How to Best Mature my Nano Tank and Reduce Phosphate

OP
OP
livinlifeinBKK

livinlifeinBKK

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
5,720
Reaction score
5,193
Location
Bangkok
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There are 2 main types. One lives in the sand and one goes into the water column. The one in the sand is basically fought by encouraging algae to grow. Dosing silicates is a great way to do it. The one in the water column is fought with a UV light. Get a positive ID first.
I just dont want to put my microbiome in jeopardy with anything I do which is why I'm reluctant to add a UV since it sould kill the healthy baceria too
 

Ippyroy

Defeater of Dinos
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
5,504
Reaction score
33,186
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Diatoms are super easy to deal with. They live off of the silicates from the sand and rocks, mostly sand. The cure to diatoms is to do absolutely nothing. The silicates from the sand will all be eaten and the diatoms will simply disappear. I am far from a fish expert. Ask in the fish forum on here. There are some much more knowledgeable people that can give you the correct answers to which butterfly fish to get.
 
OP
OP
livinlifeinBKK

livinlifeinBKK

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
5,720
Reaction score
5,193
Location
Bangkok
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Diatoms are super easy to deal with. They live off of the silicates from the sand and rocks, mostly sand. The cure to diatoms is to do absolutely nothing. The silicates from the sand will all be eaten and the diatoms will simply disappear. I am far from a fish expert. Ask in the fish forum on here. There are some much more knowledgeable people that can give you the correct answers to which butterfly fish to get.
Thanks!...btw, one of the other commenters seemed to think the Salifert test I used for phosphate gave me an inaccurate reading of .25...I thought Salifert was usually pretty reputable...would you trust the test results? He said he would only trust a Hanna
 

Ippyroy

Defeater of Dinos
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
5,504
Reaction score
33,186
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks!...btw, one of the other commenters seemed to think the Salifert test I used for phosphate gave me an inaccurate reading of .25...I thought Salifert was usually pretty reputable...would you trust the test results? He said he would only trust a Hanna
Use whichever test kit you like. The most important thing about testing is to do it consistently. Test kits are all hobby grade and are off. Do them at the same time on the same day of the week, and use the same method. We are only looking for trends. This is why you don't chase numbers.
Personally I prefer the Hanna checkers because I have issues with reading the colors. The Hannas are also a bit cheaper in the long run. The refills are mostly from 9 - 15 USD. You can buy the cuvettes from Hanna directly. They are for testing maple syrup but I paid something like 30 bucks for 50 of them. I always use a pipette for measuring the water.
Something like this.

It was the best investment I made.
 
OP
OP
livinlifeinBKK

livinlifeinBKK

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
5,720
Reaction score
5,193
Location
Bangkok
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Use whichever test kit you like. The most important thing about testing is to do it consistently. Test kits are all hobby grade and are off. Do them at the same time on the same day of the week, and use the same method. We are only looking for trends. This is why you don't chase numbers.
Personally I prefer the Hanna checkers because I have issues with reading the colors. The Hannas are also a bit cheaper in the long run. The refills are mostly from 9 - 15 USD. You can buy the cuvettes from Hanna directly. They are for testing maple syrup but I paid something like 30 bucks for 50 of them. I always use a pipette for measuring the water.
Something like this.

It was the best investment I made.

well maybe I'll invest in a Hanna Phosphate checker...what would you do in my situation I'm in as the test read (correctly or incorrectly) .25? That's high enough to interfere with coralline and coral growth if it's correct meaning I should try to reduce them but if the test isn't very accurate like the other poster said then I run the risk of depleting my phosphate to 0 and getting dinos. Should I just do nothing right now?
 

Ippyroy

Defeater of Dinos
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
5,504
Reaction score
33,186
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
well maybe I'll invest in a Hanna Phosphate checker...what would you do in my situation I'm in as the test read (correctly or incorrectly) .25? That's high enough to interfere with coralline and coral growth if it's correct meaning I should try to reduce them but if the test isn't very accurate like the other poster said then I run the risk of depleting my phosphate to 0 and getting dinos. Should I just do nothing right now?
The salifert test is not wrong. API is the only test kit I know of that is known to give false readings, and thats more for ammonia than anything else. .25 isn't too high. I would try to bring it down to around .1
 
OP
OP
livinlifeinBKK

livinlifeinBKK

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
5,720
Reaction score
5,193
Location
Bangkok
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The salifert test is not wrong. API is the only test kit I know of that is known to give false readings, and thats more for ammonia than anything else. .25 isn't too high. I would try to bring it down to around .1
Ok, I'll get some Phosguard and run it in the HOB filter I have running right now
 
OP
OP
livinlifeinBKK

livinlifeinBKK

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
5,720
Reaction score
5,193
Location
Bangkok
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The salifert test is not wrong. API is the only test kit I know of that is known to give false readings, and thats more for ammonia than anything else. .25 isn't too high. I would try to bring it down to around .1
Any more ideas on how I can maximize maturity while i'm fallow?
 

Ippyroy

Defeater of Dinos
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
5,504
Reaction score
33,186
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any more ideas on how I can maximize maturity while i'm fallow?
Just develop good husbandry. Test regularly and consistently. I'd test 3 times each time and make sure the numbers are always really close. Do the same size water change and clean your equipment. You can't rush a tank, but since you used live rock, it's most likely ready to go.
 
OP
OP
livinlifeinBKK

livinlifeinBKK

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
5,720
Reaction score
5,193
Location
Bangkok
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just develop good husbandry. Test regularly and consistently. I'd test 3 times each time and make sure the numbers are always really close. Do the same size water change and clean your equipment. You can't rush a tank, but since you used live rock, it's most likely ready to go.
Great! I don't know if you're a big supplement kind of guy or not but do you think supplementing with amino acids or a zooplankton supplement would make a noticeable difference in my coralline spreading and overall growth?
 

Ippyroy

Defeater of Dinos
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
5,504
Reaction score
33,186
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Great! I don't know if you're a big supplement kind of guy or not but do you think supplementing with amino acids or a zooplankton supplement would make a noticeable difference in my coralline spreading and overall growth?
I don't think so. Coraline will grow once the parameters are all stable with no big swings. As long as it doesn't turn white it's alive and kicking.
 

Little c big D

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 11, 2021
Messages
621
Reaction score
797
Location
Palm Coast
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The salifert test is not wrong. API is the only test kit I know of that is known to give false readings, and thats more for ammonia than anything else. .25 isn't too high. I would try to bring it down to around .1
I would check out the inaccuracies of salifert and other similar test kits for phosphate. Hanna or you're just guessing when it comes to po4. I would not recommend anyone start using GFO to strip po4 if their nitrates are 0 and they used a salifert phosphate test kit. If it's diatoms then sure... but look at the pictures. That doesn't look like high phosphates. The opposite. And IF, dinos then that adds to the idea that the po4 is bottomed out.

The biggest point here is that if .25 is correct. The tank isn't suffering. So before using things that could cause harm, confirm the number.
 

Little c big D

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 11, 2021
Messages
621
Reaction score
797
Location
Palm Coast
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

I thought this was a good read. It is a bit old however. I'm not saying that the kit IS wrong. I just don't trust it considering all of the other factors . Also I'm not saying not to act as you see fit. Just that you confirm that phosphate issue before trying to lower it.
 

Ippyroy

Defeater of Dinos
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
5,504
Reaction score
33,186
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I started out with Salifert for PO4. I eventually switched over to Hanna. Both tests were basically the same. I had slight issues trying to read the colors until I bought a desk lamp to do all tests under. It helped a lot. I switched to Hanna because it is actually cheaper. I find find more complaints about the Hanna than the Salifert. It is usually user error that creates inaccurate results.
 

Little c big D

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 11, 2021
Messages
621
Reaction score
797
Location
Palm Coast
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I started out with Salifert for PO4. I eventually switched over to Hanna. Both tests were basically the same. I had slight issues trying to read the colors until I bought a desk lamp to do all tests under. It helped a lot. I switched to Hanna because it is actually cheaper. I find find more complaints about the Hanna than the Salifert. It is usually user error that creates inaccurate results.
User error can happen with all kits, I'd recommend the 736 and follow instructions to a T. It's better long run. Salifert makes great kits, but color kits like that for po4 are near impossible. Now that op thinks it isn't dinos perhaps the reading is more believable. But when they mentioned dinos it made me question the results.
 

Ippyroy

Defeater of Dinos
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
5,504
Reaction score
33,186
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

I thought this was a good read. It is a bit old however. I'm not saying that the kit IS wrong. I just don't trust it considering all of the other factors . Also I'm not saying not to act as you see fit. Just that you confirm that phosphate issue before trying to lower it.
All tests that require you to read a color can be very difficult for some people. If the person has great eye sight and the proper lighting then use which one you want.
User error can happen with all kits, I'd recommend the 736 and follow instructions to a T. It's better long run. Salifert makes great kits, but color kits like that for po4 are near impossible. Now that op thinks it isn't dinos perhaps the reading is more believable. But when they mentioned dinos it made me question the results.
The only kit I used and still like that used colors is NYOS for NO3. I just got the Hanna NO3 HR and I will see if I like it more, but reagents are still a little tough to find. I
 
OP
OP
livinlifeinBKK

livinlifeinBKK

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
5,720
Reaction score
5,193
Location
Bangkok
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Unfortunately none are appropriate for your tank being only 10 gallons
I realize that...here there are a few shops that like to stock very small juveniles but I certainly don't plan to keep them in a tank that small for long as I have big plans, only while they're that size and to make sure they're as healthy as possible by focusing on many health aspects so they can fight off anything they might encounter in the future.
 
Back
Top