Roast my Parameters -- please!!!

[mike550]

Okay. I'm at a point where I'm wondering if I've become complacent so I'd really appreciate everyone's thoughts on my tank parameters

For background, I have a 120G tank that's about ten months hold. Mixed reef tank with soft, LPS, Zoas for coral, various fish and inverts. The corals seem to be doing "okay" -- but I have no idea if they are doing well or not. Some are thriving more than others. I measure the following parameters every three days, and do 10-15% weekly water changes. Here are my parameters over the past couple of months and dosing regimen

Alkalinity 8.6-8.8
Phosphates 0.00
Nitrates 7-10
Mag 1320-1380
Calcium 450-460
Temp: 78-79F

Daily dosing of:

B-Ionic ESV 2 Part 7 ml/day
NoPox 6 ml/day
Red Sea Reef Energy AB+ 10ml/day

I'd like to raise my phosphates, but am nervous about over-feeding because I think that NoPox is keeping my nitrates in check.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Xanthurum]

Personally I would just stop dosing nopox and see what happens. Other than zero phosphates it looks good.

 

[LRT]

Yeah I'd want at least detectable levels of phosphates.

 

[mike550]

@LRT and @Xanthurum thanks for your thoughts. After my water change I stopped dosing NoPox. Hopefully, phosphates will rise without my nitrates increasing too much. I'll keep you posted

 

[Uncle99]

I continue to dose Nopox as I want to maintain my nitrate between 2-5ppm.
I dose Seachem phosphorous to easily maintain trace phosphates without changing anything else.

 

[nereefpat]

@LRT and @Xanthurum Hopefully, phosphates will rise without my nitrates increasing too much.

How are you testing for phosphates?

If it isn't the Hanna ultra low phosphorous, then it probably isn't actually 0.00 ppm. The checker you want is ULR phosphorous, not phosphate, and you have to convert it from ppb phosphorous to get a ppm phosphate reading.

 

[LRT]

I'm using salifert test kit

 

[slojim]

daily dosing, testing every 3 days, and weekly water changes - "complacent" is not a word I'd use to describe your reefing habits.

 

[mike550]

How are you testing for phosphates?

If it isn't the Hanna ultra low phosphorous, then it probably isn't actually 0.00 ppm. The checker you want is ULR phosphorous, not phosphate, and you have to convert it from ppb phosphorous to get a ppm phosphate reading.

Do you really think this is an issue?

To your point, I purchased the Hanna Phosphate ULR (HI 713) figuring it was fine given that the range is supposed to be 0.00 to 2.50 ppm with resolution of 0.01 ppm.

 

[mike550]

I continue to dose Nopox as I want to maintain my nitrate between 2-5ppm.
I dose Seachem phosphorous to easily maintain trace phosphates without changing anything else.

Thanks @Uncle99 Isn't Seachem phosphorous for freshwater plants? Newbie here -- so maybe it doesn't matter but would appreciate learning more about this.

 

[mike550]

daily dosing, testing every 3 days, and weekly water changes - "complacent" is not a word I'd use to describe your reefing habits.

Thanks @slojim! I guess I'm always looking for a second opinion in case I'm missing something. There's so much experience in this group that you never know what you might learn.

 

[nereefpat]

Do you really think this is an issue?

To your point, I purchased the Hanna Phosphate ULR (HI 713) figuring it was fine given that the range is supposed to be 0.00 to 2.50 ppm with resolution of 0.01 ppm.

It looks like the 713 is a low range, and not an ULTRA low range (i know, it's silly). Zero with that instrument doesn't necessarily mean you are bottomed out. There is also an ULR phosphate, which isn't the one you want either.

You want the ULR Phosphorous. It say "phosphorous ULR" and "PPB" on the front. 736.

 

[mike550]

It looks like the 713 is a low range, and not an ULTRA low range (i know, it's silly). Zero with that instrument doesn't necessarily mean you are bottomed out. There is also an ULR phosphate, which isn't the one you want either.

You want the ULR Phosphorous. It say "phosphorous ULR" and "PPB" on the front. 736.

Thanks @nereefpat -- not like I really want to buy another tester. But I appreciate what you're saying.

 

[LRT]

It looks like the 713 is a low range, and not an ULTRA low range (i know, it's silly). Zero with that instrument doesn't necessarily mean you are bottomed out. There is also an ULR phosphate, which isn't the one you want either.

You want the ULR Phosphorous. It say "phosphorous ULR" and "PPB" on the front. 736.

What do you think about the salifert test kit?

 

[Uncle99]

Thanks @Uncle99 Isn't Seachem phosphorous for freshwater plants? Newbie here -- so maybe it doesn't matter but would appreciate learning more about this.

Yes it is......but same as Brightwell Aquatics Neo Phos, in my opinion.
I use the Salifert Phosphate kit.
If this test is showing clear (0) put one or two drops in a liter of tank water and watch the clear, start to go light blue. This will at least confirm the test will work if phosphate present.
I find the Salifert kit more to my liking and faster than the Hanna.
I’m only looking for the clear to get some faint blue, so that’s easy to see.

 

[homer1475]

It looks like the 713 is a low range, and not an ULTRA low range (i know, it's silly). Zero with that instrument doesn't necessarily mean you are bottomed out. There is also an ULR phosphate, which isn't the one you want either.

You want the ULR Phosphorous. It say "phosphorous ULR" and "PPB" on the front. 736.

You do know they now make a ULR phosphate kit(774)? It's the same as the ULR phosphorus(736), but does the conversion for you into PPM. Kind of like the PPM ALK kit(775), and DKH ALK kit(772), both are the same, just the 772 does the conversion for you and gives you readings in DKH instead of PPM.

To the OP:
Other then 0 phosphates, your numbers look fine to me. Unless you use the ULR hanna kit, I doibt your at 0 anyways.

 

[Uncle99]

What do you think about the salifert test kit?

Works fine.

 

[nereefpat]

You do know they now make a ULR phosphate kit(774)? It's the same as the ULR phosphorus(736), but does the conversion for you into PPM. Kind of like the PPM ALK kit(775), and DKH ALK kit(772), both are the same, just the 772 does the conversion for you and gives you readings in DKH instead of PPM.

To the OP:
Other then 0 phosphates, your numbers look fine to me. Unless you use the ULR hanna kit, I doibt your at 0 anyways.

If there is a new ULR phosphate that is the same as the ULR phosphorus, but you don't have to convert it, that is great.

"Unless you use the ULR hanna kit, I doibt your at 0 anyways." <-That was the point of my ramble. I have used other kits that showed zero, and checked them against the ULR phosphorus which is meant for 0-0.1 range, and found out that phosphate wasn't actually zero.

 

[nereefpat]

What do you think about the salifert test kit?

My eyes can't detect the subtle differences between 0.00 and 0.1 while using the Salifert kit. My Salifert phosphate always shows 0.00 to me, unless I dose, while my Checker will show 0.05.

 

[homer1475]

Same for me, one reason I switched to the hanna. Some of the subtle color diferences in test kits is hard to discern. Having a hard number makes it so much simpler.