Hey is .30 phosphates too high???

[Natescorals]

That’s not true at all, people on here have tanks running close to 1ppm

What do you mean? .1ppm is way lower than .5

 

[Natescorals]

Piranah is correct. Stability is the most important factor, not the exact #

So I can have phosphates at .50 and it’ll be okay as long as I always keep it at .50? also I’m confused when you guys are saying .5 will kill corals when I’ve had my phosphates as high as .50 and none of my corals have died.

 

[Natescorals]

How's the chaeto growing? Reef roids will boost your phosphates. I know this isn't typical but I only target feed roids just before water changes

To be honest it’s barely even growing.

 

[Rick.45cal]

I’m also using reagents from a different hannna checker could that be a problem?

I would suspect that using the reagents for the other phosphate checker Is likely your problem and leading to your results. Though I am not an expert at those checkers. I used the phosphorus ULR for awhile and got tired of getting inconsistent results due to some bad batches of reagent powders that seemed like they had been contaminated with moisture and switched back to using Salifert test kits for phosphates. The Salifert test kits seem to work better for me and cost less, but I don’t have a problem comparing vials to color charts like I know some folks do. If it were me I would at the very least get the proper reagents for your tester and go from there, it never hurts to have a second test kit of a different type to compare with your results if you start getting really strange results. (I’m not saying you have to use both everytime). I would do this before taking any kind of drastic action to remedy a phosphate problem you may not have. Just my $.02.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

How's the chaeto growing? Reef roids will boost your phosphates. I know this isn't typical but I only target feed roids just before water changes

+1. What is nitrate? Cheato primarily consumes nitrate. If there’s no nitrate for them to consume, they won’t grow and knock down the phosphates.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

The issue is 95% of tanks have phosphates way lower than that. If you go to the lfs and pick out a piece out (chances are their po4 is much lower) the piece likely won’t make it.

So I can have phosphates at .50 and it’ll be okay as long as I always keep it at .50? also I’m confused when you guys are saying .5 will kill corals when I’ve had my phosphates as high as .50 and none of my corals have died.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

You know that is kinda weird.... I typically run my po4 around .15 but when my gfo went bad, po4 climbed up to .29. All the corals except my acros suffered. I lost a frogspawn but ALL of the sps colored up and encrusted at a much faster rate than usual. Maybe I’ve been doing it all wrong.....

I suspect that your Hanna checker is defunct, or your reagents are bad. I’d personally get a different test kit and compare your tests.

As for .5 ppm of phosphate leading to a tank full of dead corals, that‘s simply not true. Last I checked my tank was running at 1 ppm of phosphate. Clearly it’s full of dead corals...

 

[temfinger]

I did upgrade to a 2.5 gallon tank fuge. Before I upgraded I completely spray painted the outside of the glass black and drilled a hole in the side of the glass. Then I added a bulkhead with some pvc pipe. Is it possible some spray paint leeched into the tank?

Not sure about the spray paint, I seen your other post about feeding heavy, I suggest cut back the feeding 2 maybe 3 times a week and reef roids once. Then test the po4 again. You cannot make to many changes at once you won't know what fixed it once its within the desired level.

 

[Tegridy Reef]

I see alot of guess but know one has brought up what his tank looks like if the number were that high u would have a ton of algea issues do u have algea issues I might of skipped over it

 

[Tegridy Reef]

Also a display would he seeing his rock making sure it's not lime stone was the rock from a already established system then to u

 

[Rick.45cal]

You know that is kinda weird.... I typically run my po4 around .15 but when my gfo went bad, po4 climbed up to .29. All the corals except my acros suffered. I lost a frogspawn but ALL of the sps colored up and encrusted at a much faster rate than usual. Maybe I’ve been doing it all wrong.....

It’s not ideal! Coraline algae stops spreading rampantly, and I’m sure it’s slowed growth of somethings. I’ve been running GFO now for a week or so, 30 mins out of every 6 hours, to bring it down and it’s now down to .75 ppm. I have noticed, in my tank, if I go lower than about .25 ppm my acros seem to get kind of bland. Also if I run GFO 24/7 I get RTN events, adjusting phosphate levels in a tank can be very detrimental to corals and should be done very carefully and very slowly.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

It’s not ideal! Coraline algae stops spreading rampantly, and I’m sure it’s slowed growth of somethings. I’ve been running GFO now for a week or so, 30 mins out of every 6 hours, to bring it down and it’s now down to .75 ppm. I have noticed, in my tank, if I go lower than about .25 ppm my acros seem to get kind of bland. Also if I run GFO 24/7 I get RTN events, adjusting phosphate levels in a tank can be very detrimental to corals and should be done very carefully and very slowly.

It’s probably because they’re used to elevated levels

 

[Natescorals]

I would suspect that using the reagents for the other phosphate checker Is likely your problem and leading to your results. Though I am not an expert at those checkers. I used the phosphorus ULR for awhile and got tired of getting inconsistent results due to some bad batches of reagent powders that seemed like they had been contaminated with moisture and switched back to using Salifert test kits for phosphates. The Salifert test kits seem to work better for me and cost less, but I don’t have a problem comparing vials to color charts like I know some folks do. If it were me I would at the very least get the proper reagents for your tester and go from there, it never hurts to have a second test kit of a different type to compare with your results if you start getting really strange results. (I’m not saying you have to use both everytime). I would do this before taking any kind of drastic action to remedy a phosphate problem you may not have. Just my $.02.

Maybe I should try Salifert. I don’t know why BRS and all these other companies all recommend Hanna checkers and claiming their the most accurate? Clearly their not accurate at all. But exactly how accurate is Salifert? I guess it’s mostly guesswork? If corals look happy and healthy then numbers are right?

 

[Aqua Man]

I have the Phosphorus ULR HI 736. It reads as PPB. After the conversion of 5PPB, I read it as .015 PPM. Is that correct? Or is it .15?

Also the HI 774 and the HI 736 use the same reagents.

 

[Natescorals]

If corals are happy at .75 then my phosphates at .30 are perfectly fine?

 

[Natescorals]

I have the Phosphorus ULR HI 736. It reads as PPB. After the conversion of 5PPB, I read it as .015 PPM. Is that correct? Or is it .15?

Also the HI 774 and the HI 736 use the same reagents.

Are you sure? If that’s the case then my phosphates are .16

 

[Aqua Man]

Not totally sure, that’s why I’m asking. A decimal point in a different spot makes a huge difference.

5 ppx 3.066= 15.33 15.33/1000= .015ppm
so is it .15 or .015 Trying to figure this out also Nate.

 

[jeffchapok]

That’s what I’m thinking. 0.5 would be way out of the range for healthy corals.

That's not necessarily true. My PO4 is consistently .5 ppm (yes, parts per million) and I have no trouble growing softies and LPS. It has been as high as .8. I use the Salifert test.

I don't have it at my fingertips, but there's a video on YouTube of a guy that's successfully kept reefs for years with phosphates at 1.

 

[Aqua Man]

Which model Hanna do you have Nate?
Apparently there are 2 on the market now that are ULR. Phosphorus and Phosphate

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I have the Phosphorus ULR HI 736. It reads as PPB. After the conversion of 5PPB, I read it as .015 PPM. Is that correct? Or is it .15?

Also the HI 774 and the HI 736 use the same reagents.

5ppb is .015ppm