality is pristine.
:thumbsup: and tap water can have as much as 20ppm phosphate added as a corrosion inhibitor.
 
Thanks everyone. I'm going to stop the pellets and do a water change today. I only use RO water, I've never used tap water.

WaterKeeper: I'll look into the Granular Ferric Oxide phosphate removal product

As far as the Phos Ban. Is it like the Chemi Pure Elite? Can I use them at the same time?
 
PhosBan is a GFO produce ( one of many available ). The chemipure is a Boyd's product, which sounds like a glorified carbon. Since Boyd's does not list exactly what they put into their products, I've always avoided them. Carbon does little or nothing for Phosphates.
 
I'm now noticing diatoms and algea (some green hair algea). Is this due to when my phosphates were very high? I know that algea is the symptom of the problem, I'm just wondering if it's a result of the phosphates being higher a few weeks ago since they have dropped since then or if it's because my phosphates are still high but are being consumed quicker from the algea.

Also, I was only using the stock powerhead that came with the nana cube. I noticed the diatoms and red algea are forming where the flow doesn't reach well. I have a Koralia Nano being shipped.

Can I throw the Phosban on top of the Chemi Pure Elite Carbon?

I also see a lot of talk about Cheato. Would it hurt to put a small ball of it in a soap dish in the main tank since it's a nano cube?
 
Yeah def use RO/DI water with changes on being such a small tank. Use that in changes and keep feeding to every 3 days, you should be ok.
 
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