Hanna phosphate ulr checker...

[gibec]

My water parameters were fine, but when i did a 20 percent water change and checking phosphate level with a hanna checker ulr it showed as .61
Im thinking thats extremely high... tried a couple more times and it went down to .52.
Im going to test it again today, but i thought it was supposed to be at .1 or less......
I dont know if im testing it wrong or not or if im reading it wrong. Please help...
Before the water change i turkey blast the rock and sand to dust it.

Fairly new to this checker

 

[Wasabiroot]

Hard to know if you're testing wrong if we don't know how you perform the test. Also, if you didn't check before at all it's hard to say if the parameters have been like that all along or if it's a misread. Occasionally you will get a misread with the powdered ULR reagents. Make sure the test tube is clear of smudges, that you gently flip the tube for 2 min (NOT shaking) and that all the reagent powder gets into the test tube. Also ensure the tube is clear of scratches or marks before starting the test. It also helps if you put the vial in the tester in the same manner as you did when you do the first step to help keep the results consistent.
What do you use for source water? RODI, tap, etc? Possible phosphates in source water.

 

[nereefpat]

That is really high, but not that unusual. Is the tank newish? Was dry rock used?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

are you following any youtube videos? You need to be super precise with each step or the test is not accurate. I would suggest to watch a few different videos

 

[gibec]

That is really high, but not that unusual. Is the tank newish? Was dry rock used?

tank is 5 months old. dry rock, but now is covered with green coralline with spots of purple showing up.

 

[gibec]

Hard to know if you're testing wrong if we don't know how you perform the test. Also, if you didn't check before at all it's hard to say if the parameters have been like that all along or if it's a misread. Occasionally you will get a misread with the powdered ULR reagents. Make sure the test tube is clear of smudges, that you gently flip the tube for 2 min (NOT shaking) and that all the reagent powder gets into the test tube. Also ensure the tube is clear of scratches or marks before starting the test. It also helps if you put the vial in the tester in the same manner as you did when you do the first step to help keep the results consistent.
What do you use for source water? RODI, tap, etc? Possible phosphates in source water.

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh i better test my rodi water just to be safe when i get back from work.

 

[gibec]

should i use phostphate remover from brightwell or seachem? or the filter kind? any recommendation to low it

 

[nereefpat]

tank is 5 months old. dry rock

rock is likely full of phosphate. It's common. There are ways to lower it, if you'd like to. Water changes don't work well for phosphate. GFO or lanthinum chloride work well if you go slow.

 

[stevolough]

My water parameters were fine, but when i did a 20 percent water change and checking phosphate level with a hanna checker ulr it showed as .61
Im thinking thats extremely high... tried a couple more times and it went down to .52.
Im going to test it again today, but i thought it was supposed to be at .1 or less......
I dont know if im testing it wrong or not or if im reading it wrong. Please help...
Before the water change i turkey blast the rock and sand to dust it.

Fairly new to this checker

There are two Hanna ulr testers out there so make sure your using the right reagent. one reads in ppm and one is ppb. There both green and say url.

 

[gibec]

rock is likely full of phosphate. It's common. There are ways to lower it, if you'd like to. Water changes don't work well for phosphate. GFO or lanthinum chloride work well if you go slow.

does that mean since i turkey blasted my rocks before waterchange and doing test right after, that may be the probable cause why it came out so high?

 

[Wasabiroot]

I would second what is mentioned above about dry rock. Not a bad thing, but normal for it to leach phosphate. Is there livestock in the tank? In general high phosphates without corals is not an issue except for causing algae growth, but if you have coraline then the tank isn't doing too bad. I wouldn't add any removers until you know for sure your measurement is correct, and even then it's probably not necessary unless you have hard corals in there.

Certainly blowing the rocks off may have contributed to it. High phosphates aren't a bad thing in a vacuum. It's in combo of livestock that is sensitive to them where it becomes a problem. Your microbiome is immature still and will slowly adjust.

 

[nereefpat]

does that mean since i turkey blasted my rocks before waterchange and doing test right after, that may be the probable cause why it came out so high?

Possible, I suppose. See what the results are today.

 

[doubleshot00]

Im going through the same issue as you OP and our tanks are about the same age. I used dead rock that i bleached as this tank was used and full of GHA and everything else. All that dead organics goes somewhere i guess. My phosphate was at .47. Here is what i did starting 3 weeks ago.

First i made sure my feeding was on point and my nitrares stayed above 7-9. I did frequent WC every 3 days testing before and after WC.

Then i got down to .2 then i added Rowaphos (which is gfo) but added just a small amount. After a few days it started to trickle down. Then i added a tad more.

Imo op adding lanthinum chloride is playing with fire if you do it wrong. Now my way might not be the best but its what my LFS suggested. My phosphate as of today is .1. Im good with that until i start adding coral at the end of the month.

Slow and steady wins the race in reefing is what i keep getting preached.

 

[doubleshot00]

does that mean since i turkey blasted my rocks before waterchange and doing test right after, that may be the probable cause why it came out so high?

Yeah don’t do that unless stuff is actually coming off the rocks. I haven’t touched my sand or rocks since starting my tank. Except one rock a RFA went behind a few weeks ago.

 

[gibec]

Ok... i just heard from somewhere that blowing the rock at times before waterchanges can be a good thing. Ima stop doing that now.
My corals seem happy though... atleast they arent dying from what i can tell

 

[Spare time]

Just to clarify, dry rock is not the same as dead/used rock. Rock that was previously used needs to "rot" in a bin for a bit, where as dry rock isn't going to leach phosphates like the dead rock.


Btw, any idea what the nitrate level is?

 

[Spare time]

If you get a 0.00 (or within the error range) on freshly mixed saltwater, throw in a pack of gfo mixed with carbon (bituminous or rox carbon, or chemi pure elite) into the filter. It looks klike you might have the in tank baskets given that the hole is plugged on the filter chamber, so it would easily fit in that. If not, just anywhere with good flow will work. PS you need a very fine mesh for gfo when mixing it with carbon.

 

[flyingscampi]

These are the Hanna testing tips I've compiled from this forum...


For consistent results, always use the same vial and cap for every test.

Make sure the inside of the cuvette is free of stains and contaminants.

Rinse out the cuvette with tank water twice.

Use a 10 ml syringe to fill the cuvette with water (the fill line accuracy is not guaranteed)
(The bottom of the water curve should touch the fill line on cuvette)

Before placing the cuvette in the tester, dry and clean the cuvette thoroughly with a microfibre cloth before so it is crystal clear (hold it up to the light.)

Always place the cuvette into the tester with the same orientation (e.g., 10 ml mark to the front or hinge of the tester.)

Never place a reagent pipette contaminated with seawater in the reagent bottle. Never allow the pipette to touch the seawater sample.

Always replace the lid on the reagent bottle immediately after drawing the reagent.

Always open reagent pouches correctly (instructions are on the pouch.)
Shape the pouch into a funnel and tap as you pour into cuvette.

After shaking, tap and gently swirl the cuvette to dissipate all bubbles before testing.

Make sure there is no detritus in the cuvette before testing.

Do not leave the reagent in the cuvette too long as it will stain.

After the test, thoroughly rinse the cuvette and syringe pipette with RO/DI water.

Always store the cuvette filled to the brim with RO/DI water.

 

[Wasabiroot]

There's nothing wrong with blowing the rocks off before water changes. I do the same thing! I run very infrequent changes as I have AFR but if I'm doing maintenance it's good to stir up any trapped detritus. Just be wary of any nutrient spikes, especially if there is lots of food.

Your tank is beautiful; don't take our advice as an indictment on your maintenance regime.

The only coral in there I could see being sensitive is the left hand torch coral. If it's a long tentacle plate, then nevermind. Most of the corals you have don't mind nutrient rich water one bit. Each tank is different. You will even see successful sps tanks running phosphates as high as .3. I try to stay below .2 myself as I notice my torches get grumpy.
I am generally of the camp that using phosphate reducing media is fine if monitored and used in moderation. But it can also quickly strip your tank of nutrients. So be cautious.