p04 reading .76ppm, but sps color good

[goody]

I wasn't sure if I should have posted this in the reef chemistry forum or here, so mods, please move if needed.

I've been running WM biopellets for almost a year now and have not had any issues. I tested p04 for few months with hanna handheld and was almost always getting 0ppm, so I thought these were working great or my hanna meter wasn't accurate.

Coral growth has been good, color also good, so I stopped testing p04. I decided to test this week and I first got a reading of .66, then today I get .76ppm. I'm really confused as to whether or not this is correct. Would I be able to get good color and growth with this high of a reading? I do not have any algae issues other than a little hair algae growing on some gutter guard I have on my overflow (keep fish from jumping in).

Currently have about 500ml of pellets in a two little fishie reactor, not running any gfo, and have some carbon in another two little fishie.

Not great at taking photos, but here are some pics. from about a month ago to show some of the color I am getting with my sps.

 

[firsttime]

Sometimes the testing reagent is bad. Try with an other batch of testing reagent.

 

[swannyson7]

I'd question the results if your SPS is doing well. With phosphate levels that high, I'd think that you'd be battling a significant algae outbreak and would looking at brown SPS. Do you have access to another PO4 test kit to verify the results?

 

[goody]

Sometimes the testing reagent is bad. Try with an other batch of testing reagent.

Didn't think of that, but just opened up a new box and got .71ppm

I'd question the results if your SPS is doing well. With phosphate levels that high, I'd think that you'd be battling a significant algae outbreak and would looking at brown SPS. Do you have access to another PO4 test kit to verify the results?

This is my thought as well, which is one of the reason why I haven't been testing. Corals are telling me everything is good.