Test results

[newbreefr]

Innovative Marine 15gal cube
Water change on Friday of 3 gallons
Just tested right now
Salinity: 1.026 Hanna test pen
Alk(Hanna checker): 8.5
Hanna Phosphate ULR: 0.07
Hanna nitrate HR: 1.6

New to reefing, this is my first tank. Been Running for 3 months. I’m not so familiar with recommended nutrient levels but should my Phos and Nitrate be higher?

LFS says their ideal range is 5-10 nitrate with Phos about ~3x number of nitrate close to 15-30Phos

 

[Formulator]

Those numbers are about as good as it gets. Well done! Your fish store is giving very poor advice regarding phosphate. Phosphate should be kept right about where you have it, not to exceed 0.2 ppm. Nitrate the rule is just not to let it get to zero. 5-10 ppm is a safe and manageable target for most folks, but anything from 1-25 ppm is generally fine.

 

[newbreefr]

Those numbers are about as good as it gets. Well done! Your fish store is giving very poor advice regarding phosphate. Phosphate should be kept right about where you have it, not to exceed 0.2 ppm. Nitrate the rule is just not to let it get to zero. 5-10 ppm is a safe and manageable target for most folks, but anything from 1-25 ppm is generally fine.

This is from 3 weeks ago, I had LFS test my water: my levels in box, ideal ranges on right, Nitrate and Phosphate recommendations on bottom

 

[ScottJ]

Something seems off with the N&P info from your LFS, both the test results and their recommendations. And you never want that high phosphate numbers. Someone got some wires crossed.

 

[newbreefr]

Something seems off with the N&P info from your LFS, both the test results and their recommendations. And you never want that high phosphate numbers. Someone got some wires crossed.

I thought so as well. They are a very popular store here in Colorado so I’m sure something was lost in translation or some confusion somewhere

 

[ScottJ]

I thought so as well. They are a very popular store here in Colorado so I’m sure something was lost in translation or some confusion somewhere

Go with your Hanna numbers. They are really good. Your Nitrate will come up a bit. That's fine. It might be a really good store, doesn't mean all the people who work there always have the best advice.

 

[newbreefr]

Go with your Hanna numbers. They are really good. Your Nitrate will come up a bit. That's fine. It might be a really good store, doesn't mean all the people who work there always have the best advice.

Sounds good! Since this is my first reef tank I thought about the idea of testing 2x a week to understand my trends better. 2 days after water change and 2 days before water change. Would this be a good idea when starting or would I just be wasting reagent packs ?

 

[ScottJ]

Sounds good! Since this is my first reef tank I thought about the idea of testing 2x a week to understand my trends better. 2 days after water change and 2 days before water change. Would this be a good idea when starting or would I just be wasting reagent packs ?

If you want to do that, it's certainly fine. But once a week of so should be ok, also. Depends on how confident you feel, and how much life, and then food to feed it, you add to the tank.

 

[EricR]

I think your LFS is measuring Phosphorus in ppb (parts per billion) and you're measuring Phosphate in ppm (parts per million).

33 ppb phosphorus that your LFS highlighted as "ideal" for 10 ppm nitrate would work out to around 0.10 ppm phosphate on your test ... which is pretty normal target.

Hanna conversion for Phosphorus ppb Checker to phosphate ppm:
Phosphorus to Phosphate