Phosphates and sps

[SuRFeR BoY]

I finally got a low range phosphate Hanna checker and after testing my water a few times it is consistently 0.00ppms. I know that most people reccomend 0.03. How can I slightly raise my phosphates? I run carbon and i have stopped running Gfo. I feed my tank heavily with both flakes and frozen and fuel and acro power for my aminos. Any advice? Also, NYC tap holds about 1.92ppms. I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with the Checker.

Thank you,
Peter

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

46 views and not one response. Lets start with what you sps reefers keep your phosphates at.

 

[bonomo53]

I feed with oyster feast a few times a week. I also don't keep my skimmer on 24/7. For the longest time i always thought my phos needed to be at 0.00 or under 0.02. I started letting it rise to about 0.05-0.07 the past few months and sps looks healthier and seems to be growing faster.

 

[STORM]

maybe this will help,

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/sps/171111-lets-discuss-nutrient-balance.html

 

[piranhapat]

Even if your Hanna reading at 0.00 means you have no phosphate. They always room for error on these reading. It can be somewhere a differents of .04. So wait and test again and see if you still get 0.00. Unless you change GFO very often it's hard to run a tank with zero phosphate. If you feed your fish frozen food and supplement feeding SPS. I would say you have some phosphate in your tank. How old has this tank been running.

 

[ValorG]

If you just recently stopped using gfo, just give it more time. Or just get more fish/feed more. Don't leave skimmer running 24/7.

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

Thank you for the info guys. Did you notice algea growth when you were not running your skimmer 24/7? I am going to retest my water again later tonight. I would think if my nutrients was as low as it says it is, I would have burnt tips on my sps since my alk is consistently 8.9-9. This tank if I had to guess has been running for about a year and 9 months. I do have a huge refugium running on this tank that I wanted to cut out of the mix but I was always afraid to make any changes to the system. My tank is a 80 gallon deep blue rimless with a 30 gallon sump and 35 gallon refugium plumbed into the system

 

[BioMan]

Following. I don't chase numbers but I have similar setup.

 

[Mattl22]

Surfer got any pics ? Do u get any algae at all ?

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

I have had some algae but it has vanished for a while now. Some film appears on my glass after 3 days if I had to estimate. I swill snap some photos tomorrow. I met up with a chill mr reefer tonight and he gave me a piece of film to filter out blue light from my photos. I tested my phosphates again tonight and they are still holding strong at 0. I also shut my skimmer off for a few hours today. Well see how this works out over time.

 

[BioMan]

That film every 3-4 days I get like 5-6 days,, what is it? Im scared to put any chemicals in there because this is the longest I've ever been able to keep PE on sps in my life!

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

I was talking about algea film. I do yet a whitish calcium like film at the water line which I believe is precipitation. It happens for me after about 6 days or so. My snails will ocassionally chop at it.

 

[JBNY]

I would not make to many changes, having 0.00 on your P reading is not going to do any damage. I have had really successful tanks with reading constantly 0 to 0.01.

3 days is pretty normal for film to appear on the tank walls, I have had it go as long as 7 days with no film and the tank was very successful with SPS.

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

The only reason I want to raise my nutrients is because some of my sps appear more of a pastel color. I have been occasionally shutting my skimmer off and I didn't do a 10% water change this week like I normally do. I have also uped the amount of food I have been feeding daily. I will test my water tomorrow and see if the Hanna reads differently.

 

[greengny]

HI713 Phosphate Low Range Checker

Is this the Hanna tester you used? The little Green Egg


HI713 Phosphate Low Range Checker


Thanks

 

[Metrokat]

I've dosed NeoPhos from brightwell to get my phosphates up when I transferred to a new tank. I run about 0.06-0.10 phosphates.

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

Maybe I will give brightwell a try. I m going test my phosphates later tonight. It's been about a week and yes I use the green egg, low range hanner checker.

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

After a week of over feeding and turning my skimmer on and off my phosphates still hold at 0. I am going to trim my fuge back next.

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

My phosphates are still at 0.00. I tested my friends water with my Hanna meter and his phosphates were 0.62 Thw hanna meter is definitely accurate. I am going to start dosing nitrates soon.

 

[Metrokat]

My phosphates are still at 0.00. I tested my friends water with my Hanna meter and his phosphates were 0.62 Thw hanna meter is definitely accurate. I am going to start dosing nitrates soon.

What for? If you want phosphates, shouldn't you dose phosphates? Nitrate dosing is done to lower phosphates BTW. I used Brightwells NeoPhos when my tank had issues after the upgrade to get some PO4.

Edit - oh I said that already. Hehehe.