PPM Phosphate hanna Checker

Teiro323 · Jun 22, 2020

Hello community!

I have a question. So ive been using the hanna phosphate checker for about a month. The thing is that I don't get the readings. Say i were to test and get 0.20, is that way to high or too low?? What am i supposed to be seeing here?
Overall paramaters 0.026 sal, 0 N02, 5 NO3, Cal 490, temp 78, PH 8.3,

chipmunkofdoom2 · Jun 22, 2020

Teiro323 said:
Hello community!

I have a question. So ive been using the hanna phosphate checker for about a month. The thing is that I don't get the readings. Say i were to test and get 0.20, is that way to high or too low?? What am i supposed to be seeing here?
Overall paramaters 0.026 sal, 0 N02, 5 NO3, Cal 490, temp 78, PH 8.3,

Too high or too low depends on your tank, your filtration, your feeding levels and your corals. Reef aquaria seem to do well at a range from no detectable phosphate to over 1 ppm. Your reading is likely fine. While you don't want phosphate to be too high, you also don't want it to be too low.

Also, you probably mean the specific gravity of your tank is 1.026. If the specific gravity was 0.026 or the salinity was 0.026 PSU, everything would be dead.

Teiro323 · Jun 22, 2020

Oops sorry! I thought i typed 1.026. Thats where im at.

What would recommend? Ive had it at 0.05 to the highest of 0.28? At its highest the glass would be cleaned daily and at its lowest maybe once a week.

chipmunkofdoom2 · Jun 22, 2020

Teiro323 said:
Oops sorry! I thought i typed 1.026. Thats where im at.

What would recommend? Ive had it at 0.05 to the highest of 0.28? At its highest the glass would be cleaned daily and at its lowest maybe once a week.

I'm not sure if there's a best number with regards to phosphate. The hobby has settled on 30 ppb (0.03 ppm), but I don't know exactly how we decided that this should be the setpoint for all reef tanks. Again, some tanks do fine with zero measurable phosphate. Some do fine with over 500 ppb or even 1 ppm.

I would try for at least some measurable phosphate. I don't measure phosphate regularly, but when I did I was shooting for at least 100 ppb (0.10 ppm). I decided I would do something about phosphate if it hit 500 ppb (0.50 ppm), but I never got to that point. Your tank may vary.

ckalupa · Jun 23, 2020

30ppb phosphorus is .09ppm phosphate

homer1475 · Jun 23, 2020

I don't check phosphates often, like once every other week. What I have figured out threw the years is how often I have to clean my glass.

If it's every couple days, it's fine, if its once a week I'm likely low, If it's every day it's likely too high.

Don't get hung up on a number, every tank is different. What is a right number for someone, might be the wrong number for you. Learn the nuances of your tank, and let the tank tell you whats right.

92Miata · Jun 23, 2020

Teiro323 said:
Oops sorry! I thought i typed 1.026. Thats where im at.

What would recommend? Ive had it at 0.05 to the highest of 0.28? At its highest the glass would be cleaned daily and at its lowest maybe once a week.

Its a complicated question, but generally - nothing in that range is going to cause you too many issues.

Corals don't really have a lot of control over what their zooxanthelle are doing - so a lot of the color/etc changes are due to the zooxanthelle ramping up/down energy production and either starving the coral/burning it with too much oxygen. No phosphates means corals can't grow, and also can't protect themselves.

Generally, more phosphate means darker colors and more brown/green on sps, and less means lighter/more likely to bleach. It can also mean more hair algae, etc.

its all a balancing act.