PO4

[Travis Stewart]

Have very low and continued low PO4. See a couple of my sps starting to fade in color. Feeding regimen is heavy and same as always. Not running any media. Thoughts!?

 

[ReeferNtraining]

How are your nitrates? Are you incorporating coral foods into your daily feedings? I know Reef Roids will bring PO4 up quickly. The other option is NeoPhos. I’ve used it and it worked well in the beginning.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Have very low and continued low PO4. See a couple of my sps starting to fade in color. Feeding regimen is heavy and same as always. Not running any media. Thoughts!?

What's your N03 at?

 

[bluprntguy]

NeoPhos and NeoNitro dosed as needed until nutrients stabilize.

 

[Travis Stewart]

How are your nitrates? Are you incorporating coral foods into your daily feedings? I know Reef Roids will bring PO4 up quickly. The other option is NeoPhos. I’ve used it and it worked well in the beginning.

What's your N03 at?

Also undetectable...less than 5

 

[Travis Stewart]

NeoPhos and NeoNitro dosed as needed until nutrients stabilize.

When you say stabilize? Wouldn’t they just come back down due to my setup and what my tank can handle..?

 

[Cory]

You should add some phosphate. I use t.s.p from home depot. I cant say on the purity, but i havent had any problems. Thats tri sodium phosphate.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Also undetectable...less than 5

They can go hand in hand. Feeding heavy won't always raise them equally.

 

[bluprntguy]

When you say stabilize? Wouldn’t they just come back down due to my setup and what my tank can handle..?

I assumed a relatively new tank, maybe that was a wrong assumption. My experience is that I had to dose for a few months and then my fish grew or detritus built up in the sand/rocks enough that I could stop dosing.

 

[Travis Stewart]

You should add some phosphate. I use t.s.p from home depot. I cant say on the purity, but i havent had any problems. Thats tri sodium phosphate.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Travis Stewart]

I assumed a relatively new tank, maybe that was a wrong assumption. My experience is that I had to dose for a few months and then my fish grew or detritus built up in the sand/rocks enough that I could stop dosing.

Year and 2 months.

 

[Travis Stewart]

They can go hand in hand. Feeding heavy won't always raise them equally.

So adding PO4 is only way to get them up at this point? I don’t usually feed coral food but have it and can start to see if that helps it go up.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Also, I have to clean glass daily as the Glass gets dirty. I’ve always been told that should show to have enough nutrients in the tank.

 

[Flippers4pups]

So adding PO4 is only way to get them up at this point? I don’t usually feed coral food but have it and can start to see if that helps it go up.

You would need to raise N03 first, then P04. You could try a couple things first like no water changes for a couple weeks/month, taking skimmer off line for awhile....etc. or dose KN03 and P04.

Potassium nitrate and something like Seachem's flourish phosphorus.

Before doing so, verify your test kits.

 

[Travis Stewart]

I think I will try to no water changes first as I have been doing these weekly. Will continue to test. Thanks for the feedback!

You would need to raise N03 first, then P04. You could try a couple things first like no water changes for a couple weeks/month, taking skimmer off line for awhile....etc. or dose KN03 and P04.

Potassium nitrate and something like Seachem's flourish phosphorus.

Before doing so, verify your test kits.

 

[Travis Stewart]

I think I will try to no water changes first as I have been doing these weekly. Will continue to test. Thanks for the feedback!

You would need to raise N03 first, then P04. You could try a couple things first like no water changes for a couple weeks/month, taking skimmer off line for awhile....etc. or dose KN03 and P04.

Potassium nitrate and something like Seachem's flourish phosphorus.

Before doing so, verify your test kits.

 

[ReeferNtraining]

Algae on the glass daily could mean something else. Your algae may be uptaking the PO4 and nitrate too quickly. When I was having low nutrient problems I would test in the morning and be around .05 and by 3pm I’d be 0. Both on the Hamna. With you having a mature system, I’m sure your corals are uptaking a good part of PO4 as well. But, try testing in the morning before the lights come on and see if you’re getting a reading.

Also, I have to clean glass daily as the Glass gets dirty. I’ve always been told that should show to have enough nutrients in the tank.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Algae on the glass daily could mean something else. Your algae may be uptaking the PO4 and nitrate too quickly. When I was having low nutrient problems I would test in the morning and be around .05 and by 3pm I’d be 0. Both on the Hamna. With you having a mature system, I’m sure your corals are uptaking a good part of PO4 as well. But, try testing in the morning before the lights come on and see if you’re getting a reading.

Thanksgiving yes failed to mention that I use the Hanna ULR. The algae on glass is only sign of algae in tank.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Thanksgiving yes failed to mention that I use the Hanna ULR. The algae on glass is only sign of algae in tank.

Algae on the glass daily could mean something else. Your algae may be uptaking the PO4 and nitrate too quickly. When I was having low nutrient problems I would test in the morning and be around .05 and by 3pm I’d be 0. Both on the Hamna. With you having a mature system, I’m sure your corals are uptaking a good part of PO4 as well. But, try testing in the morning before the lights come on and see if you’re getting a reading.

And when I say algae it’s just some brown on my glass