SPS Phosphate level

[syedjilani]

Thanks Thai

 

[jd474]

Anything under .1 seems fine. I question readings of "zero" (or < .02, for that matter) unless anyone here is using lab-grade digital spectrophotometers (i.e. Hach equipment). Even Hanna meters aren't that accurate.

 

[chadfarmer]

i have no clue last time i checked i was at 0.3 but testing is no fun so i sold my meter having something like that to check 3 times in a year seemed like a waste to me

 

[RRaider]

I don't measure mine but here is one example of what happened when I switched to Hi Cap GFO from BRS. The difference in person is even greater than the pictures show.

 

[thelostrican]

zero on salifert, but i am pretty sure on a hanna meter it would be about .03-.05

 

[cwegescheide]

.04-.05... Think my SPS prefer a little phosphate. My colors fade out when phosphate is at 0.

Yep me too. I prefer .03 - .04. My corals don't look very good when my Po4 is too low (< .02)

I test my Po4 with a Hanna meter every week.

 

[dan223]

hanna has the new hanna checker for $40

I wonder if its as accurate as their $300 dollar one.

 

[Amphiprion]

Anything under .1 seems fine. I question readings of "zero" (or < .02, for that matter) unless anyone here is using lab-grade digital spectrophotometers (i.e. Hach equipment). Even Hanna meters aren't that accurate.

I think most people, myself included, generalize a "zero" reading as unmeasurable with the means we currently have. It's obviously not actually zero, since there are an awful lot of decimal places to go until it gets to zero. That's not even taking kit/meter accuracy into account. It works for all intents and purposes, though.

 

[nxma14]

I am using MI-412 Phosphate Colorimeter Low Range by Martini. Got it for $160 from aqua cave. Reading is 0.63. Does anyone else use the same phosphate meter? Is 0.63 to high to start adding sps frags?

 

[d0ughb0y]

it is high. it should be less than 0.03. and yes, I used the same meter.
make sure you dissolve 100% of the particles/reagent. I view the cuvet through a bright light to make sure.

I notice that when tank has algae, then I have either phosphate, nitrate or both. so I just use that as indicator. I just sold my photometer. I used to use GFO, and can see from photometer reading that it actually is very effective at removing phosphate quickly, but have since switched to carbon dosing, as it consumes both nitrate and phosphate, unlike GFO which only absorbs phosphate.

 

[nxma14]

Thank you for the quick reply. I was unsure of the martini meter but figured it uses the same testing process and technology as the more expensive Hanna meter. I Started a 2LF reactor two weeks ago. Phosphate moved from 1.01 to 0.63. Nitrate is at 2.5. I am looking forward to adding sps when water gets better.

 

[Brian Chong]

While I would like my phosphate level to be near zero, mine is at .08 and i have acros coloring up nicely. but color can be subjective and it can always could be gooder.

 

[Brian Chong]

btw, no algae problems.....yet

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

get ready to bring out the beating stick on me.

In the 7 years of growing acros, I've never tested my phosphate level. Accurately testing your phosphate level is though to do. You have phosphates in suspension and phosphates in consumption.

 

[110galreef]

i have been gettingt .03 & under thus far on hanna meter.
Do most test before lights on so algae don't uptake much of the PO4 does it not matter?

 

[CMcNeil]

I like to keep mine at .03-.06,Ive found that I'm my system if it's too low that my colors fade.the same thing applies for my nitrates,too low and my colors fade.I used to strive for zero/zero but my colors always washed out and faded.IMO all sps tanks need some N and P to retain colors.now if you run zeo type products this may be different but I don't run those products.I don't even dose anything as far as two part,kalk,or calcium reactors.I just do a 5g water change weekly and my levels stay fairly consistent.

 

[Alex T.]

I'm with SPSEMPIRE. I stopped checking phosphate for all the problems with testing equipment. If my SPS seem pale, I feed more. If they have great polyp extension and colors are bright, I really don't care what the tests say. If I start to see algae I change my RO/DI filters and cut back feeding a little...but not much.

I stopped trusting "perfect" reef parameters and go by what I see. My parameters are just that....a guide within a range, not a holy grail set point.

Also, algae seems to creep up every 10 months or so. Hmm...and I use 400 watt Radiums on Galaxy ballasts. That's when I know it's time to change bulbs....lol

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I'm with SPSEMPIRE. I stopped checking phosphate for all the problems with testing equipment. If my SPS seem pale, I feed more. If they have great polyp extension and colors are bright, I really don't care what the tests say. If I start to see algae I change my RO/DI filters and cut back feeding a little...but not much.

I stopped trusting "perfect" reef parameters and go by what I see. My parameters are just that....a guide within a range, not a holy grail set point.

Also, algae seems to creep up every 10 months or so. Hmm...and I use 400 watt Radiums on Galaxy ballasts. That's when I know it's time to change bulbs....lol

Glad I'm not the only one that thinks like this. I think too many people spend a lot of time chasing numbers. Really, the only thing I care about is my Ca and Alk levels, to go along with pH and temp.

Do you run GFO or anything phosphate binding media?

 

[Alex T.]

Glad I'm not the only one that thinks like this. I think too many people spend a lot of time chasing numbers. Really, the only thing I care about is my Ca and Alk levels, to go along with pH and temp.

Do you run GFO or anything phosphate binding media?

I use to run some GFO and Carbon in a BRS reactor. Now I just fill both chambers with carbon and change it every month. I started carbon dosing again but I only use it to keep my nitrates low. I don't try to reach ULNS because it seems that the margin for error with tips burning and STN from the base up is too great a risk. My nitrates hover between barely detectable to around 2. This is where I feel my sweet spot is for growth and color. I don't even test phosphate. I feel that even with a Hanna Meter if the margin of error is .04 then it's basically useless since we're all told that SPS should be at or below .03

To each his own. I'm getting away from being a testing junky. I think that after you've got a few years of SPS under your belt you can tell what's going on in your system by looking at it. I've never seen a tank high in phosphate that looked pristine. Carbon dosing for me is a way to feed my fish so that they look as plump as they do in the wild while still being able to have thriving SPS. I do run a large ETSS skimmer that I now have a 5 gallon remote collection bucket plumbed into the garage that gets emptied every 2 weeks. I skim wet so it's not all sludge.

 

[MammothReefer]

eh I still check, I shoot for .03 but rarely get there or lower. Even if the hanna meter has a margin of .04 (Which I believe I read in one of the threads on the Hanana section was a misunderstanding of how the margin of error is calculated, and the actually margin is much smaller). If my Hanna Meter reads 0, then worse case I have .04.. Personally I do my best to stay on top of it my parameters to often I find we as reefers get into a "comfort" zone 6 months, 1 year.. 2 years however far out is its, and by the time we realize something is going wrong it's to late, and any attempt to fix things results in a shock in the system..sure we can recover and save most thing but we do loose stuff in the process. So with that said, yes I shoot for .03 or below.. but typical as of late I'm floating around .04-.07. For the life of the tank I'm averaging .09. I would like to see that much lower going forward.