Phosphates still present

[Tobman]

I got my TBS rock and sand last September. During cycling I had much rot and bacterial growth, extremely high ammonia (40+ ppm), and much phosphate for a couple of weeks.

All is excellent in my tank now with no parameter issues, except I am still measuring a trace of phosphate, just above non-detect with a colorimetric test, but definitely measureable. I've got tons of live rock, and a fully grown refugium, and so the phosphate should be 0. If it's measurable, there's probably more than a trace, but the plants are consuming most of it.

One issue I do have with my tank, is that in the display tank, I am still getting prolific green hair algae growth, mostly on the rocks. Which I am thinking is because of the phosphate. But there should be no phosphate. Could it be from what was in the TBS rock that initially caused high phosphate, and is still present?

Have any of you experienced this, and shall I try something like Phosban?

 

[liverock]

Water

Water

Most likely a water supply issue....or overfeeding....as cultured rock from Florida has the least amount of phosphates of any rock in the industry..so most likely not the culprit......but who knows...

Richard TBS
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[Spiffyguy]

I had bad hair algae after I got my TBS rock. Turns out my RODI media need to be replaced. Had a TDS of like 30. Changed it all and now I am good.

 

[HowardW]

<<< During cycling I had much rot and bacterial growth, extremely high ammonia (40+ ppm) >>>

That was either a testing error or nothing was left alive on your rocks as about 4ppm is pretty much a lethal dose for most marine life.



<<< I've got tons of live rock, and a fully grown refugium, and so the phosphate should be 0. >>>


Not necessarily.......the amount of live rock you have has little impact on your phosphate levels if you keep importing phosphate into the tank via water or feeding without adequate means of export. A fuge with a good amount of growing macroalgae helps but is also no assurance of having 0 phosphates. Running a top quality phosphate media like Warner Marine Phosar HC (in small amounts to start) will greatly aid in keeping phosphate levels very low, but caution must be used if you run a phosphate media and also keep large amounts of macroalgae. In the meantime, I would manually remove as much as possible each day and step up your water changes using 0 TDS RO/DI water and skim as wet as possible.

 

[Tobman]

I don't buy the water or the overfeeding ideas, for these reasons:

1. The RO/DI water I use for top-off and new saltwater, tests 0 ppm TDS, it's clean as a whistle.

2. I feed once a day, and the fish eat all the food within a couple of minutes.

And no, 40 ppm was not a testing error or reading error. The ammonia during cycling was around 40 ppm. Plus there was a lot of phosphate right from the start. In order to keep everyone alive, I changed 5-8% water every two days for the first 2-3 weeks.

TBS rock may be one of the lowest in phosphate usually, but I think I got an unusual batch.

I see two potential issues. There is a large amount of detritus build-up in the main tank, even though I have two Nano 6025s running, and I am only changing about 5-6 gals per month for a 65 gal tank + 55 gal sump system.

I intend to up the water changes (every week for awhile) and see if I can't improve the water flow in the tank. See what effect that has.

 

[tangafish]

i got part 2 of my tbs the first part of july when richard got back from vacation. all of my water peramiters are perfect including my phosphates which measure zero. after seeing this thread i went ahead and bought me a new test just to be on the safe side to make sure i wasnt getting a false reading and it too tested zero.

You mentioned you had some desitrius in your tank. i have blown my rocks off with a turkey baster rather than letting any desitrius just settle there. With the movement i have in my tank most of it just got sucked out the overflows and i also vacuumed off some of it as well. may want to give that a shot.

 

[SaltyDr]

If you are having phosphate issues, I'd run a phosban reactor. It'll make your PO4 undetectable and help with hair algae issues.

 

[HowardW]

<<< 1. The RO/DI water I use for top-off and new saltwater, tests 0 ppm TDS, it's clean as a whistle. >>>

Are you also testing the made up saltwater, as some of the more popular brands do have trace amounts of phosphates.



<<< 2. I feed once a day, and the fish eat all the food within a couple of minutes. >>>

The phosphates contained in the food(s) are still in your system.



<<< And no, 40 ppm was not a testing error or reading error. The ammonia during cycling was around 40 ppm. >>>

Again...highly unlikely. What brand test kit were you using, as most marine amm. kits only go to about 2-5PPM at their very highest reading.



<<< TBS rock may be one of the lowest in phosphate usually, but I think I got an unusual batch. >>>

Remotely possible, but the cause is far more likely something else.



<<< I see two potential issues. There is a large amount of detritus build-up in the main tank, even though I have two Nano 6025s running, and I am only changing about 5-6 gals per month for a 65 gal tank + 55 gal sump system. >>>

Now THERE'S your 2 probable causes