0 Phosphate Readings

[A Toadstool Leather]

My tank started up a few mo tha ago and is still getting diatoms on the sabd bed. I assume these are consuming the PO4 and causing the reading? How bad is truly 0 ppm phosphates for corals?

 

[Jmas4]

Theoretically 0ppm of phosphates is really bad for corals but in your system that's not the case. Corals and diatoms consume the phosphates causing a 0 ppm in your readings. So rn you have nothing to worry about.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Are there fish in there? Are you feeding them? Donthe corals look ok?

You're probably fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My tank started up a few mo tha ago and is still getting diatoms on the sabd bed. I assume these are consuming the PO4 and causing the reading? How bad is truly 0 ppm phosphates for corals?

Truly 0 ppm anything has no meaning. How low it is is purely a function of what you did to measure it.

What did you do?

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Are there fish in there? Are you feeding them? Donthe corals look ok?

You're probably fine.

I have one fish in the tank. The corals all look healthy. Although growth is slow.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Truly 0 ppm anything has no meaning. How low it is is purely a function of what you did to measure it.

What did you do?

I used a hanna checker for it. It is the low range variant.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I used a hanna checker for it. It is the low range variant.

In that cause, it is likely desirable to let it rise a bit.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

In that cause, it is likely desirable to let it rise a bit.

Will chronically low phosphate/nitrate lower growth? I understand having 0 nutrients is not ideal.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Will chronically low phosphate/nitrate lower growth? I understand having 0 nutrients is not ideal.

Yes, too low will begin to starve photosynthetic organisms in the tank.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Yes, too low will begin to starve photosynthetic organisms in the tank.

Is diatom growth on the sand normal for a tank that is a few months old? I never had diatoms this long in my last tank.

 

[XNavyDiver]

Is diatom growth on the sand normal for a tank that is a few months old? I never had diatoms this long in my last tank.

Yup. Especially if you started with dry rock.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Yup. Especially if you started with dry rock.

I started with live rock though. And I cycled the tank day 1 since I had lots of cycled live rock from my old tank.

 

[XNavyDiver]

I started with live rock though. And I cycled the tank day 1 since I had lots of cycled live rock from my old tank.

Ok, still not that uncommon for a tank just a few months old. You make your own RODI?

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Ok, still not that uncommon for a tank just a few months old. You make your own RODI?

I buy premade sw made from RO/DI.