Phosphate issues

[ellismac]

Alright guys I have a phosphate issue and not sure how to handle it.
These are my parameters as of the morning:
Phos: .30
Alk: 10.2
Ph: 8.4
Calcium: 505
Mag: 1370
Nitrate: 25

I did a big water change about a week ago. I tested the salt mix water, all parameters were zero except Alk: 10.1, Ph: 8.5, calcium: 508, Mag: 1380. I use Instant Ocean salt mix. I use a BRS 4 stage RODI system for the water and TDI’s are zero.

I tested the tank water 24hrs after a 30% water change, parameters were:
Phos: .12
Ph: 8.4
Alk: 10.2
Calcium: 541
Mag: 1380
Nitrate: 25

I feed tetra marine saltwater flakes every other day and intermittently do frozen marine cuisine.

My sump consists of a filter sock -> skimmer -> marine pure bio plates -> refugium with chaeto (healthy and growing) -> return pump.

Once I got the phosphate down to where it wouldn’t go down anymore at .06 i left it alone to see what it would do and within the week it was back up to .17, If I don’t dose the tank everyday with Phosphate-E the phosphate just sky rockets. I’m not really sure what to do or where it is coming from. How does one keep the phosphate under control without dosing everyday? I’m going to be going on vacation for 2 weeks soon and I trust my friends to feed and fill the sump but I wouldn’t trust them to properly dose.

Any constructive advise I would appreciate.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Your phosphate level looks fine to me, especially with your nitrate level. (Generally keep N to P at 100 to 1).

Why are you chasing numbers? How old is your tank and how are the corals doing?
Don't try to fix what's not broken

 

[ShepherdReefer]

What size system do you have and the livestock?

 

[ellismac]

Your phosphate level looks fine to me, especially with your nitrate level. (Generally keep N to P at 100 to 1).

Why are you chasing numbers? How old is your tank and how are the corals doing?
Don't try to fix what's not broken

Tank is alittle over a year old. What I feel like I’m chasing is the diatoms in the sand. Seems like when I have my phos under .1 it tends to dissipate

 

[ShepherdReefer]

I will say, I like the phosphates below 0.1 and nitrates below 20 ppm

 

[MNFish]

GFO works good. I use rox carbon and gfo and mix them in a media bag and throw into sump or filter.

 

[ellismac]

What size system do you have and the livestock?

It’s a 72g bow front. 2 tomato clowns, small blue hippo tang, coral beauty, royal gramma, file fish, spiny urchin, coral banded shrimp, hand ful of hermits and nassarius snails, 2 large Mexican turbo snails, red spiny star, sand sifting star

 

[TheBear78]

How is you flow around the sand bed? This was and still is the biggest issue for me with regards to nuisance algae on the substrate.
For what it's worth, I'm struggling with phosphate too and have been running Rowa Phos (GFO) for the last few weeks. I managed to gradually bring it down to 0.3 (from 0.6) with nitrate at around 30 which was OK. Unfortunately, a week away over Christmas with family members feeding has made a mess! Everything is still alive and I'm grateful for that but my last test was 0.9 and 42... I think they may have slightly overdone it!

 

[ellismac]

How is you flow around the sand bed? This was and still is the biggest issue for me with regards to nuisance algae on the substrate.
For what it's worth, I'm struggling with phosphate too and have been running Rowa Phos (GFO) for the last few weeks. I managed to gradually bring it down to 0.3 (from 0.6) with nitrate at around 30 which was OK. Unfortunately, a week away over Christmas with family members feeding has made a mess! Everything is still alive and I'm grateful for that but my last test was 0.9 and 42... I think they may have slightly overdone it!

I have friends with little kids who LOVE the tank and want to feed them every time they are over . I think I’m going to give GFO a shot, I may get some more power heads to get flow more on the bottom of the tank, it’s a bit weak. Any recommendations?

 

[MNFish]

I have friends with little kids who LOVE the tank and want to feed them every time they are over . I think I’m going to give GFO a shot, I may get some more power heads to get flow more on the bottom of the tank, it’s a bit weak. Any recommendations?

I have about 8 sicce Xstream between 5 tanks. For the money I think it would be hard to find something better, and they often go on sale at petco.

 

[dadnjesse]

Just go slow with GFO, it can strip the water quickly. I use a reactor and just put about 2 inches in it. If you use a reactor it needs to tumble which is easer to do with less GFO, as it tends to clog faster for me when I use more.

 

[caller89]

Your phosphate level looks fine to me, especially with your nitrate level. (Generally keep N to P at 100 to 1).

Why are you chasing numbers? How old is your tank and how are the corals doing?
Don't try to fix what's not broken

I agree these numbers are fine , good advise on number chasing , to many hobbyist chase numbers! If everything is healthy and growing then numbers should just be recorded