zero phosphate (need advice)

K100286 · Feb 5, 2017

BRS just had a video on the Hanna phosphate and phosphorus checkers. Their testing which included a standard regent showed that using the phosphate checker a measurement did not record until the level of phosphate reached .08. The phosphorus checker tested exactly as the standard regant of .02. They saw no point in going lower. This surprised me because my phosphate checker was always showing .00. So in frustration I bought the phosphorus checker and my test whit it showed .0397 I would think the company would show in their literature.

ctsps · Feb 5, 2017

Good to know,thank you for your info,appreciate it

ctsps · Feb 7, 2017

The HI713 meters accuracy is +/-.04 + +/-4% of reading.

For example:

0ppm the accuracy is +/-.04

1ppm the accuracy is +/-.08

2ppm the accuracy is +/-.12

This is from a hanna technician

ctsps · Feb 8, 2017

Got my meter it read 2 ppb or .006 is that to low,also raising my nitrate to 4 or 5

bubbaque · Feb 8, 2017

Did you ever get some pictures of your tank or the coral?

ctsps · Feb 8, 2017

This wispy algae is everywhere nitrates were under 2,gonna try to get to 5

K100286 · Feb 8, 2017

From many of the latest posts regarding nutrition, your reading are too low. Corals need NO3 and NO4 to grow. Everyone is different, but it looks like the consensus is NO3 about 3-5 and po4 .o3-.05. NO3 of 10ml wouldn't a concern.

ctsps · Feb 8, 2017

Yep started dosing both phos and nitrogen tonite,tested my nitrate .05 ppm levels def too low,got some tip burn to also,gonna by a doser,amazing most people cant get there levels down and i have to add nutrition

K100286 · Feb 8, 2017

Make sure your testing kit is accurate. One of mine showed 3ppm even though I was adding NO3. Bought a second one and it showed about 75ppm. Bought a third to see which of the first two was correct. It showed 120ppm. Funny thing is I don't have any algae and corals look good. Go figure! This would be an easier hobby if the equipment and etc. was more reliable. Just my opinion. Good luck. By the way your corals look very good.

Mike220 · Feb 8, 2017

I test my No3 and Po4 is zero. Red sea test .
I try to feed my fishes more, but my No3 still show 0 ppm.
I need to set No3 around 2to 4 ppm.
Can someone help.
Thanks

K100286 · Feb 8, 2017

I would do a second test with another brand test kit. In my opinion it is very hard to have zero NO3 and zero po4. You would have to have very few fish, feed little, and have a good nitrate a removal protocol in place. If your NO3 is in fact zero you'll need to dose some nitrates.

Mike220 · Feb 8, 2017

I did another API test kit, still is zero on main tank.
And I Test on my quarantine tank is No3 = 30ppm
No4 around 1.0
Maybe because i do water change every week by 15% ?

Mike220 · Feb 8, 2017

Yeah, it make no sense, I have algae on front glass every 2 days. And clean up algae on back tank every time do water change.

bubbaque · Feb 8, 2017

What your doing I said chasing numbers. You said your corals look great and you have algae. There is definitely enough nutrients. If your corals were all pale, then maybe worry about it but don't chase numbers for the heck of it.

Ike · Feb 9, 2017

bubbaque said:
What your doing I said chasing numbers. You said your corals look great and you have algae. There is definitely enough nutrients. If your corals were all pale, then maybe worry about it but don't chase numbers for the heck of it.

He said he has burnt tips... Phosphorous and nitrogen are essentials for life, corals will suffer and die if those two elements remain too low for too long.

This thread is a perfect example of why I feel most people shouldn't be messing with carbon dosing and/or biopellets. Once you establish the unnatural bacterial population from carbon dosing he bacteria doesn't suddenly stop consuming once phosphate and nitrogen are where you want them and you stop carbon dosing, it will consume phosphorous and nitrogen until until it has nothing left to consume.

To the OP, don't dose a nitrogen source, it will only make the PO4 issue worse. You might want to consider an automatic feeder and feeding 4 or 5 times a day and see if that helps. Adding more fish if you have room is another thing to consider.

bubbaque · Feb 9, 2017

Ike said:
He said he has burnt tips... Phosphorous and nitrogen are essentials for life, corals will suffer and die if those two elements remain too low for too long.

This thread is a perfect example of why I feel most people shouldn't be messing with carbon dosing and/or biopellets. Once you establish the unnatural bacterial population from carbon dosing he bacteria doesn't suddenly stop consuming once phosphate and nitrogen are where you want them and you stop carbon dosing, it will consume phosphorous and nitrogen until until it has nothing left to consume.

To the OP, don't dose a nitrogen source, it will only make the PO4 issue worse. You might want to consider an automatic feeder and feeding 4 or 5 times a day and see if that helps. Adding more fish if you have room is another thing to consider.

I didn't see where he said he had burnt tips. I kind of just skimmed after he said all corals looked great a couple of times on the first page.

ctsps · Feb 9, 2017

Ike,thx,im dosing both phosphorus and nitrogen as both levels are to low,i understand the balance,i have been caring for acros for 15+yrs,this is wild,no skimmer,a ton of liverock stripping all nutrients,in the end i would rather add nutrition then have to take it out,thx for everyone's opinions i like to back up my thinking with other people's experience

Ike · Feb 9, 2017

As long as you continue to dose nitrogen you might have PO4 levels that are too low due to the Redfield ratio. Some years back I started dosing nitrates due to my nitrates being undetectable, and at the time my PO4 levels were fine. I ended up doing some serious damage to corals from driving PO4 too low from the nitrogen dosing despite not using any GFO or other means of PO4 removal. Good luck!

K100286 · Feb 9, 2017

There's nothing wrong with dosing NO3. It does not increase po4. And if your NO4 is zero, which I doubt, you can also dose some phosphate. But I would use the Hanna phosphorus checker to test your po4 level. The phosphate checker according to the tests BRS did only records a reading in excess of Zero when po4 exceeds .08. I'm pretty sure you have enough po4 because your corals look healthy.