Never had this issue before - zero phosphate?

[Letterkenny]

On my old tank, I constantly had high nitrates in my tank. On my new tank, I seem to have about 7.5ppm nitrates per salifert and Red Sea fest kits but I’m not showing any phosphates via the ULR phosphorus Hanna checker (ppb) or ULR phosphate Hanna checker. Without trying to raise levels significantly and also keep any algae outbreak at bay during the “ugly phase”, any recommendations? Corals look fine but I cannot say if there has been much chaeto growth.

 

[esther]

Maybe feed a little reef roids? That'll give you a little PO4 bump. Just don't do it every day.

 

[ZoaAddiction81]

Ohh yes the power of reef roids use sparingly

 

[Letterkenny]

Maybe feed a little reef roids? That'll give you a little PO4 bump. Just don't do it every day.

Yea I’ll give that a shot. I was doing reef energy AB+ but that supposedly doesn’t increase nitrate or phosphate.

 

[Letterkenny]

Ohh yes the power of reef roids use sparingly

Do either of you have an applicator of choice or a mixture to use to get the nice thick reef roids for spot feeding? I’ve used a turkey baster type thing before that’s designed for coral feeding but never really thick like the video for target feedings.

 

[esther]

Do either of you have an applicator of choice or a mixture to use to get the nice thick reef roids for spot feeding? I’ve used a turkey baster type thing before that’s designed for coral feeding but never really thick like the video for target feedings.

I made my own fish food and added a little reef roids in it. That way it feeds randomly. I don't spot feed at all. Never have.

 

[Letterkenny]

I made my own fish food and added a little reef roids in it. That way it feeds randomly. I don't spot feed at all. Never have.

Got it. Well I just added my tangs so need to feed more regardless but will start some broadcast feedings with reef roids to see if that gets them up. Pretty sure reef roids caused my lose outbreak in my last tank which was why I was avoiding but will just feed sparingly.

 

[esther]

Got it. Well I just added my tangs so need to feed more regardless but will start some broadcast feedings with reef roids to see if that gets them up. Pretty sure reef roids caused my lose outbreak in my last tank which was why I was avoiding but will just feed sparingly.

What kind of outbreak did you have in your tank last time?

 

[Xanthurum]

I too have been battling 0 phosphates, I tried feeding my fish more, feeding coral foods such as reef roids more, turning off my skimmer and still got 0 readings. I got a bottle of Brightwell NeoPhos and started dosing half the recommend dose. I have been able to get my levels to .05 but only once lol. I test daily and dose it as needed to keep it above .01 preferably above .03

 

[SMSREEF]

When I feed reef roids. I use this to spot feed and drop in the coral. I do not make a paste, I just add some tank water to the amount of reef roids I want to use and mix it up.
Syringe, to flexible air tubing, to piece of rigid tubing.
My tank is 24” deep and this works well.

 

[Letterkenny]

What kind of outbreak did you have in your tank last time?

Had a big algae outbreak.

 

[Letterkenny]

Will diatoms/brown algae feed off of phosphates giving me 0 readings? I finally got measurable readings after feeding reef roids but now am back to 0. The attached is all I have algae wise in a new tank. Small bits on rock and sandbed.