Phosphate in cycling tank

kdsealyon

Member
Does phosphate go up in a cycling tank and then go down? Does it cause white algae? I wipe it off the glass, and it is back the next day.
The phosphate is at a 1 using API - That's all they had at ***** and I paid over $40 for the kit.
 
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bang guy

Moderator
Phosphates can help nuisance algae grow as well as cyanobacteria. It does not usually go down all by itself. Water changes, an algae scrubber, phosphate removing media are some ways to reduce phosphate.
 

kdsealyon

Member
Does phosphate go up in a cycling tank and then go down? Does it cause white algae? I wipe it off the glass, and it is back the next day.
The phosphate is at a 1
Phosphates can help nuisance algae grow as well as cyanobacteria. It does not usually go down all by itself. Water changes, an algae scrubber, phosphate removing media are some ways to reduce phosphate.
Gotcha! I have a little opae shrimp tank, and the algae is everywhere. I've been doing changes every day. Can phosphate kill the opae?
 

bang guy

Moderator
My understanding of Opae is that their ntural environment is in pools by the shore which are high in phosphates and other nutrients. Therefore I doubt you could get your phosphates high enough to harm them.
 

kdsealyon

Member
They suddenly just died except one left now. All parameters were okay except the phosphate which was a little high. They even had babies, so I'm just blown away. My saltwater hermit crabs and snails are fine. The mass die off is just bizarre to me. What gets me is I see no bodies either, and I had like 35, so I know the wee crab did not consume them all.
 

kdsealyon

Member
I have no ideas other than I highly doubt your P04 levels had anything to do with the genocide.
BTW The definition of genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. I did not deliberately kill them, No one did.
 
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