My nitrate is at ~2 ppm and phosphate is sky high at 0.47 ppm. Any reason for the imbalance and ways I can correct this? Details below:
New tank cycled for 6 weeks with 65x 2” media cubes, 20lbs live rock, 20lbs live sand.
Did a 100% water change, added an additional 10lbs of live rock, and a week later I tested all parameters.
During that week, I’ve only lightly fed twice with sinking pellets and twice with frozen mysis, very small amounts since it’s only 1 damsel fish, 1 cleaner shrimp, and a handful of hermits.
Source water is 7-stage RO/DI with TDS of 0ppm. No other additives or macro algae added yet.
Additional parameters:
ammonia 0ppm (red sea test kit)
nitrite 0ppm (API test kit)
nitrate ~2ppm (nyos test kit)
phosphate 0.47ppm (hanna colorimeter)
pH 7.95 (apex probe)
dKh 10.3 (hanna colorimeter)
temp 77F (apex probe)
I don’t think the phosphate is from the food, as I’ve fed very small amounts and it’s only been a week. Could it be from the live rock die-offs? Or bio media still leaching out phosphate?
New tank cycled for 6 weeks with 65x 2” media cubes, 20lbs live rock, 20lbs live sand.
Did a 100% water change, added an additional 10lbs of live rock, and a week later I tested all parameters.
During that week, I’ve only lightly fed twice with sinking pellets and twice with frozen mysis, very small amounts since it’s only 1 damsel fish, 1 cleaner shrimp, and a handful of hermits.
Source water is 7-stage RO/DI with TDS of 0ppm. No other additives or macro algae added yet.
Additional parameters:
ammonia 0ppm (red sea test kit)
nitrite 0ppm (API test kit)
nitrate ~2ppm (nyos test kit)
phosphate 0.47ppm (hanna colorimeter)
pH 7.95 (apex probe)
dKh 10.3 (hanna colorimeter)
temp 77F (apex probe)
I don’t think the phosphate is from the food, as I’ve fed very small amounts and it’s only been a week. Could it be from the live rock die-offs? Or bio media still leaching out phosphate?