Nitrates 13.5 and Phosphates 0.0 in Fowlr - better Phosphate checker?

[Dweezilz]

I'm currently in my 6th month with fish in my reefer 250. Inhabitants are:

2 clowns, 2 engineer gobies, watchman goby, royal gramma, pistol shrimp, Halloween hermit, Tiger Conch, and 4 Nerite snails alive from original 10 (either shrimp or hermit are killing them!). I'm not planning for any corals for the first year at least, maybe never. I plan to get more fish in the next few months.

I'm feeing Omega One pellets with garlic, frozen PE Mysis, and PE Spirulina brine. I throw the clowns an occasional bunch of Hikari Seaweed Extreme.

Parameters are: Ammonia / Nitrite - 0, PH - 8, ALK - 7.2, Nitrates 13.5, Salinity 1.023 (trying to bring up to 1.024 again), Phosphate - 0.0 , Temp 78.

Unfortunately I got the Hanna low range Phosphate checker because the videos all say for the first year it's fine, but it has a margin of error of +/- 0.04 which I didn't realize when I bought it, so I could have up to 0.04 even though it shows 0. I know with a Fowlr it isn't all that important but I mostly want to avoid a bad Dino outbreak. Is it worth spending another $64 on the Phosporus URL or Phosphate URL? I hate to buy another 2 weeks later. If I do truly have 0 phosphates, what's the best way to boost it (and given no corals at all).

As for tank conditions, I'm not really having any major issues so far after 6 months but I'm trying to avoid them. I had a ton of Diatoms from month 3-6 and they are finally almost gone. Sand is mostly clear but rocks still look brownish on top. Some tan colored long flowing algae of some sort is just starting to grow on the rocks now in a few little clumps. It's distinctly branched and not goopy or slimy. Microscope shows it to be mostly clear branching tubes with some diatoms attached to it. Microscope doesn't show much as far as Dinos that I can find although for a second I thought I saw one or two but couldn't locate again to verify. I've heard every tank has 'some' present of one variety or anther.

Anyway, question is, do I just roll with what I have going on or buy the better Hanna checker? What should I do if that shows 0.0 as well?

 

[blaxsun]

What about a cheap(er) titration phosphate test kit? (Salifert, etc.) I use the Hanna and Nyos.

 

[Dweezilz]

I looked into the cheaper ones's but they aren't very good in the 0.0 to 0.9 ranges. The only thing I need to check is if I'm 0.0 to 0.04. I think I'll get get the Hanna ULR to be sure. Too bad I wasted money on the LR.

 

[mike550]

I looked into the cheaper ones's but they aren't very good in the 0.0 to 0.9 ranges. The only thing I need to check is if I'm 0.0 to 0.04. I think I'll get get the Hanna ULR to be sure. Too bad I wasted money on the LR.

If you really want sensitivity at the low end take a look at the Hanna ULR phosphorus. It’s more accurate than the ULR phosphate version.

 

[Dweezilz]

If you really want sensitivity at the low end take a look at the Hanna ULR phosphorus. It’s more accurate than the ULR phosphate version.

Yeah I plan on getting that one. It's not like I really want to shoot for any particular level, just not 0.00!

I don't understand why they have the regular UL one I got and BRS promotes it for beginners. I guess 'new' reefers may tend to have much higher levels and want to ball park things, but it's not helpful at all if it shows 0's and you want to avoid a Dino outbreak. Seems like there's little purpose for that device as it's no easier or harder to use than the other two. I've had been studying videos and articles non stop for 2 years before finally setting up my tank this past fall after purchasing it in 2020 so maybe I was already past that total newbie phase. Oh well, what's another 65 down the drain.