Phosphates

[Screwgunner]

I am running a 120 gallon system with a ats protein skimmer and running activated carbon little over a cup every two weeks . So, my problem is ats is to efficient and I am at .00 phosphates. So in comes neophos. To raise it to .02 it says to dose 9ml so I do 2 hour I test .24. 24 hours latter like it said and I was at 1.26. 48 hours latter .00 this is with hanna low range. What is going on?

 

[The Farmer]

Do you still have your carbon running?

 

[The Farmer]

Carbon will remove your NeoPhos

 

[HuduVudu]

You are fighting the tank and chasing numbers. Let lying dogs sleep. You will go crazy with trying to achieve exact numbers.

 

[Screwgunner]

I am trying to keep my phosphate up because of dinos.

 

[blaxsun]

I would run at least two (2) Hanna tests at the same time to rule out human error (slight variances in water, marks on the vials, etc.) That way you'll know for sure if you're just getting a bad test result or if it's accurate.

As far as I'm aware, activated carbon is fine to use.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am running a 120 gallon system with a ats protein skimmer and running activated carbon little over a cup every two weeks . So, my problem is ats is to efficient and I am at .00 phosphates. So in comes neophos. To raise it to .02 it says to dose 9ml so I do 2 hour I test .24. 24 hours latter like it said and I was at 1.26. 48 hours latter .00 this is with hanna low range. What is going on?

That's totally normal. Too bad Brightwell doesn't either understand or explain this.

You generally have to dose far more than expected to get any phosphate to become detectable 24 h later in such a scenario because a lot will bind to rock and sand when you try to raise it.

Just keep dosing 0.02 ppm a day, or up it if you want to get to detectable levels faster.

 

[Screwgunner]

That's totally normal. Too bad Brightwell doesn't either understand or explain this.

You generally have to dose far more than expected to get any phosphate to become detectable 24 h later in such a scenario because a lot will bind to rock and sand when you try to raise it.

Just keep dosing 0.02 ppm a day, or up it if you want to get to detectable levels faster.

I just dosed 4 ml and it gave me .05 I turned off my carbon to see if that was the problem . Will test tomorrow.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I just dosed 4 ml and it gave me .05 I turned off my carbon to see if that was the problem . Will test tomorrow.

Carbon doesn't impact inorganic phosphate in seawater, but calcium carbonate surfaces do.

 

[Screwgunner]

My dog jumped on my recliner and I had just set my hanna checker on the top of it and it hit the floor. Last two reading have been .05 on phosphates . It just needed some sledgehammer love.