New Tank+ Old Sand=Phosphate

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So after over a months of work and preparation, I filled my new tank to start cycling.

I used some old sand sitting in a bucket after many salt water rinses to get it "clean". I also added some live rock I had curing in a tub with heater and a power head. I got a sump with Chaeto and a light running down below.

The problem I have is the Phosphate level is off the chart. I tested my water source which has a little phosphate but not off the chart. I have let the tank run about 10 days and just did a 30% water change and the phosphate is still off the chart.

What should I do?

Siphon the sand and run a GFO reactor?

Replace the sand and start over?

Replace sand, rock, water and start over?

Replace sand, rock, tank, stand, water and start over

Wait it out, learn my lesson and buy new sand next time?

[Neptunes World]

All of those options are viable, what do you "feel" like doing? Although, running GFO when you Phos is off the charts would not be a good financial choice. If the phos is off the charts, its gonna take a bit to bring it down.

How about the biggest ball of cheato you can find, stuff it in there and see if that brings it down after a while?

Sorry, I cant help as I am in an experimental phase right now.

[Photobug]

All of those options are viable, what do you "feel" like doing?

I feel like a want my tank cycled and running ASAP but don't want to throw any more money in it without fish or coral involved. I think I will try some more water changes, while siphoning the sand. I got free filtered salt water, so that is not a factor. I'll try to scrounge up some more Chaeto.

There is nothing but some polyps, kenya trees, chaeto, rock and sand in here, not even any nitrates, so there is no cycle going on. I feel like I should get hte phosphate under control before I address anything else like the Ammonia/Nitrate cycle. Should I do a huge water change? I could do multiple ones a week. Would this act to start to rinse out the sand and rocks, or would each water change get Phosphotized by the polluted tank? I could even do a 100% water change if that might help.

[BigBarnacles]

Start a GFO reactor. Just be sure to have a good sized container of media. The GFO is going to get used up quickly in the beginning. It'll only last a week or so if your po4 is >0.12
My po4 was 0.12 when I added chaeto and a phosban reactor. After a week it was 0.07 then went up to 0.08 the next week. I changed it out and the po4 went down to 0.04 the next day and 0.00 a week later. I've ordered more phosban and will replace the current stuff when the level rises.

[BigBarnacles]

Also, I never did a water change until the cycle was over. I believe in letting it do it's thing. Be patient and your tank will reward you.

[Photobug]

Also, I never did a water change until the cycle was over. I believe in letting it do it's thing. Be patient and your tank will reward you.

I am planning to let the tank do its thing during the nitrate cycle portion. Will the phosphate self heal itself? I was under the impression phosphate was not part of the cycling process.

I might be getting a free reactor so waiting on that to try out some GFO.

[Neptunes World]

Phos is food for either algae/plants or absorption by GFO. If you want cheap and have patients (time) then get as much cheato as you can and let that suck it up and remove the cheato. Catch here is if it doesnt get sucked up fast enough from the cheato, algae could start growing on the rocks. No big deal because you were gonna pull that anyways, but, my point is its a time gamble going cheap. If you want to try to knock it out as fast as possible with $$, then GFO.

How big is your tank?

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Tank is 55 sump holds maybe 20 more.

I don't mind getting a reactor and GFO if that will speed things along. I just sent a text to a friend to see if my free reactor is coming. I would rather not throw away the sand and rocks if it can be helped. But if it's going to add 3 months to the cycle, I guess I could. I guess my impatience outweighs my cheapness.

[BigKahuna]

If there is no livestock in the tank now is the time to take care of the PO4 problem. It will be cheaper and easier now than later. You could dose some Seaklear pool/spa phosphate remover, Latham Chloride, into a filter sock in the sump which will take care of the PO4 much more cost effectively than GFO, not to mention that big PO4 swings when livestock is inhabiting the tank might be hard on them and the surefire algae problems will drive you crazy to boot.

If you don't want to go that route you could take some sand and rock and put them in separate buckets of clean water and see if each is the PO4 leacher. If it turns out its one or the other you could deal appropriately.

[Photobug]

If you don't want to go that route you could take some sand and rock and put them in separate buckets of clean water and see if each is the PO4 leacher. If it turns out its one or the other you could deal appropriately.

I have already pulled out a sample of sand and tested it, it is definitely the sand. Not sure about how to test the rocks. Maybe dunk it into some water first then into another bucket of water to see if it continues to give off PO4. I wish it was not the sand. It would be a lot easier to remove the rocks only. I might do it anyways.


If there is no livestock in the tank now is the time to take care of the PO4 problem. It will be cheaper and easier now than later. You could dose some Seaklear pool/spa phosphate remover, Latham Chloride, into a filter sock in the sump which will take care of the PO4 much more cost effectively than GFO,

I like the idea of dosing the tank. Do you have any experience working with this chemical?

Should I remove the rocks anyways and cook them elsewhere while curing the sand and tank, how about the Chaeto?

[BigKahuna]

I like the idea of dosing the tank. Do you have any experience working with this chemical?

Should I remove the rocks anyways and cook them elsewhere while curing the sand and tank, how about the Chaeto?

Why go through all the trouble of setting up another tank/tub to cook the rock when it will be easier to just do it in situ. This thread on curing Pukani rock has a step by step process of using SeaKlear to remove the PO4: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2145395

I haven't needed to cure tons of rock like this, I just bought 10lbs of BRS rubble which does seem to be leaching a bit of PO4 so I might get some SeaKlear to try. The short of it is the stuff appears to be safe but when it binds with PO4 it forms a white precipitate that you don't want fish breathing in or coral touching so that's why it is recommended to drip slowly into a filter sock.

[Neptunes World]

There is a big thread on Lantham(sp) Chloride around here somewhere

[snorvich]

What KIND of rock did you use? Some types leech phosphate.

[Photobug]

What KIND of rock did you use? Some types leech phosphate.

Don't know bought it from a breakdown. Ones a chunk of coral, I know. I am assuming it has done its phosphate leech already as it was from an established tank or do certain rocks continue to leech throughout time. I pulled out the coral rock and dunked it in SW then put it in another SW bucket then tested the water, PO4 was low, so I think the only source of Phosphate is the sand and water at this point.

I have been reading up on the Lantham Chloride all around the web. I then called all around to find some locally, only one pools supply nearby open on Saturdays, so will have to try on Monday.

Seems like the place to apply it would be in a recirculating skimmer which I don't have or a 5micron sock, mine is 100microns. So will buy a new sock and find the Phosphate remover.

One concern is to dose the whole tank with it. It sounds like if you aren't careful you end up with a layer of the precipitate of Calcium Phosphate all over my acrylic sump, glass tank and rocks.

[Neptunes World]

Established tank does not mean anything if it is full of food. It just means it was full of food for a long time. Yes, some rocks absorb more, but, if your water was always at 0, then any and whatever rock will finally leech all of it back out, it will just take longer.

Lanthanum is something to tread cautiously on, thats why I didnt mention it in the beginning. You really need to watch what your doing, a 100 times over. In general it will not hurt anything with one or two doses gone awry, but, not a good thing either.

[divewsharks]

you say you get 'filtered' water, what is the source of this water? have you tested the water? NSW based on where its collected from and how its treated can easily contain high amounts phosphate. too close to shore, and it could be exposed to runoff and other land-based pollution sources.