Phosphate Levels

[jrd77]

My phosphates in both of my tanks are always above 10ppm. My tap runs at about 5ppm.

I've used phosguard and other phosphate removers in the filter of my tanks. This has not worked at all. I have yet to see a reading below 10 and I've tried all sorts of brands.

I feed my loaches and tetras what they can eat quickly but here's the problem. My ropefish take a long time to find the food due to their blindness so food often sits for 5-10 minutes before they find it. The female will find some food in about 2-3 minutes but the male is SLOW and he tales up to 10-15 minutes. Is this my problem?

To combat this I siphon my gravel weekly and do a 25-30% water change. Of course, this is not doing me any good in terms of my phosphates but I do not know what else to do.

There are no live plants in either tank because the one month I tried this, all the plants died and it made horrible mess of the tanks...half the fish died b/c the of the drastic decrease in water quality when all the plants died.

Is there ANY thing I can do to decrease my phosphates. Please help...TY!

 

[CathyG]

Carrying out more frequent water changes will help somewhat, even though you have a high reading from your tap water. Using your 40 gallon tank as an example:

If your tank water reads 10ppm, and your tap water 5ppm and you change 25% (10 gallons) of water, you will reduce your tank reading to 8.8ppm. Not a massive reduction, and it is conceivable that this could rise back up to 10ppm in a week, even if feeding in moderation. So, for arguments sake, let us assume an increase of 1.2ppm per week (the difference between 10ppm and 8.8ppm) going by your current readings and water change routine.

Week 1 - 10 gallon water change - tank reads 8.8. At the end of week 1, the water reads 10ppm again. Start over, 10 gallon water change for week 2, rises back to 10pm by week 3. (Current routine)

If you were to perform bi weekly water changes, the picture would look more like this:

Week 1, first water change - 10 gallon - 10ppm becomes 8.8ppm. Assume a rise of .6ppm in half a week (half of the assumed weekly rise of 1.2ppm going by current patterns)

Week 1, second water change - 10 gallon - 9.4ppm (calculated from 8.8 from last water change reading + 0.6 rise) will become 8.3ppm after the water change

Week 2, first water change - 10 gallon - 8.9ppm (8.3 + 0.6) will become 7.9ppm after the water change.

Week 2, second water change - 10 gallon - 8.5ppm (7.9 + 0.6) will become 7.6ppm

If you were to continue to carry out a 25% tank volume change twice a week, with your tap water at 5ppm and an assumed rise of 1.2ppm per week, you will hit a plateau at week 9. By week 9 your reading will be 7ppm, and continue to be so should you change 10 gallons twice per week (or equivalent volume of your smaller tank)

*finally takes breath*

Or! (Depending on your current parameters elsewhere (pH, GH and kH)) you could consider using reverse osmosis water as a percentage of your tank volume, introduced gradually of course (since it is pure and will also affect your PH and buffering capacity)

I hope that helped

 

[jrd77]

Thank you very much for the advice. I will try the water changes 2x per week for a while and see what happens...

It might be I need to make the move to RO water...

TY!