Phosphates 1.0ppm, yummy, food for the GHA

WEll that was the problem of the Green Hair Algae. LFS tested Phosphates at
"I dont Know" meaning it doesnt matter how high, cause the test water is too
dark to be good, but it looked like around 1.0 or more to me, i wanted to
know. then the same for the PH, it was a wide range, with an "I dont know"
answer(The salt techie was out to lunch) but it looked 9.0 to me. i know it
was above 8.3. test read 8.3, 8.6, and 9.0. it looked closest to 9.0 to
me. also my calcium is estimated to be at 600ppm because the test ran out at
500ppm soafter overdripping the test kit, i got a good estimaiton of just
how much higher it was. not too much.

I siphoned the GHA off the rocks again with 1/2 in tubing then threw a
phosphate sponge in there, will take it out and recharge it in another day,
2 days total usage until recharge max. can be recharged maybe, and up to
twice at most by baking in the oven. its supposed to bring them down from
1.0 to .05ppm in 8-24 hrs.

I purchased 10 turbo snails and 10 hermits taking me up to a total of 11
hermits and 10 snails. Man i forgot how much these snails kick butt!

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Oh what a relief it
is. Tank is now sparkling clean, with this dying breed of a weed lookiing
thing here and there which should go away with the help of the critter crew.
thanks for the good info goys. .

I was using RO, but started out with tap water, and apparently, with
evaporation taken into account, over months and months time of water
additions to top off tank, the phosphate, which is most likely in the tap
water, built up to a toxic level in my tank.

wolfhedd

would appreciate some input on this to see if it sounds right to anyone?
they started to tell me the phosphates could be being "Created" as a by
product? i dont think that, isnt phosphate just added in products? around
here its fertilizers seeping into the ground water i suspect, and
pesticides(biocides)etc. of course im well into using RO.

anyhow, bought an alkalinity test kit today, it tested at 2.25 meq/l i will
do an aeration test to see if thats the potential. could all that GHA have
been consuming all the co2 therfore shooting the ph to 9.0? cause thats
what it looked to be that day of major GHA in the tank. now its coming
back, after i vacuumed it, will have to keep it controlled, hope the snails
will help. just pulled out the phosphate sponge which i used in double
strength. the container treated 120 gals, i used it all, for 60 gals. its
baking in the oven right now to renew it. too bad LFS didnt have their act
together again and couldnt find the instructions for the phosphate test, so
i couldnt test it. i will save the water. hopefully the phos is steadily
going down.

the phosphate level at LFS 2 days ago before i used the phosphate sponge
registered approx 1ppm.
the sponge states water will change approx 1.0 to approx 0.05 in 8-48hrs

water parameters should be close to this now
NO3-200ppb(last night)
Alk 2.25 meq/l(today)
ph-8.2 according to my 10 yr old ph test kit. (today)
salinity 1.0275(lastnite) (ouch high, need to dilute, have no RO at the
moment)
temp 78.5(constant)
ammonia 0.0(3 days ago)
calcium-prob still up in the "near 600" range(3 days ago)
moderate amount of GHA base(pruned way back from LONG HAIR), im controlling
it.

any ideas? or does it sound like my water is panning out?
wolfhedd.


WEll that was the problem of the Green Hair Algae. LFS tested Phosphates
at
"I dont Know" meaning it doesnt matter how high, cause the test water is
too
dark to be good, but it looked like around 1.0 or more to me, i wanted to
know. then the same for the PH, it was a wide range, with an "I dont
know"
answer(The salt techie was out to lunch) but it looked 9.0 to me. i know
it
was above 8.3. test read 8.3, 8.6, and 9.0. it looked closest to 9.0 to
me. also my calcium is estimated to be at 600ppm because the test ran out
at
500ppm soafter overdripping the test kit, i got a good estimaiton of just
how much higher it was. not too much.

I siphoned the GHA off the rocks again with 1/2 in tubing then threw a
phosphate sponge in there, will take it out and recharge it in another
day,
2 days total usage until recharge max. can be recharged maybe, and up to
twice at most by baking in the oven. its supposed to bring them down from
1.0 to .05ppm in 8-24 hrs.

I purchased 10 turbo snails and 10 hermits taking me up to a total of 11
hermits and 10 snails. Man i forgot how much these snails kick butt!

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Oh what a relief it
is. Tank is now sparkling clean, with this dying breed of a weed lookiing
thing here and there which should go away with the help of the critter
crew.
thanks for the good info goys. .

I was using RO, but started out with tap water, and apparently, with
evaporation taken into account, over months and months time of water
additions to top off tank, the phosphate, which is most likely in the tap
water, built up to a toxic level in my tank.

wolfhedd

well, no replies yet! ok water is panning out, phosphates tested at around
or below .03ppm, nitrates still .2ppm, DKH, now at 9.8 calcium down to
about 550ppm now, still tryign to bring CA down with water changes, and ph
about 8.4.
what else should i be paying attention to??
i use Kent Superbuffer to raise Alk, and Turbo Calc, yet havent put any
turboCalc in for well over a month.. added Essential Elements today and
Coral Vite because of multiple water changes over last month and half(about
5)

also i pulled out both synthetic foam filters today, making me feel more at
home with a reef.. :-) I learned that copepods, mysis shrimp, and other
sandbed life and planktons are being trapped by these filters, so now that
they dont look so dirty any more, i feel safe removing them. am i taking
the right steps towards bio-filtration? have calupera(razor)in the siphon
box, and just placed some in the sump today. will add a basic flourescent
bulb to my sump finalizing its official classification and redesignation to
"Refugium"

yellow polyps(zoanthids) and mushroom look really good which tells me the
water must be good, but im noticing a drop off of snail populaion(2-3 died,
maybe hermit attacked one), but i just introduced them a week ago, so may be
stress from adding too quickly(ie... dumping them into tank from LFS baggie)

can someone please give me some advice so i know im continuing to maintain
my 60gal reef tank properly..

wolfhedd.

"wolfhedd" wrote in message
news
would appreciate some input on this to see if it sounds right to anyone?
they started to tell me the phosphates could be being "Created" as a by
product? i dont think that, isnt phosphate just added in products? around
here its fertilizers seeping into the ground water i suspect, and
pesticides(biocides)etc. of course im well into using RO.

anyhow, bought an alkalinity test kit today, it tested at 2.25 meq/l i
will
do an aeration test to see if thats the potential. could all that GHA
have
been consuming all the co2 therfore shooting the ph to 9.0? cause thats
what it looked to be that day of major GHA in the tank. now its coming
back, after i vacuumed it, will have to keep it controlled, hope the
snails
will help. just pulled out the phosphate sponge which i used in double
strength. the container treated 120 gals, i used it all, for 60 gals. its
baking in the oven right now to renew it. too bad LFS didnt have their
act
together again and couldnt find the instructions for the phosphate test,
so
i couldnt test it. i will save the water. hopefully the phos is steadily
going down.

the phosphate level at LFS 2 days ago before i used the phosphate sponge
registered approx 1ppm.
the sponge states water will change approx 1.0 to approx 0.05 in 8-48hrs

water parameters should be close to this now
NO3-200ppb(last night)
Alk 2.25 meq/l(today)
ph-8.2 according to my 10 yr old ph test kit. (today)
salinity 1.0275(lastnite) (ouch high, need to dilute, have no RO at the
moment)
temp 78.5(constant)
ammonia 0.0(3 days ago)
calcium-prob still up in the "near 600" range(3 days ago)
moderate amount of GHA base(pruned way back from LONG HAIR), im
controlling
it.

any ideas? or does it sound like my water is panning out?
wolfhedd.


WEll that was the problem of the Green Hair Algae. LFS tested Phosphates
at
"I dont Know" meaning it doesnt matter how high, cause the test water is
too
dark to be good, but it looked like around 1.0 or more to me, i wanted
to
know. then the same for the PH, it was a wide range, with an "I dont
know"
answer(The salt techie was out to lunch) but it looked 9.0 to me. i
know
it
was above 8.3. test read 8.3, 8.6, and 9.0. it looked closest to 9.0
to
me. also my calcium is estimated to be at 600ppm because the test ran
out
at
500ppm soafter overdripping the test kit, i got a good estimaiton of
just
how much higher it was. not too much.

I siphoned the GHA off the rocks again with 1/2 in tubing then threw a
phosphate sponge in there, will take it out and recharge it in another
day,
2 days total usage until recharge max. can be recharged maybe, and up
to
twice at most by baking in the oven. its supposed to bring them down
from
1.0 to .05ppm in 8-24 hrs.

I purchased 10 turbo snails and 10 hermits taking me up to a total of 11
hermits and 10 snails. Man i forgot how much these snails kick butt!

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Oh what a relief
it
is. Tank is now sparkling clean, with this dying breed of a weed
lookiing
thing here and there which should go away with the help of the critter
crew.
thanks for the good info goys. .

I was using RO, but started out with tap water, and apparently, with
evaporation taken into account, over months and months time of water
additions to top off tank, the phosphate, which is most likely in the
tap
water, built up to a toxic level in my tank.

wolfhedd