Jestersix

Best way to lower phosphates

ReeferRey

ReeferRey

Supporting Member
BARcard
Hello,
I tested my water with my Hanna checkers and my nitrates were at 7 but phosphate at .46 what’s the best way on lowering phosphate but not bottoming out my nitrates? I was thinking big water change and dosing nitrates just I case my nitrates bottom out.
 
Three ways you can go about it:

1. Water change

2. Running GFO (use a calculator and monitor, since this can bottom out phosphates)

3. Dosing lanthanum chloride (e.g. Brightwell Phosphate-E). Quick, effective, but be VERY careful with it given it can create particulate matter that can suffocate fish. Do your research on dosing it before trying it; I use it regularly and haven't had issues, but things can go sideways very quickly if you're not careful.
 
IOnceWasLegend said:
Three ways you can go about it:

1. Water change

2. Running GFO (use a calculator and monitor, since this can bottom out phosphates)

3. Dosing lanthanum chloride (e.g. Brightwell Phosphate-E). Quick, effective, but be VERY careful with it given it can create particulate matter that can suffocate fish. Do your research on dosing it before trying it; I use it regularly and haven't had issues, but things can go sideways very quickly if you're not careful.
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Water change it is. Don’t want to buy 2 or 3. Shoutout to the best frag swap coordinator @IOnceWasLegend great job
 
Your tank looks great in the recent "Full Tank Shot" thread (shown below). How long has your tank been at .46 phosphate?

1740682851385.jpeg
 
-1 on GFO due to its negative impact on traces potentially impacting coral health and their ability to cope with various pathogens, neutral on lanthanum - but works excellent if done correctly, but my preferred method is carbon dosing, ideally through Elimi NP from Tropic Marin.
 
Darkxerox said:
Yeah that likely means it was coming from your rock since you hardly had any fish or inputs there. The KP rock you had might have had a really high content since it's mined then seeded.
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This was the case with my TBS rock. Took quite a while of heavy lanthanum dosing before they finished - then literally one day they were done, and I cut my lanthanum dosing by about 95% and have kept it super low ever since,
 
Darkxerox said:
Yeah that likely means it was coming from your rock since you hardly had any fish or inputs there. The KP rock you had might have had a really high content since it's mined then seeded.
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Yep, agreed, and I had the exact same issue with the dry rock in the previous nano, after 18 months Kalkwasser….
 
+1 on LaCl dosing -I dilute it 40:1 and use a doser into my skimmer. It has kept my PO4 at .18. Can’t stand GFO for a lot of reasons.

If you don’t have a skimmer as it’s smaller and you are going without filter socks-def don’t use this method is my suggestion.


That being said -my SPS and LPS see growth gains by lowering my PO4 (from .6). Softies and others it does not seem to matter.

A water change may help but if PO4 is leaching from rock or you overfeed -not going to matter.
 
I use Rowaphos for my main tank. It works for me. I change it once a month.

32biocube so i use the nano size. No expert opinion here, but i haven't had any issues since using it the last year.
 
Alexander1312 said:
-1 on GFO due to its negative impact on traces potentially impacting coral health and their ability to cope with various pathogens, neutral on lanthanum - but works excellent if done correctly, but my preferred method is carbon dosing, ideally through Elimi NP from Tropic Marin.
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I defenitly agree. Chaeto works well for me for reducing phosphates.
 
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