# Super high phosphates



## Thoughtsprocket (May 14, 2015)

Hey Everyone!

I decided I should buy an API Phosphate test kit (liquid). I just tested my 20 gallon planted tank. I have super high phosphates. 10! Man, what is the proper way to deal with this. My tap water has a phosphate level of only 2. The fish and plants are doing very well. Fertilizers are API Root Tabs and API Leaf Zone. The tank has pressurized CO2, airstone at night. All other water parameters are ok. No algae except a little on a few leaf edges that my Otos will eventually find, and a few little spots of green on the glass that I'll wipe on water changing day (tomorrow). I've read that this is way too high.

Please offer advice. Many thanks.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Depends on the cause. If your phosphate gets this high in a CO2 enriched tank just from feeding this is bad. The phosphates aren't bad, but all other stuff (proteins, lipids etc. are). So you need to feed waaayy less. 
If you add pure phosphate, 10 is nothing to worry about. It isn't necessary but you're not even close to toxic ranges (which are probably somewhere in the 1000 ppm range).


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## Thoughtsprocket (May 14, 2015)

Thanks Yo-Han. This remains puzzling as I absolutely don't overfeed my fish. They get the slightest bit in the morning. If they are frantically wanting more, I'll give them half of a slight bit more. But that's it. Half a shelled pea once weekly because I have one fish that gets constipated. They are really healthy. The plants are doing well. It does take about 2 hours for the CO2 to register at approximately 30ppm via a drop checker. Could this cause high phosphates? Also I know I need to the check the base ingredients for all three for types I feed. One is ok, so I need to research the other two.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Do you have something like potassium phosphate? And phosphate free water? If so, you can test the test on the phosphate free water and later in you can make a reference solution of 10 ppm and check whether your test kit is reliable. 

Don't thrust it simply because it is a good brand. I always use Salifert which is known to be a reliable brand. It always worked great but 1 test kit always measured 0.1 ppm. No matter how high the PO4. So I kept adding and adding and assumed it was still low. I ended up with 40 ppm PO4 before I found out the test kit didn't work. I crossed the test solutions with a new kit and found out bottle 1 was perfect, bottle 2 just didn't work. Since then I got about any chemical here at home you can think of Now I double check any abnormalty.


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## Thoughtsprocket (May 14, 2015)

I've read that Salifert is a reliable brand. I'll order that brand from now on. I'll try find a phosphate free water. I'll test the test kit and see what the results are. You're so helpful. Thank you! Today the phosphate level in both tanks is only 2. So that's good. I read on another forum that I shouldn't worry so much about this as the fish and plants are doing well. Having an aquarium only since January, I have to say I worry a lot!


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

You're welcome! I get the concern. You can find 2000 sites stating phosphates are bad. In fact even your lfs might tell you so, but is simple isn't in its pure form


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## Thoughtsprocket (May 14, 2015)

You're so right about that. You are awesome for offering good guidance!


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

What substrate are you using?

Some rocks contain phosphate. Found this out from personal experience when mine Hach test kit was being pegged at 50ppm.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

You can easily calibrate your test kit. Meaning that you will make a sample of distilled water (from the grocery store) and certain amount of Phospate fertilizer. Use the many fertilizer calculators that you can find in many sites o on the net. Make a few solutions - 0.1, 1, 2, 5 ppm. Then test with your amazing cheap test kit. Cheap or not that way you will know what it shows.

High phosphates are not bad by themselves. If everything in the tank is going well 10ppm P is not too high. 30 is already high. 60 ppm stops the growth of both plants and algae.

What is bad in running the Phosphates above 0.1 ppm is the inevitable time when trouble will come. If you have little P (about 0.1) it is very easy to do a single water change and stop all algae growth. You can not do that with P=0.5 to 2 (the usual American toxic water planted tank). Once again - it is all good when everything is good but there is no insurance when things go bad. Note that all Japanese tanks are run with P=0.1 to 0.2 + minute daily additions of P.

Maybe all of the above will give you more insight how to go about things so you are always safe. For now all you can do is change water using RO water and watch the P with a calibrated cheap test kit. If you decide to get a good P test kit get the Hanna digital read gizmo:


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