Too much Phosphate, corals dying - Need Help!

[robert_s]

Hi.
My Plate (hard) Coral, Long Tentacle is dying. Almost half of it is gone. I discovered that I have too much phosphate (1.0) in my tank. I am going to change about 30% of water in my tank. Do you think it will help? Will my coral die?
Please let me know asap. Thx

 

[Anonymous]

Well, if you use good water it will reduce the phosphate by a similar percent, so yes, it will help. There are also products called phosban or rowspho that take phosphate out of the water, although I have never used them. I would say the prospects don't look too good for the coral at the moment.

Do you know how the phosphate is getting in to the water? Are you using RO?

 

[robert_s]

Yes. I am using RO water only.

 

[Jolieve]

I am currently using phosban. So far, it's been great. Within three days of adding it my dinos died off (go figure. If I don't run a phosphate remover the dinoflagellates come back... ). I haven't seen any adverse effects on the livestock so far, and my two hitch hiker corals are also doing well after a month of running it.

J.

 

[robert_s]

Last Question
My Arcopora id dying (going white) can make some cuttings out of the healthy pieces before the arcopora coral completely dies?

 

[tikki50]

I use the sea chem brand and it works great.

 

[Jolieve]

The seachem brand, phosguard.... has aluminum in it. Recent studies have shown that aluminum based phosphate sponges can stunt coral growth. I do not recommend using phosguard or any other aluminum based phosphate remover. The ones Dan listed off are both iron based. Also, Salifert Phosphate Killer (not eliminator, killer) is iron based as well.

Robert, on the fragging... I don't know. Since it's just bleached, it's entirely possible the whole colony will come back from it and start to regrow it's zooxanthellae. (hope I spelled that right...)

J.