Neds some help with Phosphate/Phosphate removal

[sponger0]

Ok Im not a fresh newb but only been in the hobby for less than a year. I spend alot of time on here trying to suck as much information into my head as I can and have learned quite a bit.

But one topic I have never been able to understand is the use of phosphate removal media.

So here is what is going on. I started my 40 breeder in November. It wasnt my first tank so I had another tank before this one. From the beginning I watched it closely as it matured for the first three months. I use a Hanna Phos Checker to test my phosphates. Now I tested it while it was cycling. After than tank had cycled I had a cyano issue I had to battle for 2 months. I eventually won by syhponing the cyano out every week with a water change.

Well now on to annoying algae problem number 2 lol. I am now getting some hair algae. So I started up my reactor using ExtraXPhos. It worked well in my previous tank and better than GFO for me.

I have never read anything higher than 0.0 on this tank for phosphates. Im wondering how do I determine how much of a phosphate problem do I have if I cant read them?

I plan on changing out the media every week for a bit. I think the phosphates are leaching from the live rock .Some of it was dry rock so I believe its possible.

I put in about 1/2 cup of the media. And Im using a BRS single reactor. I run it off my return. My live stock is a Ruby head wrasse, perc and occ clown, starry blenny and scooter blenny. Tank has 60 lbs of live sand, 55 lbs of live rock, fuge with chaeto and flame algae. Skimmer is a Reef Octo NWB 110 and it fills up 1/4 if the way about every 3 days and I dump it out. Water change is done every week at about 5-7 gallons.

Any help in understanding this better is much appreciated. If any more info is need, please let me know. I tried to put in as much as I can.

[OregonReefer2]

This is a pretty good read on Phosphates
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry

Also, instead of just changing it out every week you could test a sample from the reactor against the tank water. If they're the same it's time to change media. If the reactor sample is lower than the tank sample your GFO is still working and could run longer.

[sponger0]

The problem with testing, as I mentioned in my original post, I get only 0.0 readings.

[bertoni]

Well, the problem of measuring low levels of phosphate hits a lot of people. All we can do is observe the tank's response to the GFO, and try to work from there. It's just not cost-effective to get very accurate testing done, and it might not be useful, anyway, if the phosphate is low because it's being consumed rapidly. Even in such cases, GFO sometimes seems to be able to help sometimes.

[OregonReefer2]

0.00 or 0.0something?

If you're constantly getting 0.00 I would have a test done at the LFS just to be sure there isn't something wrong with your tester. If the LFS gets 0.00 I would look into the Hanna low range tester.

Also with the +/- margin of error of .004 you could still get a reading of 0.00

I shoot for a target of .03 of less myself and while I do have a small outbreak of a short white/clear algae I've never had hair algae.

However you chould be leaching from the rocks and it's being consumed by the HA before it hits the water colum

[sponger0]

Well, the problem of measuring low levels of phosphate hits a lot of people. All we can do is observe the tank's response to the GFO, and try to work from there. It's just not cost-effective to get very accurate testing done, and it might not be useful, anyway, if the phosphate is low because it's being consumed rapidly. Even in such cases, GFO sometimes seems to be able to help sometimes.

And see thats the problem Im having in my head. How do I determine how much of a phosphate problem do I have? The only determining factor I have is the media Im using is white and after a week its turning slightly brown.

0.00 or 0.0something?

If you're constantly getting 0.00 I would have a test done at the LFS just to be sure there isn't something wrong with your tester. If the LFS gets 0.00 I would look into the Hanna low range tester.

Also with the +/- margin of error of .004 you could still get a reading of 0.00

I shoot for a target of .03 of less myself and while I do have a small outbreak of a short white/clear algae I've never had hair algae.

However you chould be leaching from the rocks and it's being consumed by the HA before it hits the water colum

Yes Im constantly getting 0.00. My tester is reading accuratly as I have tested it on other systems and it has read up .26 ppm.

Forking out $300+ for a low range tester doesnt seem logical for this problem.

I do believe it is leaching out from the rocks.

[bertoni]

The hair algae can't growth without phosphorus, and phosphate is one of the more common sources. So I would try ramping up the GFO carefully, to see whether the algal growth slows down. That's all I can suggest, really.

[sponger0]

The hair algae can't growth without phosphorus, and phosphate is one of the more common sources. So I would try ramping up the GFO carefully, to see whether the algal growth slows down. That's all I can suggest, really.

yeah thats all I can really do. I started off slow as its my first dose of phosphate removal and slowly work my way up .

[bertoni]

Some day, we might have more extensive testing facilities at a reasonable price.

[sponger0]

Some day, we might have more extensive testing facilities at a reasonable price.

So would scrubbing to rock to remove the hair algae be a good idea??

[bertoni]

I would remove what hair algae I could get easily, but I'd likely avoid removing the rock from the water, to avoid collateral damage.

[OregonReefer2]

I ment the Hanna BFS-599 Phosphorus Checker, Ultra Low Range $50

I think you can post sponser links...
http://www.buckeyefieldsupply.com/showproducts.asp?Category=243&Sub=149

Not the one you likely have: BFS-593 Phosphate Checker

[sponger0]

I ment the Hanna BFS-599 Phosphorus Checker, Ultra Low Range $50

I think you can post sponser links...
http://www.buckeyefieldsupply.com/showproducts.asp?Category=243&Sub=149

Thats the one I have