Need help RAISING phosphates

sandman12

New member
I have been heavy feeding for months now, nitrate stays at 5 and phosphates remain at 0 using an ULR hanna meter. How can I raise my phosphates? I do not have any type of media online. Just a filter sock and skimmer.
 
I would double check your hanna tester first off. Everything living in your tank needs phosphate so if you've got a lot of stuff growing they will be sucking it up. I'm curious what are you calling heavy feeding? If your tester is fine more info about your livestock would be helpful.
 
I have been heavy feeding for months now, nitrate stays at 5 and phosphates remain at 0 using an ULR hanna meter. How can I raise my phosphates? I do not have any type of media online. Just a filter sock and skimmer.

Why do you "need" to raise your phosphates? Poor coloration of SPS coral? Skim less, feed more, do fewer water changes, etc. That should do the trick.
 
If you want to add some phosphate, there are various food-grade sources on Amazon that should work. Are all the animals doing well?

Calcium does not bind phosphate in our aquariums to any significant extent.
 
Hanna meter has been verified against another meter a while back but I'll check it again.
All my SPS are SLOWLY dieing. I feed pellets, frozen mysis, frozen brine, reef chili, liquid coral food (Red Sea) 2 out of 3 days. Just started with the coral foods though. Every 3rd day the tank doesn't get fed while I'm at work.

50g display, 40g frag tank connected to a shared 10g water volume sump. 3 total tangs, 3 clowns, royal grama , long nose hawk, 2 damsels
 
You may not need to add phosphate but can tweak it a little by the means noted in earlier posts. A little might help the corals. FWIW, I keep PO4 in the 0.02 to 0.04ppm range with NO3 near zero ,usually around 0.2ppm. I do feed heavily and have never needed to dose phosphate.

BTW, what kind of substrate do you have( coral sand? bare bottom?) What if anything are you dosing to supplement alk and calcium. How often and how large are any water cahnges? Not sure about the lighting.
 
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