- Joined
- Apr 27, 2020
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My question has a couple different parts.
1. People quote a certain level of phosphates to maintain, examples such as .03ppm. Then I see people jump in threads and say they have high or low phosphates and quote a single number. Yet, I see my phosphates double or triple then reduce back to start the cycle all over again day to day. Are peoples phosphates really as stable as posts make them seem? I thought my fluctuations were normal based on the estimate that food can add .02 ppm to 1ppm(forgot the upper bound Randy typically says) in a single day. I want to know what I am missing here? If I am doing something wrong I would love an opportunity to fix it. I don’t have any algae problems at this time either.
2. As an average my tank utilizes about .1 to .2 phosphate a day. The lower the phosphate get the slower it is utilized, but I run the risk of bottoming out phosphates substantially when I aim to keep my low point at .03. So again what am I doing wrong regarding phosphate, but also how are people measuring phosphate? Are they sampling the up and down swings like I am? Or are people that come to forums and say they have a high phosphate of .15-.3ppm simply measuring at the height of the curve? Similarly, the people running at .03 ppm are they just cherry picking the time to show the data.
I assume the size of the system greatly impacts the stability of phosphate and larger systems likely have less of a swing. With that said though, it seems phosphate is much more a moving target then people seem to allude to based on my results below. I would love to hear a few more opinions and thoughts.
65 gallon reefer 250 - mixed reef
Let’s start with the range of the daily swing in phosphate for me as measured by the Hanna Phos UL checker.
9am: .055ppm to .1ppm
Feed rods food, size of thumb
12pm: .1ppm to .18ppm
auto feeder small pellets on lowest setting via Apex AFS
9pm: .08ppm to .12
1 cube of brine shrimp or similar frozen food.
rinse and repeat
I have a refugium with a little more than a fist size of cheato.
Daily Dose:
2 part - 23ml
Phytofeast alive - 2ml
Algaebarn phyto - 30 ml
Microbactor 7 - 5 ml
Cheatogro - .7 ml
Red Sea coral AB+ - 6ml each
1. People quote a certain level of phosphates to maintain, examples such as .03ppm. Then I see people jump in threads and say they have high or low phosphates and quote a single number. Yet, I see my phosphates double or triple then reduce back to start the cycle all over again day to day. Are peoples phosphates really as stable as posts make them seem? I thought my fluctuations were normal based on the estimate that food can add .02 ppm to 1ppm(forgot the upper bound Randy typically says) in a single day. I want to know what I am missing here? If I am doing something wrong I would love an opportunity to fix it. I don’t have any algae problems at this time either.
2. As an average my tank utilizes about .1 to .2 phosphate a day. The lower the phosphate get the slower it is utilized, but I run the risk of bottoming out phosphates substantially when I aim to keep my low point at .03. So again what am I doing wrong regarding phosphate, but also how are people measuring phosphate? Are they sampling the up and down swings like I am? Or are people that come to forums and say they have a high phosphate of .15-.3ppm simply measuring at the height of the curve? Similarly, the people running at .03 ppm are they just cherry picking the time to show the data.
I assume the size of the system greatly impacts the stability of phosphate and larger systems likely have less of a swing. With that said though, it seems phosphate is much more a moving target then people seem to allude to based on my results below. I would love to hear a few more opinions and thoughts.
65 gallon reefer 250 - mixed reef
Let’s start with the range of the daily swing in phosphate for me as measured by the Hanna Phos UL checker.
9am: .055ppm to .1ppm
Feed rods food, size of thumb
12pm: .1ppm to .18ppm
auto feeder small pellets on lowest setting via Apex AFS
9pm: .08ppm to .12
1 cube of brine shrimp or similar frozen food.
rinse and repeat
I have a refugium with a little more than a fist size of cheato.
Daily Dose:
2 part - 23ml
Phytofeast alive - 2ml
Algaebarn phyto - 30 ml
Microbactor 7 - 5 ml
Cheatogro - .7 ml
Red Sea coral AB+ - 6ml each