Can Neophos hurt corals

[butesch]

I'm at the beginning of my journey to get my phosphate readings from .01 (per ICP results) to .03. My Hanna check not sure about but likely within it's margin of error but usually I get a result on the first test, but then I test it again and always get zero. So I also decided to do Salifert side by side just in case to make myself feel better! I've made it to 10ml per day of Neophos with zero increase yet and understand that it could take awhile for the rocks and sand to reach equilibrium.

But both my bubble corals sucked in last night after dosing 10 ml in my sump. Today they are still wonky looking. Is it possible the Neophos is causing this reaction? The only other item I'm dosing is K+ Elements at 2.5 ml per day. Is 10 ml too much per day?

Please give me your thoughts. Or it could just be them expelling and going though a cycle but wanted to ask just in case.
Thank you.

Date	Level	Note
5-Jan	0.010	Phosphate level per Triton ICP .01
6-Jan	0.010	added 4.5ml of Neophos to raise by .016
7-Jan	0.003	dosing 7.5 ml
8-Jan	0.000	dosing 10 ml (both Hanna and Salifert were zero)
9-Jan	0.000	dosing 10 ml (both Hanna and Salifert were zero)

 

[FernBluffReef]

By no means an expert, but have been dosing NeoPhos regularly for some time now. Newer tank with MacroRocks ~ 13 months old now. I regularly dose ~9 ml a day when needed on mine, that said I don’t know the volume of your tank. Total system volume on mine is around 120 gallons.

I’ll also not .03 is still pretty low. Hanna accuracy is +/- .02 so that’s basically zero. If I let my tank get below .05 corals start to get upset so it could be your phosphates remain too low.

 

[butesch]

By no means an expert, but have been dosing NeoPhos regularly for some time now. Newer tank with MacroRocks ~ 13 months old now. I regularly dose ~9 ml a day when needed on mine, that said I don’t know the volume of your tank. Total system volume on mine is around 120 gallons.

I’ll also not .03 is still pretty low. Hanna accuracy is +/- .02 so that’s basically zero. If I let my tank get below .05 corals start to get upset so it could be your phosphates remain too low.

75 gallons with my sump. RSR 250. My tank has been up for over 5 years but had no fish for the last 2-3. Originally my rock was dry from BRS. My other corals don't seem to be affected but the bubble corals are both deflated. So I wouldn't think it was the Neophos but hopefully someone can chime in that has some good knowledge! Thanks for the reply

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Neophos or any phosphate dosing is not causing coral issues when the actual values are not even reaching 0.03 ppm.

Unless the product bottle was something else, that's not the cause.

 

[butesch]

Update and opinion please. So my dosing journey continues. But would like some opinions.....uh mmm. Randy. :) My Hanna checker seems to have an oddity and so started triple checking. Hanna test. Salifert and then another Hanna test. My first Hanna reading has been showing some movement below, but then when I double check with Salifert which is crazy hard to see.....I interpret it as a zero. I then do a third test with my Hanna check and so far it is always returning a zero on the second test. I will say that when I look in the vials at the different angles, I am seeing a slight hue of blue at times. For Salifert I was also doing the higher sensivity method but my eye when looking down from the top seems like a zero to me. My glass also has some algae film beginning. So feeling good about that as if my first reading is accurate, I could be at 14ppb or .04 Why is my second Hanna reading always zero and has anyone else had that happen.

I feel like I will dose 10ml more which could take me to a .07 ish. Too high to shoot for or what upper range should I avoid? Some tanks are fine at .1 in all my reading but I don't want to go though a dino or cyano outbreak or anything ugly if I can avoid it! Current parameters below and Neophos dosing history below as well.

Please give me your thoughts.

Dosing T Marin A and K as well but nothing else. I did do a 3 gallon water change in the last week.
Other parameters are:

RSR 250	Salinity	Ca	Alk	Nitrates
Date	S.G.	PPM	PPM	dKH	PPM
12/21/24	1.023	479	151	8.4	3.4
12/29/24	1.024	433	139	7.8	4.3
01/05/25	1.025	470	162	9.1	3.5
01/08/25	1.025	490	161	9.0	3.5
01/12/25	1.025	462	158	8.8	2.8

Neophos dosing history

Date	AM/PM	Level	Note
1/5	PM	0.010	Phosphate level per Triton ICP .01
1/6	PM	0.010	added 4.5ml of Neophos to raise by .016
1/7	PM	0.003	dosing 7.5 ml
1/8	PM	0.000	dosing 10ml (both Hanna and Salifert were zero)
1/9	PM	0.000	dosing 10ml (both Hanna and Salifert were zero)
1/10	PM	0.000	dosing 10ml (both Hanna and Salifert were zero)
1/11	PM	0.000	dosing 10ml (both Hanna and Salifert were zero)
1/12	AM	0.000	dosing 10ml (both Hanna and Salifert were zero)
1/12	PM	0.010	dosing 3ml (Salifert 0 but slight hue perhaps, Hanna 4, then zero)
1/13	PM	0.000	dosing 10ml (Hanna 8 then zero,Salifert 0)
1/14	PM	0.000	dosing 10ml (Hanna 11, Salifert 0 but slight hue barely)
1/15	PM		(Hanna 14, Salifert zero 0 but slight hue, Hanna 0)