Phosphates will not come down

[kfries]

I have been struggling with extremely high Phophates for quite a while. They have been measuring at 0.3-0.4. Lately, they have been as high as 0.63. I have been dosing Elimi-NP for about 6 weeks. The PO4 has been measuring higher lately since I started dosing. I am not running any GFO at this time. I am up to the highest recommended dosing rate of Elmini-NP. I do a weekly 20% water change. I do my measurements after my water changes. My nitrates average around 10ppm and maintain pretty consistent. My corals are doing ok, but not super great. Some are starting to lose color. I am also dealing with what appears to be a briopsis outbreak.
How much and how often can I do a water change to try and combat this? I have a small 20 AIO and I do not have a lot of room for a GFO reactor.
Does anyone have any experience with the Elmini-NP that have seen similar results?

 

[sixty_reefer]

It may take some time in some systems to reduce phosphate due to the equilibrium between water and aragonite surfaces, I’d just be patient or use some GFO to accelerate the process.

 

[VintageReefer]

Just fyi water changes won’t really help with phosphates. They will lower nitrates but not phosphate.

Throw bags of chemipure elite or Phosguard in the aio chambers and it will help

 

[SliceGolfer]

Have you

1. Stopped dosing Elimi-NP and measured N03+P04 a couple days afterwards? Basically, is Elimi-NP doing what you need it to do?
2. What is the source of your P04? Reef Roids? Foods? Bound in your rock? Any events you can think of like excess feeding, kids feeding fish while you're away?
3. It appears your tank is 1 year old. Photos with white light would help to identify concerns.
4. If you need GFO or other media, you might consider getting a hang on the back filter and use it as a temporary solution to address concerns. Simply hang it on the front or side of your tank while you are dealing with the outbreak. Clean the filter and put it away until needed for next time.

I keep a canister filter on hand for such items. Vacuuming the AIO sections, debris on the tank bottom, seeding bio media, etc. Handy to have temporary tools like this.

 

[kfries]

Thanks for the all feedback. I have a GFO reactor en route. I will set that up and keep monitoring. I will do some testing before, after and periodically to let folks know how it goes.

 

[FishTruck]

Be careful with GFO. It is not something to run continuously (like carbon) or to expect consistent results. It does do the job though!

The way it works is this....

The GFO will pull the phosphate out of your tank rapidly until the GFO is depleted (or your phosphate goes to zero which is bad), then your phos may shoot back up (at least the few times). With time, you will run it on a regular basis (a certain a amount each month for example - based on the measured phos). Expect a bit of trial and error. Measure the starting phosphate, how much you used, and the result 24 and 48 hours later. You will see quickly how this works.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Phosphate Rx worked amazing for me . Mine were at 1.0 about 8 months ago . Been using Rx slowly over the course of 8 months now my po4 around 0.06 no problems at all

 

[DaJMasta]

Any lanthanum chloride based phosphate remover can be a good option for reduction of phosphates without a reactor. Normal advice would be to dose slowly with a low micron sock to catch the particles it binds to and forms to prevent it from circulating in the water, but aside from some sensitive fish, I don't know if there's clear evidence those particles are an issue for most things we keep.

That said, there are lots of great looking tanks with high phosphates, even to 2-3ppm. While I won't go as far as to recommend this approach, it's not hugely likely some extra phosphate is the cause of your problem, and the only notable benefit I know of to keeping it low is for pastel colors in sps.

 

[FishTruck]

Phosphate Rx worked amazing for me . Mine were at 1.0 about 8 months ago . Been using Rx slowly over the course of 8 months now my po4 around 0.06 no problems at all

Yes, after I figured out that I had to load the GFO reactor over and over with precise amounts I moved on to Phos E ( a similar product). Much cheaper and easier - but a little riskier if you overdo it. Every two to four weeks I measure the Phosphate and use a certain amount of LC based on tables I made for myself to take the phosphate back down to target. I only occasionally test the immediate post dose numbers these days (after a year of data collection - I know where the phosphate will land after each dose).

 

[Subsea]

​

How to Lower Phosphates in a Reef Tank: Mastering Nutrient Control

Phosphate gets the blame for algae problems. We’ll break it down and tell you everything you need to know about how to control them in your aquarium.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Liquid Phosphate Removers​

Blue Life Phosphate RX and Brightwell Aquatics PhosphatE utilize Lanthanum Chloride which is another option and comes in the form of a liquid which is dosed directly into your tank. The lanthanum binds with phosphate, forming microscopic insoluble lanthanum phosphate particles. The inert particles are then removed via mechanical filtration and protein skimming. It causes a little cloudiness but works instantly. You will need to change out your filter socks and empty your skimmer cup a few times during treatment to be most effective

A clever and unique approach used by public aquariums is using GFO or similar media alongside lanthanum chloride. The lanthanum chloride liquid can be used to drop your initially high levels of phosphate to an acceptable range and the media can then be employed to keep it within this range thereafter

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I would not rush to lower phosphate at those numbers, especially if the corals are not declining.