Food and phosphates

[Reef.]

There is no phosphous analysis! i would estimate it with the average of kelp and krill, 0.05 and 1% respectively. I did not do a very thorough search of internet data so let’s pretend for now it is 1% by weight. I think the high number for krill is from a large amount of phospholipids. Every gram of this food added would add 10 mg of P or 30 mg PO4. In 100 gallons this is about 30 mg/380 L or roughly .07 ppm.

You are saying that for every 1g added to a 100g tank, would raise the po4 by 0.07ppm? If that is correct I’m shocked, didn’t realise po4 was so easily raised.

 

[Cory]

You are saying that for every 1g added to a 100g tank, would raise the po4 by 0.07ppm? If that is correct I’m shocked, didn’t realise po4 was so easily raised.

Yes its quite eye opening. And a huge problem!

 

[Christoph]

Hello!

We have also measured total phosphorus levels in several feeds. The data can be found in the lower section of this article: https://en.oceamo.com/foodtrace

All the best,
Christoph

 

[Dan_P]

You are saying that for every 1g added to a 100g tank, would raise the po4 by 0.07ppm? If that is correct I’m shocked, didn’t realise po4 was so easily raised.

Krill might be a special case, possessing a high phospholipid content. Randy wrote an article on phosphate that includes a discussion on food content.

 

[Reef.]

Krill might be a special case, possessing a high phospholipid content. Randy wrote an article on phosphate that includes a discussion on food content.

From that article…

Flake fish food is typically about 1% phosphorus (3% phosphate equivalent) by weight (and many products have such phosphorus data on their labels). Consequently, if five grams of flake food is added to a 100-gallon aquarium, there is the potential for the inorganic orthophosphate level to be raised by 0.4 ppm in that SINGLE FEEDING!

https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php#4

 

[Reef.]

Hello!

We have also measured total phosphorus levels in several feeds. The data can be found in the lower section of this article: https://en.oceamo.com/foodtrace

All the best,
Christoph

Can you confirm that your tests were carried out on 100 LITRES of water rather than GALLONS of water?
Your test results are similar to Randy’s but his were based on 100 GALLONS of water not litres.

 

[Christoph]

Can you confirm that your tests were carried out on 100 LITRES of water rather than GALLONS of water?
Your test results are similar to Randy’s but his were based on 100 GALLONS of water not litres.

Yes, litres, not gallons.

all the best,
Christoph

 

[Cory]

So far phosphate is down to .22ppm. Heres how i lowered it. I bought some caulerpa racemosa and grow it under red/blue leds now. Its growing nicely and consistently. I also had a few areas in my bb reef with large piles of detritus that syphoned out. Slowly its coming down now.