High Phosphates

[cmichael88]

I've had some hair algae and cyano, but it just started to get worse lately. Tested my phosphates and they're through the roof. No skimmer or anything, just a sump-based refugium with chaeto. I set the tank up about 2 months ago, didn't have my RO unit yet so I used tap. I'm hoping it's just left over from that.

Should water changes take care of it? Could I setup my old canister filter with Phosban or would I need a reactor?

 

[wontonflip]

Do you have your RODI yet? If you do a water change w/ tap that's already got nitrates, it will be sort of be pointless. If you have your rodi, then just keep doing water changes. Do you already have fish in there?

 

[cmichael88]

Yeah, I've been using my RODI for about 5 weeks. And yes I have fish in there- Goby, Chromis, snails, hermits.

 

[wontonflip]

Are you feeding frozen foods? How often? If you're feeding flakes, switch to frozen. If you're feeding frozen, try rinsing out the food in rodi first before feeding. That's how I do mine. Frozen foods can have phosphates.

Has your chaeto grown at all? It should be "eating up" all that phosphate. Make sure you have the correct lighting.

 

[Smitty]

Yeah, water changes will help bring the levels down, and dilute the tap water out.

 

[cmichael88]

I'm feeding frozen. Thanks, I'll definitely start rinsing it first.

And the chaeto has grown considerably. I only had like 2 handfuls to start, probably doubled in about 3 weeks. Light is an 18W 7100K that came with the refugium.

 

[wontonflip]

Test your water that you use to change the tank water for phosphates just in case too.
How often do you feed?

 

[cmichael88]

RO water tested free of phosphates. Even my tap water tested with only a small amount.

Feeding twice a day. Think that's too much?

 

[wontonflip]

Depends....sometimes it's ok to feed twice a day if you're merely splitting one meal in half, if that makes sense. More food = more poop. Since you have no skimmer, you'd have to make sure you clean your sandbed when you do water changes.

A skimmer, although unnecessary, does help get organic material out of the water column before it gets broken down.

Either give smaller feedings twice a day, or just do 1 normal sized meal a day. I feed once a day, sometimes skipping a day or 2.

See if your LFS would test your water. Maybe your test kit is bad (even if you just got it -- I once bought a full test kit...kept giving me high readings. Finally did a side-by side w/ an LFS test, and mine was WAY off. Got another one, did a side by side, and it tested fine.)