How bad is my phosphate!

[Notsolostfish]

My tsnk almost 4 months old. And it had a mix of LPS, and mushrooms softies, and was wondering how high of phosphate i should be worried for? Its at 0.23 phosphate, and 13 nitrat. How bad is that?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My tsnk almost 4 months old. And it had a mix of LPS, and mushrooms softies, and was wondering how high of phosphate i should be worried for? Its at 0.23 phosphate, and 13 nitrat. How bad is that?

Sounds perfect!

 

[Notsolostfish]

Sounds perfect!

Really? I thought 0.23 for phosphate is high for some reason

 

[stoney7713]

Really? I thought 0.23 for phosphate is high for some reason

Depends on who you talk to. You're going to get a lot of different answers. For a softy and LPS tank you're fine. For SPS you're ok but that would be my upper limit.


That's my opinion, you'll get other answers soon.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Really? I thought 0.23 for phosphate is high for some reason

Nope. Really on a new tank like yours, nutrients are going to be somewhat unstable. Unless you have a mature system and you're trying to keep super sensitive SPS, having phos at least 0.1 is optimal. Much better to have this a little high than to have it bottom out.

 

[Spare time]

I'd work to lower it but its not horrendous. The recommended range is typically 0.03-0.1ppm. If you just add a pinch of gfo into a fine mesh bag and into your filter, it will take care of it.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

(And while ratios are generally irrelevant, for my systems, I don't worry as long as the nitrate - to -phosphate ratio is somewhere in the ballpark of 10 to 1. (13 to 0.23 is in that ballpark).

 

[Notsolostfish]

I'd work to lower it but its not horrendous. The recommended range is typically 0.03-0.1ppm. If you just add a pinch of gfo into a fine mesh bag and into your filter, it will take care of it.

so just a filter media bag with some gfo would do it? i don't need a reactor or anything fancy right?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'd work to lower it but its not horrendous. The recommended range is typically 0.03-0.1ppm. If you just add a pinch of gfo into a fine mesh bag and into your filter, it will take care of it.

No one should keep LPS and softies at 0.03! They'll starve.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

so just a filter media bag with some gfo would do it? i don't need a reactor or anything fancy right?

Do not add any GFO!

Your system is too new, and your numbers don't warrant any action to lower them. You'll just be chasing numbers and likely will end up creating a problem where there isn't one.

 

[paparoof]

Do not add any GFO!

Your system is too new, and your numbers don't warrant any action to lower them. You'll just be chasing numbers and likely will end up creating a problem where there isn't one.

agreed.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I have . 25 phos in my mixed reef.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I have . 25 phos in my mixed reef.

I have 0.5 to 0.75 and nitrates of 50

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I have 0.5 to 0.75 and nitrates of 50

Do you have any acro?. Just wondering I have some old school west side tort, ora teal stag and a strawberry. They seam to be doing great.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Do you have any acro?. Just wondering I have some old school west side tort, ora teal stag and a strawberry. They seam to be doing great.

No, I don't. The only sps-type coral I have is pavona

 

[Jason Scalise]

another vote for NOT adding GFO here. your numbers are fine. resit the temptation to chase the numbers. I know, it's hard. But that is the lesson.
I assume your corals are doing ok? that is the best thing to chase, so to speak.

 

[Red_Beard]

My tsnk almost 4 months old. And it had a mix of LPS, and mushrooms softies, and was wondering how high of phosphate i should be worried for? Its at 0.23 phosphate, and 13 nitrat. How bad is that?

Agree with above. That is NOT bad. My SPS/LPS are still growing and are colored up nicely and i am at 2.0.... Definitely don't strip it to 0 or you may end up with sad coral and dinos.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Depends on who you talk to. You're going to get a lot of different answers. For a softy and LPS tank you're fine. For SPS you're ok but that would be my upper limit.


That's my opinion, you'll get other answers soon.

What? Go anything above 0.08 in my LPS tank and everything starts STNing

 

[KrisReef]

I have 0.5 to 0.75 and nitrates of 50

Yur High!

Break on thru!

 

[Pod_01]

What? Go anything above 0.08 in my LPS tank and everything starts STNing

I suspect it is something other than PO4 above 0.08 that is causing STN.
Bouncing PO4 can do that, Unstable KH as well, hungry corals…