phosphates

[thirty6]

I set 90g tank up in june 2011. approx. 180-190 lbs live rock, 80 lbs of sand. current live stock: 2 coral banded shrimp, melanarus wrasse, cuc, few zoas, palys, and orange yuma

lately i have had some algae issues, doesnt appear to be hair algae and has a reddish brown appearance mainly on tank of glass and sand bed. i will list some parameters as i am sure they will be needed to help:
all as of sunday night 10/16

salinity is 1.26/ammonia and nitrite are 0/nitrate was .03/phosphate was .18 thats with hannah checker/ph 8, temp is 78-79/ i did check calcium but left the list at my house. i am using coral life salt

the initial set up of tank i used tap water, since then EVERY water change has been with ro water. since the algae appeared i have done weekly changes of approx. 20-25 gallons.

 

[thirty6]

lighting is two led fixtures 150w each, noticed the aglae after i switched from t5 although i think that is just coincedence.

i run the lights approx. 8-9 hours and truthfully i forget what they are set at
i leave the moonlights on constant.

 

[thirty6]

sorry for no pics, really hard to get pic of it to show what i am looking at as they dont come out clear. it looks like a film across glass if that helps

 

[rambler67]

It sound like cyano to me. if so keep up on the water changes siphon it out and up the flow in the tank.

 

[Turbovr3six]

PO4 checklist:

-PO4 in top off and water change water
-something is leaching it, I guess the rocks
-inadequate filtration
-feeding to often
-not straining food

Do you have a DI canister on your RO unit? What skimmer are you using? Any other means of filtration(GFO, fuge, BP, etc.)? How much flow in the display tank(?) Any dead spots on the sand or rocks? What do you feed? How often? Do you strain it?

 

[thirty6]

PO4 checklist:

-PO4 in top off and water change water
-something is leaching it, I guess the rocks
-inadequate filtration
-feeding to often
-not straining food

Do you have a DI canister on your RO unit? What skimmer are you using? Any other means of filtration(GFO, fuge, BP, etc.)? How much flow in the display tank(?) Any dead spots on the sand or rocks? What do you feed? How often? Do you strain it?

ill check po4 in water i use, as for filter i have standard sump, skimmer reef octo 150 or 160 not sure which one, blue line return pump 40dx, and a mp40 in display tank

feed basic pellets or krill in am, small amount and again in pm,
straining food... ? not sure if that applies just yet as food is very basic at this point

and yes its ro/di barracuda is brand, got it from saltwater critters

 

[Awibrandy]

For sure the P04 is leaching out of your rocks & sand bed.;(

Are you running any type of GFO? Is it in a reactor, or just in a bag?
If not, I would strongly suggest you do so, and do get a reactor of some sort I use Two Little Fish reactor with BRS' GFO. BTW, BRS sells their own reactor which I would have purchased if I didn't already have the TLF ones.
Go with a small amount of GFO with the initial amount starting off, and raise the amount as you go along.
Hope that helps.

 

[Turbovr3six]

For sure the P04 is leaching out of your rocks & sand bed.;(

Are you running any type of GFO? Is it in a reactor, or just in a bag?
If not, I would strongly suggest you do so, and do get a reactor of some sort I use Two Little Fish reactor with BRS' GFO. BTW, BRS sells their own reactor which I would have purchased if I didn't already have the TLF ones.
Go with a small amount of GFO with the initial amount starting off, and raise the amount as you go along.
Hope that helps.

^^This + less feeding = see-ya later PO4

Feeding twice a day for one fish is alot. 'A hungry fish is a happy fish'

 

[thirty6]

thanks guys, i will look into a reactor maybe someone in marketplace, i will take a look

 

[bizzarro]

You should try running carbon too if not already.

 

[thirty6]

You should try running carbon too if not already.

ill give it a shot, ty

 

[NewfiDog]

It sounds like the problem actually started with your first fill of the tank with tap water, and now you are most likley leaching. The BRS reactor is easy to change media, but thats all up to the inividual. Good luck.

 

[Awibrandy]

It sounds like the problem actually started with your first fill of the tank with tap water, and now you are most likley leaching. The BRS reactor is easy to change media, but thats all up to the inividual. Good luck.

That is what I said. LOL

Wanted to add lots of water changes with ro/di water until you get them down.
I am actually doing 2 w/c weekly in order to bring those bad boys back down after the neglect I put my reef through this past late winter, spring, and part of the summer. Won't be doing that again.rangehat

 

[sroot17]

Test your phosphates out of your rodi as well. That's what I'm dealing with right now...

 

[Mike389]

had a phosphate problem recently and purchased a next reef mr1 complete reactor for $90 came with pump tubing even teflon tape for the fittings and my phosphates dropped within days (used gfo in the reactor)

 

[thirty6]

picked up a reator from c'list, have to get a pump tomorrow with some gfo. i will def. check phos from ro/di

 

[thirty6]

flow was mentioned earlier, i am using a blueline 40 pump that i dial back a bit to avoid mico bubbles. i am running an mp40 opposite side of tank from returnm do i need to add more flow? possible small power head on return side?

 

[thirty6]

idea, kinda extreme... putting here for opinions:

since i have relatively light livestock i have access to a 30g tank. i could fill that up, put the few pcs of rock with coral, my livestock in that and keep running.

i can then redo my display tank. in order for that to work the way in invision several questions...

what do i do with rock and sand? im sure they contaminated with po4 and adding to problem its roughly 180-190lbs of live rock, 60-80lbs of sand

or

do i simply keep doing water changes weekly and in time the water quality will return to better levels? tia

 

[thirty6]

im sure i have missed some obvious concerns, usually do, so feel free to post em..again this is just a thought!

 

[rambler67]

I would say that the rock would leach po4 back into the tank. not sure what will help it other than getting new rock or boiling the old rocks witch i am sure you don't want to do. i would personaly say just get run the reactor with gfo and keep doing water changes it will come down sooner or later.