nitrates dropped, phosphate not dropping, why!

[ml708]

I did several water changes and I think I have removed close to 100% of my old water in the tank by now.

This reduced my nitrates to 2ppm from a ridiculous 24ppm.

However my phosphates are still at 4.5ppm. Rowaphos does not seem to have helped either.

I feed half the amount I normally feed to reduce nitrate and phosphate buildup and still have this reading.

Can anyone please advise me what to do? My duncan is absolutely hating it!

[braincoral]

Presence of phosphate in liverocks...

Check the reliability of your test kit too..

[ml708]

Presence of phosphate in liverocks...

Check the reliability of your test kit too..

ok, is there any way I can remove the phosphate in the live rock? strange that it would be present in the rocks because I had the rocks for quite a few months, and the phosphate level was something like 0.04ppm

[julius]

Try adding calcium hydroxide

[ASHWIN]

How long has The Rowa Been Added?

Nitrates And Phos..work hand in hand

Try Checking Your Reacter Water Output..If it does Show..Phosphates..that means your rowa is exhausted..Changing would be good..But if no trace of phosphates..should be ok.

Rowa is preety good..drops phosphates fast..

Cheers!

Btw What Test Kit?

[weekdaywarrior]

Hi, the surest, cheapest and fastest way to reduce your phosphate is by using lanthanum chloride together with using a 10 micron filter sock. Search the net for the proper dilution to water. If indeed your rocks are leaching PO4, it would take some time to rid it of po4. Good luck.

[ml708]

I use D-D test kit. Changed rowa about a week ago. Output seems to be fine and levels there are low, which is strange. Btw what's this about lanthanum chloride and where can one get it? Is it harmful to fish and corals?

[pandagold]

Are u using RO/DI water for your water change If u are , and includes charcole . When was the last time u changed your charcole ?

[pandagold]

Pardon , ipad auto spelling . I meant charcoal

[ml708]

I was mistaken, the first unit I got was merely a DI unit, a week ago I bought an RO/DI unit and the levels are falling, but not drastically.