High Phosphate reading?

[nycfishy]

Have a biocube 8 (8 gallon). Been up for 9 months now. Been using RO/DI water only.

Have had lots of algae and cyno growth in my tank so picled up a hanna tester for phosphates. Getting .18 which I think is really high?

Been doing 1 gallon weekly water changes, running carbon and chemi pure elite in media rack.

Can you guys confirm that is a high reading and give me any suggestions on getting it down.
thanks

 

[skene]

Have you tested phosphates from the rodi?

 

[nycfishy]

Its a pretty new 5 stage brs unit with 0 tds coming out but will test it tonight and report back

 

[bizzarro]

Pictures of tank set up would help.

I would think you'd probably have trapped detritus in your rocks and substrate that accumulated over time where it's not being broken down fast enough.

 

[nycfishy]

pic attached. I have been blowing detritus from rock and sand with a turkey baster but good chance my CUC are not able ot keep up.
Was feeding daily but have cut back to every 2-3 days in smaller amounts.

Should I be check phosphate levels of my ro/di water or from fresh salt water batch?

 

[nycfishy]

phosphates of my ro/di are .23!! what do I do now?
is it NYC water, my plumbing, my ro/di unit?

 

[skene]

well... depending on where you live... you may want to first attempt to flush the membrane and see if that makes any changes. If it does not... start looking into replacing filters.

 

[Montaquelaveist]

don't know if this help but when i have my bucket of ro/di water i drop in a phosphate pad from API in the bucket with a powerhead for water circulation just as a safety just in case my water was coming out with high phosphates seems to be working for me

 

[KathyC]

don't know if this help but when i have my bucket of ro/di water i drop in a phosphate pad from API in the bucket with a powerhead for water circulation just as a safety just in case my water was coming out with high phosphates seems to be working for me

That's a really good idea!

To the OP - what are you feeding your fish?
It is kinder to feed them smaller meals on a daily basis, no sense in stressing them out.

 

[piranhapat]

Run some GFO in a reactor or put some in mesh bag and put it in water chamber so your water can run through it. Do 3 gal water change along removing as much of cyano you can. Add a little at a time of GFO. Keep run carbon and test everyday and you will see how fast your phoshate drop. Stop over feeding your fish.......

 

[nycfishy]

Skene--i'm in northern queens and the filters are only a few months old with only about 40 gallons of water made through them...so asume those are still ok?

Will putting some GFO in a media bag and dropping it into one of the back biocube chambers work? (thought I needed a reactor to tumble it?).

Are phosphate pads the most effective thing to drop into my storage tank to try and reduce phosphates in ro/di water? (great suggestion!).

 

[skene]

then maybe you may want to flush out the membrane and see if that helps.

 

[nycfishy]

can I just put gfo in a media bag and drop it into media rack and/or ro/di water storage tank? is something like phosban better than GFO?