phosphates, grrrr.

[daisy]

So Now that the school year is over, I've been spending more time on my tank, and to some degree of benefit - some things are really looking good. But several of my corals have just been looking worse and worse over the last two weeks.

I've been doing water changes.

I've been dosing faithfully.

I have not been over feeding (or under feeding, I think, though the fish, I am sure, would argue that point).

Tonight I tested phosphates again - TOO HIGH

But before doing my twice-weekly water change, I decided (as I should have done weeks ago) to test the water I had mixed up for the water change. ITS PHOSPHATES WERE EVEN HIGHER THAN THE LEVEL IN THE TANK!!!!

grrrrr.

So I have basically been poisoning my tank with the new water???? grrrrrr.

I'm going to have to change out my filters, test my water change water before adding it, and buy new salt, and hopefully, not too much will die before I manage to really fix things in my system.

Corals, if you can hear me, I am truly sorry I didn't check the new water weeks ago

sigh.

 

[rkaragozler]

Daisy, I have the same problem, be patient, keep your head up.

 

[daisy]

Thanks...

It is just so upsetting that here you think you're totally "on it" and taking care of your tank, which is totally dependent on you - you think you're being all great about water changes (which I have historically been NOT GREAT at), and then to find that the water changes themselves are POISONING the tank?????

I am sorry you or anyone else might have gone through it!

The worst part is that right now I can do NOTHING. I have to wait till tomorrow to get new filters and more salt because it's late...

Never mind the fact that I have to dump 15 gallons of water I made

Looks like I stop at MA tomorrow as part of my errands in NYC...

 

[prattreef]

Why do you need to buy new salt? And do you run GFO? That is the quickest way to bring the PO4 down.

 

[rkaragozler]

i hate it myself, this is why i stopped reading tds, and just started reading phosphate coming out of my ro/di

 

[daisy]

I'm nearly out of salt.

I do run GFO, but am now out of it (last GFO change was the last of my GFO but didn't realize it) - have to get more!

 

[ZANYMASTER]

You'd be surprised the amount of silicates and Po4's are in all the salts.

 

[mbg75]

i hate it myself, this is why i stopped reading tds, and just started reading phosphate coming out of my ro/di

Richie is right, Tds meters are basically conductivity meters and will only measure solids that conduct electricity. So 0 doesn't mean there's nothing in there