New to Corals

[MichaelV]

My tank is a 65 gallon with sump. I’ve been up and running for a little over 2 1/2 years.
my perimeters are Nitrate is 20 my phosphate is 11 my Alkalinity is 9 and my ph is 8.2. I’ve purchased coral dip and supplies. I’ve set up a quarantine frag tank. Think I might start with Zoithids. Does anyone know if my perimeters will be a problem?

 

[Jekyl]

Is phosphate .11, 1.1, or really 11?

 

[PeterC99]

Welcome to R2R!

Proved the Phosphates are at .11 - you should be ready for the zoas.

 

[jassermd]

Assuming your PO4 is .1...
If so, then your parameters are ok and you should be ok adding most any beginner corals... NO3 is a bit high, but nothing that would be troublesome.
Zoas, leathers, mushrooms are good ones to start with.
If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you can try acan lords or duncans.

Just go slow and add a couple at a time...

 

[BiggestE222]

My tank is a 65 gallon with sump. I’ve been up and running for a little over 2 1/2 years.
my perimeters are Nitrate is 20 my phosphate is 11 my Alkalinity is 9 and my ph is 8.2. I’ve purchased coral dip and supplies. I’ve set up a quarantine frag tank. Think I might start with Zoithids. Does anyone know if my perimeters will be a problem?

What lights do you have.

 

[MichaelV]

Is phosphate .11, 1.1, or really 11?

I use Hanna phosphate checker and it read 11. I just installed a BRS GFO and carbon reactor. My reading where at 39. I also added another wave pump to bring up the flow.

 

[dedragon]

phosphate low range or ULR?

 

[jassermd]

Assume it's the ULR Hanna, PO4 of 11 is a bit high... Some corals will not take well to that. However, it shouldn't be a major issue for most of the beginner corals. Leathers and mushrooms in particular do well with higher nutrients.

I see you're starting GFO. Be sure to start with a lower amount than you need and slowly titrate up. You really want to be careful not to bottom it out at 0 or you'll be facing another challenge... Dinos.
If you don't have any livestock in your tank, running carbon is probably not necessary. I mainly use carbon to keep the "chemical warfare" at bay (and help keep the water clear)

 

[dedragon]

i dont know if the ulr measures that high, was just making sure it was being tested correctly

 

[mdb_talon]

Assume it's the ULR Hanna, PO4 of 11 is a bit high... Some corals will not take well to that. However, it shouldn't be a major issue for most of the beginner corals. Leathers and mushrooms in particular do well with higher nutrients.

I see you're starting GFO. Be sure to start with a lower amount than you need and slowly titrate up. You really want to be careful not to bottom it out at 0 or you'll be facing another challenge... Dinos.
If you don't have any livestock in your tank, running carbon is probably not necessary. I mainly use carbon to keep the "chemical warfare" at bay (and help keep the water clear)

If the ULR checker is reading 11 that is a phosphate reading of about .03 ppm and not high at all.

At that level then adding gfo is almost certainly going to bottom it out all else being equal.

 

[dedragon]

If the ULR checker is reading 11 that is a phosphate reading of about .03 ppm and not high at all.

At that level then adding gfo is almost certainly going to bottom it out all else being equal.

waiting to see what it is, it its is ULR ppb than 11 should be .011ppm i think, and if it is LR in ppm it is super high at 11ppm

 

[mdb_talon]

waiting to see what it is, it its is ULR ppb than 11 should be .011ppm i think, and if it is LR in ppm it is super high at 11ppm

ULR measures phosphorus as i understand it. Then have to convert to phosphate. That should be about .03 ppm once conversions are done.

I dont have the ULR, but pretty sure that is how it works.

 

[mdb_talon]

Also it is safe to assume he is using the ULR as the standard LR checker wont give a reading that high(think 2 or 3ppm is max on it)

 

[dedragon]

ULR measures phosphorus as i understand it. Then have to convert to phosphate. That should be about .03 ppm once conversions are done.

I dont have the ULR, but pretty sure that is how it works.

Me neither, makes sense though, i wouldnt understand why they would make two units that measure to the same accuracy just with different value (billion or million). If it is for phosphorous makes more sense (still not much sense though with an easy conversion)

 

[dedragon]

Also it is safe to assume he is using the ULR as the standard LR checker wont give a reading that high(think 2 or 3ppm is max on it)

gotcha, wanted to make sure they werent reporting .11 as 11 either if they misread it. If it is at 11 than it should be the phosphorous ULR and not phosphate ULR. Lol the confusion from them also being the same color as well.

 

[jassermd]

I use the Hanna ULR Phosphate (NOT Phosphorous) test, which reports phosphate without conversion. That's the test I was referencing... and at 11, that's a bit high. I'm not too familiar with conversions since I use the phosphate checker. Call me lazy, but it's spot on with ICP...
My apologies for the confusion!

 

[MichaelV]

The checker I’m using is the Hanna H713. Thanks for all the feedback looks like I better read up and make sure I’m doing it right and reading it right. I get lazy sometimes and bypass instructions lol

 

[dedragon]

The checker I’m using is the Hanna H713. Thanks for all the feedback looks like I better read up and make sure I’m doing it right and reading it right. I get lazy sometimes and bypass instructions lol

That is the low range checker, it only measures up to 2.5 ppm, so a reading of 11 is impossible, check where the decimal place is on the screen.
Most, if not all on the forum use the ULR checker because we want an accurate as possible phosphate result, usually under .15ppm.