Phosphates.

[crazymman]

I bought a phosphates test kit yesterday and Im getting a reading of 2.0. Ive tested multiple times and keep getting the same reading. What could be causing the high level and what can i do to get rid of it?

 

[VAreef]

excess feeding, your system just isn't balanced out yet, you need more nitrate/phosphate removal stuff? I usually don't measure phosphates just nitrates. They tend to follow each other. Algae loves em both so I grow macro algae in my sump to keep the levels at zero.

 

[Reefrookie]

What type food are you using?

 

[yote]

+1 Va

 

[crazymman]

my sump has only been running about a week now and the chaeto has been in there the same time. I feed only 1 time a day but have been doing every other day for the past few days. I'll just stay on top of my water changes and hope the sump helps. Im not adding anymore fish for a few months or so. I'm sure everything will balance out eventually.

 

[project5k]

yea, sounds like you just need to let it settle in and have some time... feeding every day sounds like a bit much, every other day sounds better... that should help some too....

 

[PRC]

wrong thread.

 

[dcantucson]

+2 VA & +1 p5k

 

[sen5241b]

I have a fuge 10% the size of the main display and it full of cheato. This absorbs all of my phosphates. I have 2 strong lights on the cheato and I am not over-stocked.

Also, 0.25 PPM phosphates will start killing many stony corals.