How do I lower phosphate levels in my reef tank?
There are four main ways to help lower the Phosphate level in your aquarium:
- Water Changes & Vacuuming of Sand Bed (Detritus Removal)
- A Good Protein Skimmer.
- Macro-Algae in a Refugium or Turf Algae Scrubber.
- Chemical Absorption Products.
How do I get rid of excess phosphate in my aquarium?
The most efficient way to get rid of phosphate is to “vacuum” the substrate (as with a Fluval Edge gravel cleaner). This removes more detritus, which helps to prevent the stockpiling of phosphorus via settled particulate organic matter.
Will activated carbon remove phosphate?
Yes, carbon will help to remove aquarium phosphate from your aquarium. Now, activated carbon does not directly remove phosphates from the water, but it does break down organic compounds, thus slowly breaking phosphate down into other components.
How fast can you lower phosphates in reef tank?
How fast can I drop it with hurting the rest of my corals? According to Phosphate RX instruction, it says not to lower PO4 more than 0.5ppm in a 24 hr period.
Do corals need phosphate?
Because phosphorus is required for growing tissue, it is mandatory that some phosphorus source be available to corals and invertebrates growing in a reef aquarium.
What causes high phosphate in aquarium?
Phosphate naturally increases as wastes are broken down within the aquarium. In addition to being internally produced, phosphate can enter the aquarium from external sources. Everything from fish food to the chemicals used to buffer the water to the tap water itself can contain significant amounts of phosphate.
Is high phosphate bad for corals?
Phosphates promote the proliferation of brown algae in the tissue of corals, masking the natural color pigments of the corals and causing the coral to turn brown. 2 It also restricts the calcium carbonate uptake necessary to enable the coral skeleton to grow.
What does high phosphate do to corals?
If phosphates are high for long periods of time, the zooxanthellae can overpopulate and turn the coral brown. Science has also documented that the density of a stony coral skeletal mass is reduced when phosphate is kept at levels above 0.05 ppm. The belief is that phosphate inhibits the calcification process.
What does phosphate do in a saltwater aquarium?
How Do Phosphates Affect the Saltwater Aquarium? Phosphates promote the proliferation of brown algae in the tissue of corals, masking the natural color pigments of the corals and causing the coral to turn brown. 2 It also restricts the calcium carbonate uptake necessary to enable the coral skeleton to grow.