Phosphate question

[riche]

I have tested my water tonight with 2 different Salifert test kits and both are showing zero traces of phosphates. I have to clean my glass everyday and im getting some brown hair algae on the overflow area.

So if Im not showing any phosphates, what would cause this?

I only have corals and inverts in the tank right now and they are doing great

I added more flow last weekend and that seemed to help but Im still having to clean the glass everyday

 

[theMeat]

Test it in the morning before lights come on

 

[noahreefer]

There is a lot of different factors that could be causing the excess of algae. For one are you over feeding the coral/inverts in the tank?? How long are you running your light period for?

 

[riche]

There is a lot of different factors that could be causing the excess of algae. For one are you over feeding the coral/inverts in the tank?? How long are you running your light period for?

I only feed the corals/inverts a few pellets every few days, and as for lights I have my whites on from 12-5 and blues on from 2pm-11pm

 

[cracker]

As I'm starting to understand the zero nutrients are the cause. I know, sounds completely reverse but do a little more research. It's got something to do with certain algae & bacteria's can take over in low nutrient conditions. That being said, I'm no expert in this subject,just what I have read/ learned. I was having the same issue.

 

[saltyhog]

Agree with cracker but I bet you have some PO4. Salifert can't detect really low levels. If you have a friend with a Hanna ULR tester have him check it.

 

[noahreefer]

^ agree with the above two

 

[SPR1968]

You may well be getting 0 phosphate readings because it’s being taken up by the hair algae and fuelling it’s growth. So the test results show zero

I would firstly check your RODI water is reading 0 TDS to make sure your not introducing phosphate in water changes.

Also what’s your nitrate levels etc ?

 

[jsker]

Great advice everyone

 

[tidefanjam]

it is confusing, I've been fighting GHA myself,and have to clean my glass basically everyday, red sea test reads 5 nitrates, .08 phosphates, but i do believe the phosphate reading is falsely low so I've reduced my feeding, and been bringing up my alk and calcium which were 8kh and 360 and this seems to be helping, i have been considering adding gfo which ive never used but am afraid to bring it down to much...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Phosphate doesn't need to be high to get algae, it (any many other things) just needs to be enough. It may be low just because the algae is using it.

 

[Dj City]

I hope for your sake that it really is algae on the glass and not dinos.
Mine started like yours did. I thought it was film algae and ran gfo to rid phosphates.
That only added to my problem.

Zero phosphate is bad!