phosphates and sps

[luvdiving]

Can high phosphate cause rtn /stn? I recently removed a lot of rock from my DT and I went from undectable phosphate to .05, started noticing some stning on some corals and wanted to see if anyone else experienced anything other than Browning out from high phosphates...

[graveyardworm]

Phosphate inhibits calcification and can cause tissue loss. .05 is still pretty low though. How are you measuring it?

[jedi31]

Phospahtes at .03 is a perfect measurement for SPS. So I can't see .05 having a negative effect on your corals? Did you use a Hanna?

[Bullredchaser]

Actually calcification stops above .03 and you most certainly have a problem.0 is the perfect measurement of phosphates.You need to deal with it fast and your problem should stop.Products like phosbuster will precipitte out of the water column but I would re check in a couple of days in case you have to redose.Then use GFO to catch the slow leaching phosphate and keep an eye on your alk when using any phosphate remover as it somehow binds with the phosphate causing a drop of a 1-2 dkh with every treatment.Good luck and take care of it quickly.

[graveyardworm]

Actually calcification stops above .03 and you most certainly have a problem.0 is the perfect measurement of phosphates.You need to deal with it fast and your problem should stop.Products like phosbuster will precipitte out of the water column but I would re check in a couple of days in case you have to redose.Then use GFO to catch the slow leaching phosphate and keep an eye on your alk when using any phosphate remover as it somehow binds with the phosphate causing a drop of a 1-2 dkh with every treatment.Good luck and take care of it quickly.

I've never heard of calcification problems at such a low PO4 concentration. I thought it was more near or above .25? Can you provide any references, or do others agree?

[mpoletti]

Actually calcification stops above .03 and you most certainly have a problem.0 is the perfect measurement of phosphates.You need to deal with it fast and your problem should stop.

Can someone please help my tank? I have been running it at .03-.08 since it has been set up. I have even had it over .30 and even though the corals were dull and were not growing, my tank was still living.

It may just be me, but true parameter perfection will never be attained in this hobby. For some, the only way to validate that their tank is doing well is by chasing number and not oserving the inhabitants of the tank. I used to be that way and now I rarely test at all.
I forgot that this was a very cool hobby and there are so many different ways to achieve success. I also learned that I am not always right and that I am not always wrong; but as long as I stayed open minded to other methods, I would continue to enjoy the tank and online reefing community.

[StrategicReef]

I've never heard of calcification problems at such a low PO4 concentration. I thought it was more near or above .25? Can you provide any references, or do others agree?

I don't agree, gotta be a typo or some sort

[mysterybox]

change out your gfo more oftenm or start using it. or vodka.

how are you testing phates?

[vegaskid11]

Randy Farley suggests that a po4 level of 0 is actually bad and that many of the organisms in our tank use small amounts of the po4. He says levels of .01 to .05 are ideal

[vegaskid11]

No hobby teset kits can even read zero. The hannah meter even has an error margin of .04

[sportzfish]

Can someone please help my tank? I have been running it at .03-.08 since it has been set up. I have even had it over .30 and even though the corals were dull and were not growing, my tank was still living.

It may just be me, but true parameter perfection will never be attained in this hobby. For some, the only way to validate that their tank is doing well is by chasing number and not oserving the inhabitants of the tank. I used to be that way and now I rarely test at all.
I forgot that this was a very cool hobby and there are so many different ways to achieve success. I also learned that I am not always right and that I am not always wrong; but as long as I stayed open minded to other methods, I would continue to enjoy the tank and online reefing community.

I am buying what you are selling...:)

[sedor]

Not to mention, the ocean has an average PO4 level of 0.03. With no phosphates in your system your corals would become pale and eventually die. To much and they brown out and stop growing. Its such a tricky thing to master. Something I myself am still working on.

[Bryan]

LFS has a beautiful display tank. I tested the tank water and phosphates tested at 0.03. I was quite surprised because of the great growth and colors in the SPS, with virtually no algae. My tank is lame in comparison and my phosphate is almost undetectable.

Starting to come to the conclusion that zero is not necessarily better. I have since switched to a calcium reactor and SPS are starting to pick up again and so is the phosphate reading

[luvdiving]

I use a salifert kit..

[graveyardworm]

Can you post the other water parameters that you test for? Any changes lately like a spike in alk. A more complete description of your tank and inhabitants would be a real help as well.

[graveyardworm]

Can someone please help my tank? I have been running it at .03-.08 since it has been set up. I have even had it over .30 and even though the corals were dull and were not growing, my tank was still living.

It may just be me, but true parameter perfection will never be attained in this hobby. For some, the only way to validate that their tank is doing well is by chasing number and not oserving the inhabitants of the tank. I used to be that way and now I rarely test at all.
I forgot that this was a very cool hobby and there are so many different ways to achieve success. I also learned that I am not always right and that I am not always wrong; but as long as I stayed open minded to other methods, I would continue to enjoy the tank and online reefing community.

Over the years I have come to distrust hobby test kits. My dosing routine is now spot on and parameters change very little. My water testing, still a necessary evil, is about every 3 to 4 weeks to make sure consumption hasnt changed if it does I make a slight correction to my dosing to get it back over the next few days.

BTW I wouldnt start dosing Vodka with kit reading of PO4 at .05 and with something already going wrong. If anything I would get back to basics - water changes. Even GFO if used incorrectly can cause a tissue loss event.

[serpentman]

It may just be me, but true parameter perfection will never be attained in this hobby. For some, the only way to validate that their tank is doing well is by chasing number and not oserving the inhabitants of the tank.


I call it chasing the dragon. A few years back I lost a tank because my pH was low and I kept trying to push it up. I didn't listen to my corals which looked fine because I had to have the "right" pH. Turns out my controller was going bad. All the alk I dosed to bring it up actually took it to almost 9.0. Consequently mass death ensued. Lesson learned and will never be forgotten.

This seems to be a rather common phenomenon. Now I just watch my corals and can usually tell if things are off. I do test every 3-4 weeks just to make sure things aren't slipping too much. However, if something is low, I definitely don't freak and try to remedy it right away. Can't remember the last time I tested for PO4....

[fishview]

My friend got this result from AquriumWaterTesting.com:
Phosphate (PO4)
Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.250 mg/L
Tested: 1.27 mg/L
His corals never rtn /stn. They just browned out, and not growing.

[Dog boy Dave]

quit moving your rocks

[Bullredchaser]

Actually Farley recomends what I said.He said natural reef is .005 not .05 .Thats what I said and the reef aquarium should be less than .03.Heres the link no wonder you all are having problems.By the way I use DD Phosphate test kit and find it extremely reliable.Test kits like the ones from red sea start at .1 and so if you have phosphates at .050 it will say 0 which is completely wrong and dangerous as you have to be 3 times the lethal amount of P04 to get a reading. heres Farleys link http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

[mysterybox]

Actually Farley recomends what I said.He said natural reef is .005 not .05 .Thats what I said and the reef aquarium should be less than .03.Heres the link no wonder you all are having problems.By the way I use DD Phosphate test kit and find it extremely reliable.Test kits like the ones from red sea start at .1 and so if you have phosphates at .050 it will say 0 which is completely wrong and dangerous as you have to be 3 times the lethal amount of P04 to get a reading. heres Farleys link http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php


I agree. I also use the DD Merck test kit and find it accurate, and it tested identical to the HACH kit, albeit much easier to use, imho.

[luvdiving]

U might be right..but I was actually taking the rocks out so I could put it in a new tank I'm setting up..I guess it released all the stuff from the sanded..quit moving your rocks