Need advice on high phosphate levels.

[onefang]

Having some troubles with my 5g ecopico.

 

So since my tank has cycled, it's gone through a couple of stages of algae. First was Cyano, then hair algae on the LR and some type of green filamentous algae growing in the substrate and off the glass.

The tank has been cycled for about two months or so now, and I am still having a problem with the hair algae on the LR and the filamentous popping up.

I have been monitoring Nitrate and Phosphate pretty closely the whole time.

Nitrates have been falling, and are now at a point where my Red Sea Pro test kit isn't even showing a reading anymore. However, my phosphate levels have been climbing slowly. I am only spot feeding my sexies 1 mysis shrimp each every other day(which keeps them away from my zoas). RO/DI water reads 0 on PO4, fresh mixed saltwater reads 0 as well.

 

Today I tested my tank(retested several times to make sure), and it's testing out at somewhere between 2-3ppm of PO4, and this is the point where I am thinking I probably should have taken action sooner. Nitrates are still unreadable. Everything in the tank(various zoas, palys, daisy polyps, finger leather, and mushrooms) looks happy aside from being a little on the brown side(probably from the excess PO4?).

 

One other interesting thing I am noticing, is that I have my zoa colonies on their own pieces of LR, bought from a separate location from where I got my main 8lb chunk. Zoa colonly rocks are completely clean. Not a spot of any algae aside from coraline. The main chunk is starting to look aweful, brown, and fuzz covered.

 

So what the heck is the deal? Could my LR be bleeding PO4? Maybe the sand? I bought the aragonite sand in bulk, and the big problematic chunk of LR at the same place. The rock was supposedly live, but it was basically just wet base rock(no visible critters, coraline algea, etc). After visiting another LFS here in town and seeing the vibrant LR they were selling, I realized my mistake.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[onefang]

For reference, these are my zoa colonies:

 

This is the main rock:

[FlCandy]

I would be money it was the rock leeching. I had the same issue one or 2 of my rocks were covered in GHA almost right away when I started my light cycles. I have gotten my PO4 down by running GFO and Carbon, and doing weekly water changes. I would do a minimum 20% change weekly and run the media and keep testing.

[onefang]

I've been doing two 20% water changes a week. I don't have any filtration on this tank, just water movement. No skimmer, no phosphate reactor. Just diligent water changes.

 

I have contemplated yanking the rock from the system, and replacing it with some better LR from my new LFS. I am a bit worried it might cause the tank to go through a mini-cycle though.

I have 2 sexies, 2 hermits, 3 nerites, and a maxi mini in the tank, so I'd like to keep it as stable as possible.

[Deep Stops]

When rock or substrate is exposed to high concentrations of phosphate, it can become a "reservoir" and leach it into your aquarium -- phosphate can bond to aragonite under the right conditions. I would move the rock and make large water changes. Yes, you will have an ammonia spike, but this is better than chronic algae problems.

 

But if you are too scared, find more ways to export it - filter media, water changes, macroalgae, etc. Perhaps over time it will go away. In the end it's your decision.

 

Good luck.

[onefang]

Well, I went ahead and pulled the rock from the tank. It gave me an excuse to run down to the LFS and buy another big zoa and star polyp colony attached to some larger chunks of LR. I also added a internal filter with some phosphate sponge added to it. Hopefully my substrate isn't already totally saturated with phosphates.

 

I did notice than when I took the problematic rock out it wreaked. Pretty similar to the way xenia smells.

Not sure if that says anything, but I've been told to smell rock to make sure it doesn't have any decaying matter in/on it. Comparatively, the new pieces I got just sort of smell like seawater.

[SWAG]

Idk try using the small Chemipure.

I really don't know of it helps tho

[FlCandy]

Use GFO=Granular Ferric Oxide, I am running it because I had a reading like yours. I am still fighting algae but it is the the suspended diatoms now so I think I am at the end. I have been doing 2x weekly water changes of 12-25 gallons one day and 5 on the other, about 3 days apart, cept for today, I did a 4 gallon yesterday and a 12 gallon today (I have a 46 gallon Bowfront)

 

Waterchanges and running the GFO would be your best bet, but it needs to tumble in it's baggie and you need to rinse it WELL before you put it in. Read the instructions before you add it and make sure you use the right amount for your tank.