Phosphates waaay to low, need advice

[bct15]

So I got my Hanna checker from bulk reef supply in today. I purchased it to test algae growth situations stemming from salt brands, poor maintenance, over feeding, using tap water etc. I also have been wondering for a while what my phosphates are because I have literally no algae growth in my display at all and I have been seeing a lot of stn at coral tips and bases, so I decided to check my phosphates in my display. My results blew my mind and I had to do another test to verify and they both came back as 0.00 phosphates in my tank. I know this is not good at all so now I need some advice on how to get them up. Anyone with good info, please help me out.

I use red sea coral pro salt and here are my parameters

Cal 440
Alk 9.7
Phosphates 0
Nitrates basically 0 (slight color change but barely noticeable on dipstick)
Temp 79.6
Ph 8.4



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[bct15]

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[Travisw30]

Feed a ton!

 

[always reefin]

stop phosphate remover until levels go back up

 

[bct15]

What is a number i should target?


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[Decalf]

You may have plenty of phos , your tank is just using it up. Do any of your inhabitants look bad? If not don't mess with it if its not broken.

 

[always reefin]

.01-.05 imo

 

[bct15]

You may have plenty of phos , your tank is just using it up. Do any of your inhabitants look bad? If not don't mess with it if its not broken.

Some of my larger sps colonies are showing burnt tips, and a couple frags a little recession around the base. I had a chalice frag slowly recede to death, and a couple blastos are staying deflated. Some macro algae in my fuge is turning clear, and I haven't had to wipe my glass in about two and half weeks. I also had two small Zoa colonies stop opening and melt in the last month and a half. Also, my pizza anemone hasn't been able to find a place to stay put for about two months now. Even the back glass and side that I don't wipe (for my snails and tangs to graze) is clearing up. I was excited about no algae at all, but now I think it is clean to a point that it is causing problems.

Is it recommended to do some water changes, I don't know what the phosphate levels of Red Sea Coral pro is, one of the reasons I got the Hanna checked was to find out because of algae issue claims using red sea coral pro, but I am seeing the complete opposing. Or should I turn off reactors and just overfeed for a few days.


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[Reefing Madness]

Don't need phosphates, how is your Nitrates? Bet they are to low for your LPS. Your phosphates are right where they should be.

 

[KJAG]

I took GFO offline awhile back and now keep mine at .03 on the Hanna checker. Corals have never looked better


.

 

[Mike J.]

I had what you're describing happen to me. Are you using GFO? Or maybe like me GFO/carbon. I'm not 100% positive yet, but I think it was iron poisoning. I stopped using GFO reactor and slowly things came back to life. Lost an extra large bird nest though.

 

[bct15]

Don't need phosphates, how is your Nitrates? Bet they are to low for your LPS. Your phosphates are right where they should be.

My nitrates barely have a color change on my test strips, and I can't tell if the color change is because the strip is wet. They are basically zero. I guess I need to brush the dust off the nitrate test kit.


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[Reefing Madness]

LOL. Sounds like your one of the lucky ones, that gets to feed the hell out of their fish now. =)

 

[bct15]

I took GFO offline awhile back and now keep mine at .03 on the Hanna checker. Corals have never looked better


.

There might be some truth to the gfo thing, I turned the gfo off last night and my blastos are puffing up today.


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[Dowtish]

You never want ZERO phosphates or Nitrates. Your corals need some to survive. My experience with the Hanna checker is that it is way more accurate than all other phosphate tests out their as far as hobby grade test kits go. But if you are getting a 0.00 reading you need to chill out on GFO and start feeding more. You are starving your tank.

I have great color on all SPS, zoas, and LPS and run my phosphates around 0.08. just FYI

 

[jcdeng]

how many fishes do you have in your tank? I run gfo also and I do get a thin film build up on the glass but its very little so I increase the feeding and now the algae build up is much faster. Feed your fish

 

[bct15]

how many fishes do you have in your tank? I run gfo also and I do get a thin film build up on the glass but its very little so I increase the feeding and now the algae build up is much faster. Feed your fish

I have
Three tangs (yellow, yellow belly blue, powder blue)
A yellow wrasse
Black and white clown pair
Bangaii cardinal
Royal gramma pair
Six green chromis
Mandarin
And a golden dwarf eel

I always thought my tank was overstocked but maybe not.

I feed them everyday two frozen cubes and every other day a piece of seaweed. I feed my coral very three days a mix of coral frenzy, coral extacy, zoo feast, oyster feast, and cyclopese. I feed my fish and corals with turkey baster to make sure the food gets eaten.

I run a half cup of gfo a week, and a half cup of rox carbon on a dual reactor fed by a maxijet 1200 and have a refugium. I use an external h&s skimmer for up to a 300 gallon system. I have turned off the reactor, and when it comes back on I think I will reduce the amount of gfo i use by about half and change every other weekend. My system total volume is about 250 - 270 gallons.


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[jcdeng]

your reactor is on 24/7? mine is by controller so its on only for 8 hours a day. I think you can add some pellets in your daily feeding regimen cuz they are known to cuz phoshpate to raise. I was gonna say your skimmer may need an upgrade but you already have ultra clean water so I guess thats okay.

 

[Scoly]

I only change my gfo once a month. Phosphates stay about 0.05, colors are great!