Help Me Understand Why my PO4 and NO3- TOO LOW

[jda]

What problems are you actually having? 8 ppb phosphorus (.0245 ppm phosphate) and .2 nitrate is no problem - mine are lower than that and stuff thrives. This might not be a building block issue... it sounds like you have heavy import and heavy export, which is what you want moreso than residual numbers on a test kit. With that amount of food, I doubt that anything in your tank is growth limited by either of these building blocks.

FWIW - you have to take your ppb reading from the Hannah ultra low times 3.066 and then divide by 1000 to get ppm of phosphate.

If you have an acute list of problems, then post them up and we can help.

 

[mcarroll]

Pardon my hijack...

if
Nitrates + no phospahtes = Bleaching

what does
no Nitrate + Phosphate = ?

Nuisance algae?

Thanks

In terms of coral, it mean "A-OK" under otherwise healthy circumstances.

"LN/HP" in this photo means low nitrogen/high phosphorous...looks just about as good as HN/HP:

(from: Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates)

In terms of algae, that can depend on a lot of local factors, not least of which are availability of space and light and presence of competition/predators. Also, some algae will simply die off when starved, so lack of nitrates might actually eliminate some algae. But if all other nutrients are available, cyano will like it a lot. Some green algae are mostly unfazed by lack of nitrates too.

 

[NY_Caveman]

In terms of coral, it mean "A-OK" under otherwise healthy circumstances.

"LN/HP" in this photo means low nitrogen/high phosphorous...looks just about as good as HN/HP:

(from: Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates)

In terms of algae, that can depend on a lot of local factors, not least of which are availability of space and light and presence of competition/predators. Also, some algae will simply die off when starved, so lack of nitrates might actually eliminate some algae. But if all other nutrients are available, cyano will like it a lot. Some green algae are mostly unfazed by lack of nitrates too.

Excellent. Thank you.