According to this chart. I feel like i need a better phosphate test kit...?
At two months, it’s really difficult to maintain stability as the bio-filter is in constant change.
That being said, your task for months 2-8, is to track, record and adjust your chemistry until a time, that, for weeks on end, you get the same results. The longer the system is in this “Goldilocks” zone, the faster your good guy algae will develop in terms of population and diversity.
Most reefers try and jump this stage.
Very bad idea.
Hanna UL Phosphorus checker is the only kit I know that can read those really small samples rather well. Your looking for 0.03ppm to say .15ppm, doesn’t matter which number, stability is the key.
Salinity cannot change at any time as it forms the base of our chemistry. Salinity out, everything out. AT0 is a must have.
Alk needs to be stable as well, it has a big impact on all other chemistry. Seek a virtual 0ppm flux or as close as with this one.
Before doing any testing of Alk, MG must be in the slot first at say 1400ppm, otherwise you’ll get poor testing results.
5-20ppm nitrate just fine as long as it’s not increasing or decreasing steadily.
Zero nitrate and/or phosphate is a real bad number as it allows the population of pest algaes like Dinos.
