Extremely high phosphates in new 125 gallon tank

[bshake]

Hey everyone

I really need some advice lowering extremely high phosphates. Here’s a bit of a backstory (sorry for the long read)

My new build is relatively new just a few months. It’s a 125 gallon AIO DIY system , the rock work was recycled from my old 75 gal but it was bleached and then cycled in a brute. I running a filter sock, tunze 9012 DC skimmer and a Oase canister filter for added bio filtration. I slowly added my fish back in. Everyone is fat and happy except for my BTA they’re not very happy. I went to my LFS got a tester hammer, and frogspawn. They were loving life so big and fully opened. So I started purchasing more bough some high end torches. My Gonis are open and very happy, my elegance is open. Basically spent crap ton of corals. 2 days ago I lost one of the first torches that I put in the tank thang was relatively happy in the beginning. I started testing my water parameters to try and figure out what happened. RODI cartridges were changed for in February.



(First time testing) since starting this tank, since it’s new and I do 45 gallon water changes every week of every other week.

My nitrates were 11 ppm (Hanna cheker)

Tired to test my phosphates with the Hanna ULR it started blinking .90, tried it again and same thing. Did some research on here and diluted 1ML of tank water to 9ML of newly mixed saltwater I finally got a result. 0.39PPM multiply that by 10 so 3.9 Ppm can that even be possible or am I don’t something wrong?

I’m sure the rock from my old tank had bound up phosphates from the 2 years of use and now it’s releasing into the tank but at such a high concentration?

I have some phosphat E that I purchased a while ago but never used. I’m considering to start dosing it but I have a bunch of tangs in the tank and with my set up I don’t have a sump. I don’t want to lose all my corals because of the high phosphates and also don’t want to kill any of my fish with the phosphat E. what’s safest method since I don’t have a sump both the skimmer and filter sock are actually in the aquarium. I also just ordered GFO and about to buy a reactor

 

[SilverRanger]

Aluminum oxide all the way! High-capacity chemical filtration is your friend in this case just suck that junk right out of the water column

 

[bshake]

Aluminum oxide all the way! High-capacity chemical filtration is your friend in this case just suck that junk right out of the water column

What’s aluminum oxide? You’re talking about GFO. Do you have any knowledge about using lanthanum?

 

[SilverRanger]

Actually aluminum oxide is distinct from GFO and is very high capacity. I have used it extensively

 

[rhitee93]

I suspect the test results are wrong. I'd verify them with a different test kit before you react to strongly.

What was the phosphate level in your old system? How much are you feeding the new system?

 

[bshake]

Actually aluminum oxide is distinct from GFO and is very high capacity. I have used it extensively

I picked up some GFO. Would it be able to tackle such a massive amount of phosphates? Can I put in my canister filter or does it need a reactor?

 

[bshake]

I suspect the test results are wrong. I'd verify them with a different test kit before you react to strongly.

What was the phosphate level in your old system? How much are you feeding the new system?

I’m testing it with the Hanna idk what else I should use? Maybe I’ll try and go to my LFS and have them test it Or should I pick up something off of amazon? I honestly don’t remember the old tanks parameters but I didn’t have any corals in it. So I never tested the phosphate but I’m sure it was high because of the tons of algae I was growing

 

[SilverRanger]

Straight up gfo is better for reactors, or at least have an extremely fine mesh filter bag so it doesn’t just blow around your tank

 

[SilverRanger]

Also rinse it with rodi will be dusty

 

[bshake]

Straight up gfo is better for reactors, or at least have an extremely fine mesh filter bag so it doesn’t just blow around your tank

I might pick up a reactor and see what happens. But I know GFO will take forever to lower my phosphates. What do you think I can do to sleep it up? I don’t want to crash the system but just enough to make it manageable

 

[GARRIGA]

Lanthanum Chloride dose in 5 micron sock what I'd do and have done absent the 5 micron and fish seemed fine but not doing that again without the sock.

Nice part about Lanthanum Chloride in that one can dial it in and go slow vs GFO or PhosGuard which just strip it based on amount used. I can properly measure the former and not the last tow. Others might be better at that. Granted rocks may leach out as I understand it so it's not a quick process but still for me a more measured approach.

The other form I use is carbon dosing but nitrates already low.

Last option my fall back which is plants. Fuge/ATS will gobble those phosphates but that takes time unless large portion added quickly and could also based on that zap it out too quickly.

For those reason, Lanthanum Chloride my preferred method should an emergency arise yet rather just get the Fuge/ATS going early and let it build up over time to bring stability and balance. Stability more important to me than precise. Life gets accustom but not suddenly.

 

[bshake]

Lanthanum Chloride dose in 5 micron sock what I'd do and have done absent the 5 micron and fish seemed fine but not doing that again without the sock.

Nice part about Lanthanum Chloride in that one can dial it in and go slow vs GFO or PhosGuard which just strip it based on amount used. I can properly measure the former and not the last tow. Others might be better at that. Granted rocks may leach out as I understand it so it's not a quick process but still for me a more measured approach.

The other form I use is carbon dosing but nitrates already low.

Last option my fall back which is plants. Fuge/ATS will gobble those phosphates but that takes time unless large portion added quickly and could also based on that zap it out too quickly.

For those reason, Lanthanum Chloride my preferred method should an emergency arise yet rather just get the Fuge/ATS going early and let it build up over time to bring stability and balance. Stability more important to me than precise. Life gets accustom but not suddenly.

thank you so much for the great information. I’m just so scared that it would hurt the tangs or fish in the system. Honestly that’s the only thing that’s scaring me from using the lanthanum.
I know GFO would also work but I heard it’s the slowest option. I was just looking at the tunze algae reactor to help lower and maintain nutrients. I can also get a 5 micron sock and drip it in there. I read people dripping it in in the skimmer… would that also work or it should be the filter sock?

 

[cserafin]

Be very careful with gfo or any chemicals right now. If the phosphate was really that high the corals would not be that happy. Something fishy is up with your testing and you don’t want to get rid of all your phosphates by accident

 

[GARRIGA]

thank you so much for the great information. I’m just so scared that it would hurt the tangs or fish in the system. Honestly that’s the only thing that’s scaring me from using the lanthanum.
I know GFO would also work but I heard it’s the slowest option. I was just looking at the tunze algae reactor to help lower and maintain nutrients. I can also get a 5 micron sock and drip it in there. I read people dripping it in in the skimmer… would that also work or it should be the filter sock?

Recall the tang issue due to pool supply sourced and perhaps not administered correctly. Consensus being 5 micron sock will remove that precipitated and more available on Randy's diy thread. I'm no expert but he is and that's where I'd go seek best use case. We're just hobbyist playing chemist and that can end badly.

 

[Dave-T]

What about doing some large water changes? But I agree you should verify your phosphate level. Whatever you do, bring it down slowly.

 

[Dburr1014]

I've been doing the Garf method.

Thread 'Desorbing phosphate from sand with lanthanum.' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/desorbing-phosphate-from-sand-with-lanthanum.981286/

It works really slow but also really safe with tangs in mind.

 

[bakbay]

Assume that your reading is correct (which I don't think it is) you should be able to knock down PO4 quickly with LC-based solutions. I've used Phosphate-E 7+ years ago but been using PhosphateRx the last 3 years w/o any issues. Just go slow and test your PO4 before & after. Just count drops into filter floss at night before bed since the water will be very cloudy for several hours. My SPS tank is running at 0.3 atm without any issues.

 

[bshake]

Be very careful with gfo or any chemicals right now. If the phosphate was really that high the corals would not be that happy. Something fishy is up with your testing and you don’t want to get rid of all your phosphates by accident

Honestly idk maybe the reagents are bad? I ordered new ones I should be getting them soon.

 

[bshake]

What about doing some large water changes? But I agree you should verify your phosphate level. Whatever you do, bring it down slowly.

I do large water changes. 45 gallons a week of every other week for a 125 gallon minus the rock and sand probably 110 gallon water volume. What would be the best way to verify the PO4 levels? Since all I got is the ULR Hanna checker?

 

[bshake]

I've been doing the Garf method.

Thread 'Desorbing phosphate from sand with lanthanum.' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/desorbing-phosphate-from-sand-with-lanthanum.981286/

It works really slow but also really safe with tangs in mind.

I’ll look into this thank you