phosphates always at 0 help

[jenreefer]

I have a relatively new tank. 4 months old. 60g cube. No matter what I do I cannot get phosphates to read anything but 0. SPS are pale and I have been told and read that PO4 needs to be barely readable. Soooooo, how do I get phosphates in this range without going too far into algaeville?
Is there a solution I can make up to slowly add some to the tank? Thanks

macro algae in fuge may be sucking all the phosphate out of the system. Should I remove it for now?
Also previously was dosing vodka, stopped that about a month ago to let No3 and Po4 rise a bit. Still no PO4.

Only 4 fish in tank, but about to add 4 more. should help a bit.

all other parameters are spot on with Salifert tests, hanna checkers and ph probe.

never thought I would be having to raise PO4, but here I am.

Thanks in advance
Jen

 

[recess62]

This is a good question about the macro. following

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't believe the macroalgae will take out so much that hard corals will suffer, but it may not be the cause, and may be suffering as well.

 

[bubbaque]

Do you have any nitrate in the tank?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Should I remove it for now?

I would. Purely because its for nutrient export and competes. My macro friends generally feed hard or supplement by dosing..

also turn down the lights in the dt. and double check your par or intensity.

 

[twilliard]

Here ya go
http://www.seachem.com/flourish-phosporus.php

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Here ya go
http://www.seachem.com/flourish-phosporus.php

Thanks T. Couldn't find it on the phone and the girls took the computer.

 

[jenreefer]

Do you have any nitrate in the tank?

3-5 on nitrates currently

 

[jenreefer]

I would. Purely because its for nutrient export and competes. My macro friends generally feed hard or supplement by dosing..

also turn down the lights in the dt. and double check your par or intensity.

lights have been down for 4 weeks and still having probs with SPS

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

lights have been down for 4 weeks and still having probs with SPS

Specially what sps.

 

[twilliard]

3-5 on nitrates currently

perfect

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Did you start with live rock or dry.

 

[jenreefer]

Specially what sps.

Purple bonsai purple has faded and green polyps still extended
tricolor valida
unknown acro (lt blue/green)

 

[jenreefer]

Did you start with live rock or dry.

walt smith reef rock 2.1

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Got it. Yea you may want to consider dosing I suppose or just plain in feeding harder.
I've seen some but limited success w acros in such a young tank Esp w dry rock.
But to be honest I haven't seen everything.

You not running gfo or carbon dosing probiotic salt etc ?


Do you own a par or lux meter? Waht lights again.

And let's see if we can talk to @Diesel

 

[spscubed]

I have the same problem in my 60 gallon cube. I didn't start from dry rock but I am extremely religious on water changes twice a week 5 to 10 gallons each time. zero phosphate zero nitrates and all my SPS was looking very pale. I was dozing reef Energy but at a small amount as was suggested by a buddy. His idea was that I didn't have very much SPS in my tank therefore I shouldn't need to doses much. I think the other problem was the fact that my skimmer is rated for a much much larger tank given that it's stated it's for a 200 gallon tank or a very heavily stocked 90 gallon, running in a 60 gallon that's not heavily stocked. So now what I do is I turn off my return pump when I does my reef energy as well as I doubled the amount to the appropriate amount labeled on the box. And within two weeks all of my corals of colored up quite nicely.

 

[Diesel]

Somebody called me?

Oh phosphate, sorry but I'm dosing myself tonight.

 

[spscubed]

Wow I really should spellcheck my stuff instead of just trusting talk to text.

 

[jenreefer]

Got it. Yea you may want to consider dosing I suppose or just plain in feeding harder.
I've seen some but limited success w acros in such a young tank Esp w dry rock.
But to be honest I haven't seen everything.

You not running gfo or carbon dosing probiotic salt etc ?


Do you own a par or lux meter? Waht lights again.

And let's see if we can talk to @Diesel

I have the new G4s on the tank, taken light down to 35% no GFO or carbon at this time.

I suspect I will sort it all out, but this darn PO4 thing is new to me, never had it too low. always too high in the past.

 

[dragon99]

I purchased some monosodium phosphate on ebay. I've been dosing a small amount of that every few days. When I test after dosing, I get .02-04ppm. When I test 24hrs later, it's always 0.00. It seems to have made a significant contribution to my SPS colors.

Not sure about the flourish mentioned above, but with the monosodium phosphate it takes only a tiny amount, I try to dose around .015g at a time.