Storage Containers and Phosphate??

nightOwl · 01/08/2018, 11:46 AM

I am in the process of setting up a new tank with fish room and seem to be running into an issue. I first noticed when I was trying to cycle my rock and could not figure out why the phosphate levels were not going away when I did a large water change. After some testing I found the water in my containers has a phosphate measurement of .02 ppm but it may have been bigger because I flushed all the water before my last test. I am using IO regular salt to cycle the rock and noticed a slight brown film in my saltwater mixing station. The water coming out of the RODI unit measures 0 ppm. Has anyone faced a similar issue with their container and if so what did you do to resolve the problem. I am at the stage where I want to do a leak test on my tank and then add salt but I want to try to resolve this issue as well.

Thanks in advance

outy · 01/08/2018, 01:49 PM

You need to isolate the phos problem, could be the mix, could be in the make up water, could be the container.

More often then not it is not the container.

measure right after mixing salt, then leave a inch of water in the bottom and let it sit there for a month, then measure again, if its the same, its not the container

jda · 01/08/2018, 04:21 PM

It is not likely the container.

It is probably the rock that you used. Calcium Carbonate will bind phosphate - it can bind a lot of it. When the rock comes from the real ocean and is not allowed to die, the Calcium Carbonate structure is phosphate free being from an ogiiotrophic environment. Dead and dry rock is usually full of terrestrial phosphate that it has bound over the years and years. It is usually bound to the core and can take a long time to unbind it.

The rock will bind phosphate to equilibrium with the water. When placed with fresh, phosphate free water, the rock will release some and the water level will go up. You change water and lower it... and then the rock releases more. You are actually exporting the phosphate, but it will seem really slow and relentless.

Ocean live rock that was allowed to die can have this issue. So can live rock from a system that was not well maintained.

nightOwl · 01/09/2018, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outy

You need to isolate the phos problem, could be the mix, could be in the make up water, could be the container.

More often then not it is not the container.

measure right after mixing salt, then leave a inch of water in the bottom and let it sit there for a month, then measure again, if its the same, its not the container

outy - I am in the process now of trying to figure this one out. So far both containers seem to be tainted. Both my fresh and my Salt have .02 ppm as a reading. I did a test yesterday and the water directly from the RODI unit is still 0 ppm so I am going to fill the tank directly from the RODI unit. I will try mixing up a new batch of salt. Hopefully it was just a bad batch as I am all out of it. I have a new box that I will test today with the water directly from the unit. I plan to just drain the containers and run a bleach through them and then de-chlorinate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jda

It is not likely the container.

It is probably the rock that you used. Calcium Carbonate will bind phosphate - it can bind a lot of it. When the rock comes from the real ocean and is not allowed to die, the Calcium Carbonate structure is phosphate free being from an ogiiotrophic environment. Dead and dry rock is usually full of terrestrial phosphate that it has bound over the years and years. It is usually bound to the core and can take a long time to unbind it.

The rock will bind phosphate to equilibrium with the water. When placed with fresh, phosphate free water, the rock will release some and the water level will go up. You change water and lower it... and then the rock releases more. You are actually exporting the phosphate, but it will seem really slow and relentless.

Ocean live rock that was allowed to die can have this issue. So can live rock from a system that was not well maintained.

jda - The issue I am facing is as the rock is releasing phosphate I am adding new water with phosphate in it. I did a huge water change and forgot to plug in the reactor did a test and the levels went up. That when I tested the new make up water and realzed it had a phosphate issue too

. I am glad I caught the issue when I did because I was just wasting GFO

.

01/08/2018, 11:46 AM	#1
nightOwl Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,799	Storage Containers and Phosphate?? I am in the process of setting up a new tank with fish room and seem to be running into an issue. I first noticed when I was trying to cycle my rock and could not figure out why the phosphate levels were not going away when I did a large water change. After some testing I found the water in my containers has a phosphate measurement of .02 ppm but it may have been bigger because I flushed all the water before my last test. I am using IO regular salt to cycle the rock and noticed a slight brown film in my saltwater mixing station. The water coming out of the RODI unit measures 0 ppm. Has anyone faced a similar issue with their container and if so what did you do to resolve the problem. I am at the stage where I want to do a leak test on my tank and then add salt but I want to try to resolve this issue as well. Thanks in advance __________________ To check out my pictures of my tank and trips just click on my name and visit my homepage. Tank Build Thread (Miracles Custom) - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2628737

01/08/2018, 01:49 PM	#2
outy Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: auburn CA Posts: 4,021	You need to isolate the phos problem, could be the mix, could be in the make up water, could be the container. More often then not it is not the container. measure right after mixing salt, then leave a inch of water in the bottom and let it sit there for a month, then measure again, if its the same, its not the container

01/08/2018, 04:21 PM	#3
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	It is not likely the container. It is probably the rock that you used. Calcium Carbonate will bind phosphate - it can bind a lot of it. When the rock comes from the real ocean and is not allowed to die, the Calcium Carbonate structure is phosphate free being from an ogiiotrophic environment. Dead and dry rock is usually full of terrestrial phosphate that it has bound over the years and years. It is usually bound to the core and can take a long time to unbind it. The rock will bind phosphate to equilibrium with the water. When placed with fresh, phosphate free water, the rock will release some and the water level will go up. You change water and lower it... and then the rock releases more. You are actually exporting the phosphate, but it will seem really slow and relentless. Ocean live rock that was allowed to die can have this issue. So can live rock from a system that was not well maintained.