Phosphate 10ppm!!!

Just aquired a mature used setup, you can see most of the specs in my system build. I've tested the PO4 three times now since the system has been setup (6 days ago), and each reading comes out between 8-10ppm, which is stupid high.

No algae in the system (the previous owner was paranoid of it), there's a 40watt UV sterilizer inline. I discarded the gravel he was using and put in 1-2 inches of aragonite, but kept the LR he had (~130lbs). Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 40 (coming down with water changes), calc 380, ph 8.2, but phosphates are off the chart. Only 1 clown right now, and I feed 8 granules of food twice a day.

I've since added about 350 ml of Phosgaurd to a media reactor, and have done two 25-30% water changes (water source is tested RO/DI), but the PO4 stays at the same reading. I've read that if PO4 remains high for a long period of time, deposits can build up in the LR, which will immediately dissolve and replace any displaced PO4 from the system, making water changes and media useless. I'm inclined to think it's the LR because the previous owner just installed a UV to take care of the algae, and when about not knowing his PO4 was so high, thus letting deposits build up. There are a few softies in the system right now, but they seem immune to it.

Any suggestions on how to combat this problem, or any ideas on what else it might be? No corals for me until this gets under control, and if there's no other solution, I might be inclined to buy new LR, or nuke the existing?

 

Continued use of GFO with media change every week or so will eventually get things under control.

Nuking will not get rid of the PO4 built up in the rock.

It may be cheaper to buy dry base rock and seed it with a few pounds of live rock.

 

Are you sure you're reading it right? Maybe instead of 8~10, your readings are .8~1.0.

High phosphates won't hurt most soft corals. However, they will prevent calcification in LPS and SPS corals.

If your phosphates are really that high, you're going to want to cook that live rock. Basically, you keep the rock in darkness with a couple of powerheads doing weekly 100% waterchanges. This is usually accomplished with 2 tubs. After a week, you dunk and swish to remove all detrital mulm produced by the bacteria and move the rock into the new container that is brand new saltwater. (If you do this with plastic trash cans, make sure it's a food grade one like a Brute so that plastic doesn't leach phosphates into the water)

 

how old are the tests. also you need to feed twice a day. once every 3 days is good

 

The tests are brand new (less than 2 months), API, and I'm reading them right, the tube is dark blue, indicating close to 10ppm reading.

How long does this "nuking" process take? Why leave it in darkness? I've read a full bake in sunlight for a few days works well?

If I do buy base rock and seed it, do I risk a cycle? This might be my preferrable method...

 

Nuking is something that is done when the rock is infested with bad critters like aiptasia, majanos, hydroids, etc.

Cooking is a term for doing long-term re-curing of the rock in a bacterial-driven environment Vs an algae-driven environment. (That's why it's done in darkness). Bacteria will clean the rock including the inner pores of phosphorus. How long the cooking process takes is going to vary depending on how much phosphorus has adsorbed to the LR. It might be be 3 weeks....it might be 3 months. You know when it's done when you stop getting detritus coming out when you are dunking and swishing the rock.

 

Lanthanum Chloride

1cc will remove 1 ppm in 10 gallons of water

it binds with the phosphates in the water instantly. forms a solid and falls out of solution. the only negative effects i have ever seen is when used with clams in the system. you will need to add more as it leaches out of your rock into the water column. i have used this on 8g tanks as well as 1100g fish systems.

just my 2 cents

 

When you set it up the first time you could of wash everything and then cycle it.

 

Welcome to 3Reef!!!

I use this on large systems that I've taken over where adding 10 phosban reactors and 500 gallon waterchanges aren't exactly practical. I run a diatom filter to remove the precipitate. However, in a smaller system one could dose this prior to a skimmer or prior to some mechanical filtration.

I use industrial sized LaCl3 from a pool supply wholesaler. However, for the hobbyist, you can get it from Blue Life, Ultralife Reef, Brightwell Aquatics, etc.

 

Great suggestion! I'll look into it...