What is a good phosphate level with the ULR phosphate tester?

[CyberGuy]

I just bought the ULR phosphate tester and got a value of 3. Is that a good value number? I normally use the normal Hanna phosphate tester unit and usually get a value of 0.

I have a 120 gallon sps dominant tank.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I just bought the ULR phosphate tester and got a value of 3. Is that a good value number? I normally use the normal Hanna phosphate tester unit and usually get a value of 0.

I have a 120 gallon sps dominant tank.

Ultra low phosphorus or the new ultra low phosphate?? If you’re getting a value of 3 you probably mean the ulr phosphorus

 

[xabo]

Hanna ULR Phosphorus Checker ppb to ppm phosphate conversion chart

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Ultra low phosphorus or the new ultra low phosphate?? If you’re getting a value of 3 you probably mean the ulr phosphorus

what is the difference in these two? I have the ulr phosphorus I believe but I didn’t know there was a new one. Is it a better version of their old phosphate reader that read high po4 well?

 

[CyberGuy]

Wow, so my reading of 3 ppb is only. 009 ppm. That is really low value. No wonder my acros do not color up well.

Besides more heavy feeding which I have already done, what else can I do to bring the po4 up?

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I wouldn’t worry about it personally. Feeding more should help your corals color up some. Mind showing some pics of how they look? I have always tried to shoot for a level around .01 or .02 po4 but seems a lot of people these days like to keep it crazy high and think having it this low is dangerous. I don’t think it is if your feeding well and not using any other export methods that could drop it further.
Some people dose po4 but remember it will get bound up in your rocks too so it’s hard to tell what it is actually doing, could be used by the tank or stored in your rocks to cause issues later.

 

[CyberGuy]

I also have a big ball (volleyball size) of cheato in my sump.

 

[spiraling]

Go to the chemistry forum. There are lots of posts on how to raise nitrates and phosphates. Removing some chaeto might help too.

 

[Dugless]

A cheap bottle of phytoplankton should do the trick. Start dosing a few ml/day and test until you’re in the .03-.07 range. Being deficient in PO4 can definitely make it difficult for delicate coral.

 

[C. Eymann]

I use HI736 URL that reads ppb and generally try to shoot for .050-.080 or 17-26ppb

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

what is the difference in these two? I have the ulr phosphorus I believe but I didn’t know there was a new one. Is it a better version of their old phosphate reader that read high po4 well?

The new one just eliminates the conversion
The only reason I bought it is bc my phosphorus crapped out on me and my lfs doesn’t carry the phosphorus or the reagents anymore. So it’s a phosphate with the accuracy of the phosphorus test

 

[CyberGuy]

I use HI736 URL that reads ppb and generally try to shoot for .050-.080 or 17-26ppb

Since my level is 3 ppb, I have a long way to go up to 17-26 ppb.

 

[C. Eymann]

Since my level is 3 ppb, I have a long way to go up to 17-26 ppb.

aquavitro activate bring that up in a jiffy just be careful as its pretty concentrated, 5ml added to 180 gal with raise PO4 by .15ppm.