Phosphate

[drdude05]

As many of you have undoubtly read by now, my 180 crashed about 6 weeks ago. So far, it seems to be recovering well. The inital cyano bloom has gone and been gone for about 3 weeks now, and the hair algae bloom seems to have subsided now. I can only find a few patchs of hair algae and those seem to still be shrinking.

My question now turns to phosphate. I have been doing fairly regular water changes, on about a weekly interval, and my water chemistry seems to be corrected. I have noticed however that a few of my sps corals have darkened in color over this time. Particularly my porities has gone from a very intense yellow to a muddy yellow brown with great fuzzy polyp extention. It has been said that phophate levels play a role in sps coloration as well as algae growth, and my question is how do you measure it? I figured that a Phosphate test kit was a logical thing to have, however, my readings are always zero or near zero. I have been told that even though these "test kits" read zero that PO4 can still be in the system fueling algae and causing problems with sps health. So again, how to you measure for this "phosphate" that a standard phosphate kit apparently can't "see". And therefore, if you can't see it, how do you know you got rid of it, or it is under control?

[Wiskey]

I measure by how often I need to clean the front glass of my tank, and my coral color.

If I can go 5 days without cleaning my front glass I figure I am all good, if not I figure something in my system could use fixing.

Your coral is bound to be stressed with all that's been going on, so don't go by that right now, look more to the glass, just give the coral some time to recover.

HTH,
Whiskey

[110galreef]

Whiskey...you running a UV?

[110galreef]

You can use a salifert PO4 test kit. But be sure to test first thing in morning before lights come on so less PO4 is bouind up in free floating algae.

This should give you your best accurate readings, as for as accurate they can be!

[drdude05]

Thanks for the advice Wiskey. By that measure I still have some water quality issues cause I'm cleaning my glass at least every two days. This begs the next question, other than water changes what else can you do to get rid of phosphate? I run phosphate sponge in a Fluval canister and it probab;y is due to be changed again.

[110galreef]

Ro/di !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rock balsting, & skim wett!

[drdude05]

RO/DI -- check
Skim wet -- check
rock blasting -- check

[drdude05]

detritus removal -- check

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Whiskey...you running a UV?

No, but I've been meaning to hook it back up for the last couple months

Whiskey

[drdude05]

Sounds like water changes are the only option I have. I am already doing all the other suggestions. I am even watching how much I am feeding to make sure that I am not inadvertantly adding too much to the system.

[110galreef]

What skimmer do you have on the 180??

[drdude05]

ASM G4X moded with the recirculation and gate valves.

[drdude05]

Trust me it works, cause it pulls out the nastiest smelliest stuff you've ever seen.

[110galreef]

Well you are doing everything possible really to minimize PO4. Just give it some time!



Yeah I have the G3 on my 110, nice skimmers. So how do you like the recirc mod opposed to the regular way? I have been debating on doing this!

[drdude05]

I think it has boosted my output some. There is a definite quality difference to the skimmate. Since I did the modification, it seems the stuff it pulls out is alot grosser than what it was pulling out before. I think it was a good mod, I'm sure there are probably others with a different opinion but I'm glad I did it.