To phosphate or not to phosphate

[ReefBeta]

0.5 for nitrate is usable. But 0.25 for phosphate is pretty useless. It's common to recommend between 0.1 and 0.03, which all reads 0 to your test kit.

 

[McCarrick]

0.5 for nitrate is usable. But 0.25 for phosphate is pretty useless. It's common to recommend between 0.1 and 0.03, which all reads 0 to your test kit.

Exactly, I dont think my nitrates have ever even been that high. If my phosphates were high enough to measure with my current kit I would likely have some problems. What is everyone's nitrates in your tanks?

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Not at all.

 

[McCarrick]

Not at all.

I'm assuming that at some point you reach an undesirable level. It's just like too much of anything is a bad thing. If it's not at .25, where usually we strive for .03, then what is the threshold of "too much"?
What are negative effects of high phosphates?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

And is there a recommended Nitrate? Just wondering how they are in relationship or if it matters. Only reason why I'm asking is because my Nyos nitrate kit was consistently reading 0 so even if it was not measuring correctly or I was doing something wrong it was consistent so dosed Loudwolfs sodium nitrate and now it is measuring 5 ppm which is good.

Phosphates at the time are .06 but after the dosing went up to .17 interesting enough.

I recommend 0.02 to 0.03 ppm phosphate and 1-10 ppm nitrate for most reef tanks. Higher than these is better than lower then these.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm assuming that at some point you reach an undesirable level. It's just like too much of anything is a bad thing. If it's not at .25, where usually we strive for .03, then what is the threshold of "too much"?
What are negative effects of high phosphates?

More algae growth, and the potential for some corals to have issues.

That said, if you control the algae in other ways, you can have have a fabulous tank at 1 ppm phosphate and 100 ppm nitrate.

 

[McCarrick]

I recommend 0.02 to 0.03 ppm phosphate and 1-10 ppm nitrate for most reef tanks. Higher than these is better than lower then these.

Interesting. I feel like my entire reefing chem knowledge is a lie. Please tell me we still want 0ppm for ammonia! Is there an ideal ratio between phosphate and nitrate? How do these two work together?

 

[User1]

I recommend 0.02 to 0.03 ppm phosphate and 1-10 ppm nitrate for most reef tanks. Higher than these is better than lower then these.

Thanks Randy. I like the nitrate number and feel I got that now or at least understand how to get it there by dosing. The phosphate is also helpful but mine went up So this is a great area for me to look at and work.

Hope all is well and thanks. OP - sorry for piggy backing onto your thread

 

[KrisReef]

And is there a recommended Nitrate? Just wondering how they are in relationship or if it matters. Only reason why I'm asking is because my Nyos nitrate kit was consistently reading 0 so even if it was not measuring correctly or I was doing something wrong it was consistent so dosed Loudwolfs sodium nitrate and now it is measuring 5 ppm which is good.

Phosphates at the time are .06 but after the dosing went up to .17 interesting enough.

^What @saf1 said ^
I am trying to figure out why this happens? I've observed the same general number swings for NO3 and P that are not intuitive?

 

[ReefPig]

Interesting. I feel like my entire reefing chem knowledge is a lie. Please tell me we still want 0ppm for ammonia! Is there an ideal ratio between phosphate and nitrate? How do these two work together?

lol yeah we still want zero ammonia, but after the first couple of weeks after setting up a tank, and it's cycled fully, don't waste your energy testing it again, it's a pointless number once the tank is cycled.

The exception to that is say for instance you had a large fish die, you didn't find it for a few days, then the water went cloudy etc. You may wish to test for it then, but ultimately the answer is to do water changes anyway, so it's still a pointless test.

What corals are you keeping?
If they were SPS they likely would be dead by now if you were pushing zero/zero. Maybe some LPS would have lived, if they were fed enough.

 

[McCarrick]

lol yeah we still want zero ammonia, but after the first couple of weeks after setting up a tank, and it's cycled fully, don't waste your energy testing it again, it's a pointless number once the tank is cycled.

The exception to that is say for instance you had a large fish die, you didn't find it for a few days, then the water went cloudy etc. You may wish to test for it then, but ultimately the answer is to do water changes anyway, so it's still a pointless test.

What corals are you keeping?
If they were SPS they likely would be dead by now if you were pushing zero/zero. Maybe some LPS would have lived, if they were fed enough.

Haha okay that's good. I always stopped testing after it cycled since it never really changes. I finished cycling my second reef tank about a month ago. I only have 1 candy cane that survived the move from california to Wyoming. it had been suffocating in algae and in a new tank but I think its starting to bounce back. I don't think that my phosphates are truly 0 since I have an abundance of algae since I'm still in the "uglies" stage and dont have a lot in the tank yet.

 

[McCarrick]

Saw this while reading reviews of the salifert phosphate test kit. Too many people saying that non-existent phosphate is what we need to strive for.
If I cant afford a hanna checker right now, is salifert a good second choice?

 

[Cbones1979]

Really crazy, just hit .00 phosphates on Hanna unintentionally. Had chemipure and was at .08 Sunday. Now down to nothing.

 

[Vlad79]

My nitrates are 100 and it's not coming down, and phosphate are undetectable on red sea pro and salifert test kits, should i dose phosphates? And if i should any recommendations how to make solution. My tank around 500ltr and i have lots of gha, thank you

 

[Potatohead]

I can't even begin to overstate the difference in my tank previously running it ~.02 for several years and now running it ~.12 for about a year. It has completely changed the tank in so many ways, and all for the better.

 

[McCarrick]

How low do the salifert tests go for phosphate? I'm trying to expedite the "ugly phase" and trying to find the best way to go about doing that. Not s ton of gha but tons and tons of green cyano

 

[Vlad79]

How low do the salifert tests go for phosphate? I'm trying to expedite the "ugly phase" and trying to find the best way to go about doing that. Not s ton of gha but tons and tons of green cyano

I found salifert are not good for phosphate lowest it can detect is 0.03, red sea pro is easy to use for me

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I found salifert are not good for phosphate lowest it can detect is 0.03, red sea pro is easy to use for me

If you target that level or a bit higher, seems adequate to me.

 

[Vlad79]

If you target that level or a bit higher, seems adequate to me.

Thanks, if my phosphate undetectable with test kits, how safely i can raise them?

 

[Potatohead]

Thanks, if my phosphate undetectable with test kits, how safely i can raise them?

You'll likely need the Hanna ULR tester. It is the only way to reliably test low levels (without getting into professional equipment).