I have a new Hanna phosphate checker HI713. The first time I used it (about 2 weeks ago), I got a reading 0.00. But, when I took it yesterday, I first got a reading of 0.18. I thought I did something wrong, so I took it again, and the 2nd time it read 0.2.
Part of me thinks my Hanna checker is not producing correct readings as I do not feed heavy (once a day, pellets or frozen), I run a skimmer, and I have a low bioload (only a Royal Gramma, 2 cleaner shrimp, a few crabs, a cowrie, lps, sps, and a couple softies).
The other part of me wonders if it is indeed correct as I have been battling cyano. But, the cyano has been receding. I was planning on running some phosguard in filter bag for a few days but, if the cyano is receding without it, I don't want to change things (I think the weekly 10% water changes have helped)
The only thing that I can think of that my have caused the phosphate reading to shoot up is that I haven't seen one of my snails in a while and a small hermit crab may have died as I haven't seen it move in a few days.
Need some advice, should I add the PhosGuard since the readings were so high? Could the Hanna checker be off?
Here are my other parameters:
Salinity: 1.026
Temp: 79
PH: 8.1
Alk: 7.4
Calcium: 475
Mag: 1360
Thanks.
Part of me thinks my Hanna checker is not producing correct readings as I do not feed heavy (once a day, pellets or frozen), I run a skimmer, and I have a low bioload (only a Royal Gramma, 2 cleaner shrimp, a few crabs, a cowrie, lps, sps, and a couple softies).
The other part of me wonders if it is indeed correct as I have been battling cyano. But, the cyano has been receding. I was planning on running some phosguard in filter bag for a few days but, if the cyano is receding without it, I don't want to change things (I think the weekly 10% water changes have helped)
The only thing that I can think of that my have caused the phosphate reading to shoot up is that I haven't seen one of my snails in a while and a small hermit crab may have died as I haven't seen it move in a few days.
Need some advice, should I add the PhosGuard since the readings were so high? Could the Hanna checker be off?
Here are my other parameters:
Salinity: 1.026
Temp: 79
PH: 8.1
Alk: 7.4
Calcium: 475
Mag: 1360
Thanks.