New Hanna checker NEED to correct phosphates ideas on how.

[ajremington68]

Tank is doing good growth is slow but all my corals are happy and I’m sure my phosphates have been like this. So I have a 55g with 20g sump in total 65g or so I would guess. Just got this new phosphate ULR off a local reefer and tested my phosphates and I got 0.47… in the start I was using api test kit and that stinked, then switched to Salfert but still couldn’t tell the color difference really. Only a couple times have I dosed phosphate E from bright well but I do have it and I know it works GOOD. My question is my phosphate is .47 and my nitrates with API test kit is 20ish. I want my nitrates higher but would like my phosphate from 0.1-0.2 don’t mind a dirtier tank have seen others successful with this. Question is how do I bring it down with phosphate E from bright well. How much should I dose? And how often? Should I try to dose enough to take 0.05ppm of my phosphate every day or every week? I don’t want to shock my system as it’s probably been this high for since it was started a year ago with not having a reliable test kit.

 

[ajremington68]

Also side question just got this checker off a reefer and he gave me this reagent too, does it work the same as the phosphate? Being it’s phosphorus?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You “want” nitrate higher than 20 ppm? Many would argue that you have plenty.

Calculating phosphate removal is usually not very successful due to binding to rock and sand that is released. The drop will be smaller than calculated.

 

[ajremington68]

You “want” nitrate higher than 20 ppm? Many would argue that you have plenty.

Calculating phosphate removal is usually not very successful due to binding to rock and sand that is released. The drop will be smaller than calculated.

Well not I want nitrate in like 10-20 previously I have not been able to test it with starting dry rock and nothing to seed the aquarium the tank is close to a yr old and wasn’t until a month ago or so that I could actually test nitrates.

I am hunting for a HR nitrate hanna checker as well to get exact numbers on that too.

But with it not being easy to take out what is a safe number of phosphate E to dose to lower down, like would my tank be okay dropping like 0.05ppm per day or should it be smaller amount with not knowing how high it’s been?
I know phosphate E is a strong additive and will rip it out fast but that’s not my goal I want a gradual fall.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well not I want nitrate in like 10-20 previously I have not been able to test it with starting dry rock and nothing to seed the aquarium the tank is close to a yr old and wasn’t until a month ago or so that I could actually test nitrates.

I am hunting for a HR nitrate hanna checker as well to get exact numbers on that too.

But with it not being easy to take out what is a safe number of phosphate E to dose to lower down, like would my tank be okay dropping like 0.05ppm per day or should it be smaller amount with not knowing how high it’s been?
I know phosphate E is a strong additive and will rip it out fast but that’s not my goal I want a gradual fall.

Gradual is good. Do you have tangs? Lanthanum has sometimes caused tang problems.

 

[Formulator]

In my opinion lanthanum chloride should not be your first line of response to only slightly elevated phosphate. That stuff is pretty hard core and can cause issues for some fish. You are just barely above recommended phosphate levels and with your tank size, you should be able to manage it with some simple GFO in a mesh bag or reactor for a few days, and an extra water change.

 

[ajremington68]

Gradual is good. Do you have tangs? Lanthanum has sometimes caused tang problems.

I have 2 purple tangs... what is lanthanum is that a ingredient in Phosphate-E?

 

[ajremington68]

In my opinion lanthanum chloride should not be your first line of response to only slightly elevated phosphate. That stuff is pretty hard core and can cause issues for some fish. You are just barely above recommended phosphate levels and with your tank size, you should be able to manage it with some simple GFO in a mesh bag or reactor for a few days, and an extra water change.

0.47 is slightly elevated??? I feel like that's kinda high but maybe not in the grand scheme of it. Could I do GFO in a mesh bag and put in a new filter sock and throw it in that being I don't have a reactor? With that being the highest flow spot of my setup.

 

[ajremington68]

So what I am hearing is Brightwell phosphate-E should be a last-ditch effort not not cause harm to my tangs and try other methods first?

 

[ajremington68]

Is this a good GFO its only 5 bucks at petco and is local and grab it now https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...3ztZH87ERVoJ38Jv-zhoC2TYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Seansea]

I use Elim phos from tropic marin which is essentially the same thing as you have. LANTHUM CHLORIDE. Super effective at removing phos and I have never seen any harm to tangs and I have 3. I think the tang thing stems from a youtube video where a dude went to a pool store to get it on the cheap and it prob had so much other crap in it it fried his tangs.

You can def use it just half the dose of what it recommends over a few weeks time to get it where you want it. It is potent. I hand dose about 3ml every 3 days non my 75g tank and it keeps my phos right around .1-.2.

 

[ajremington68]

Do I use gfo or phosphate E. Ugh conflicting. I read that gfo cna rip out a lot of your phosphate fast and the phosphate E I would be able to control. I don’t what to dose phosphate E all the time tho once I get it in check will get a little pump and a 2 little fishes reactor and monitor and adjust via that.

 

[Formulator]

0.47 is slightly elevated??? I feel like that's kinda high but maybe not in the grand scheme of it. Could I do GFO in a mesh bag and put in a new filter sock and throw it in that being I don't have a reactor? With that being the highest flow spot of my setup.

There are a lot of older tanks running as high as 1.0 ppm successfully. Not the best for sps color and algae control, but other than that, its not the most critical parameter in the tank. I would aim to get down to 0.1, but chasing sub 0.05 ppm numbers like some folks preach is unnecessary in my opinion. Granted this might be an unpopular opinion, but my experience and that of some other reefers seems to suggest its perfectly fine at higher levels.

 

[Formulator]

Do I use gfo or phosphate E. Ugh conflicting. I read that gfo cna rip out a lot of your phosphate fast and the phosphate E I would be able to control. I don’t what to dose phosphate E all the time tho once I get it in check will get a little pump and a 2 little fishes reactor and monitor and adjust via that.

I think a vast majority of experienced folks would recommend GFO first. Its the safest most conservative approach and will work fine for your levels. Why risk it with a tang in there?

 

[ajremington68]

There are a lot of older tanks running as high as 1.0 ppm successfully. Not the best for sps color and algae control, but other than that, its not the most critical parameter in the tank. I would aim to get down to 0.1, but chasing sub 0.05 ppm numbers like some folks preach is unnecessary in my opinion. Granted this might be an unpopular opinion, but my experience and that of some other reefers seems to suggest its perfectly fine at higher levels.

I am right there with you if I get it to 0.1 and will go low end 0.05 and High end 0.2 I’ll be happy

 

[ajremington68]

I think a vast majority of experienced folks would recommend GFO first. Its the safest most conservative approach and will work fine for your levels. Why risk it with a tang in there?

Do you think the one I posted from petco is good?

 

[ajremington68]

I think a vast majority of experienced folks would recommend GFO first. Its the safest most conservative approach and will work fine for your levels. Why risk it with a tang in there?

The close in 30 and if so gunna run out there and get it quick and throw it in my sump. Also it comes with 3 bags should I just put one bag?

 

[Formulator]

This is why I have had a bottle of phosphate-E sitting on my workbench for 3 months. I have been battling much higher phosphates than you for a while and I’m just too scared to use it. Though I may bite the bullet soon and try it with lots of safeguards in place, only after exhausting every other method.

Thread 'Dosing Lanthanum Resulted in Dead Yellow Tang'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-lanthanum-resulted-in-dead-yellow-tang.1017324/

 

[Formulator]

The close in 30 and if so gunna run out there and get it quick and throw it in my sump. Also it comes with 3 bags should I just put one bag?

I think the petco stuff is probably fine. Its fairly simple media. Maybe start with one bag and see what it does after a day.

 

[vabben]

Also side question just got this checker off a reefer and he gave me this reagent too, does it work the same as the phosphate? Being it’s phosphorus?

The Phosphate ULR is correct, the Phosphorus ULR will not work with your tester.

The close in 30 and if so gunna run out there and get it quick and throw it in my sump. Also it comes with 3 bags should I just put one bag?

I have only ever used BRS high capacity GFO. I’d recommend to just follow the instructions on the box. Be sure to rinse well.