Phosphate

Blu3s94 · 02/16/2018, 01:13 PM

After 2 years in the hobby I finally got a reactor and started measuring phosphate with a Hanna ULR.

BRS deluxe reactor running 1/2 cup ROX carbon and 1/4 cup of High capacity GFO. Both from BRS.

My Hanna measured 0.074 and 0.080 on my first 2 checks. I then measured from the output of the reactor to see if the GFO was doing it's job after a few days running. It measured 0.049.

I keep a mixed reef of SPS, LPS, and ZOAS.
Everything does fine and colors good. Should I be worried the phosphate is on the high side even though I'm sure my tank has been high for the last 2 years and SPS shows no side effects?

I started with a pretty low dose of GFO from reading all the bad about shocking the system. The only thing I notice is brown algae on the glass and sand that I constantly have to clean every 2 days.

It's a 125 gallon with a 40 gallon sump. Heavy stock of fish IMO. 8 fish total.

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mcgyvr · 02/16/2018, 01:16 PM

Was the first number supposed to be .74 and not .074? big difference..

You certainly seem to have a phosphate issue..
What is your nitrate reading?
Have you thought about just not overfeeding so much?

Blu3s94 · 02/16/2018, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Was the first number supposed to be .74 and not .074? big difference..

You certainly seem to have a phosphate issue..
What is your nitrate reading?
Have you thought about just not overfeeding so much?

I corrected it.

The hanna registered 24 and 26 PPB, using the conversion chart I got 0.074 & 0.080.

0 nitrate.

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lapin · 02/16/2018, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blu3s94

After 2 years in the hobby I finally got a reactor and started measuring phosphate with a Hanna ULR.

I keep a mixed reef of SPS, LPS, and ZOAS.
Everything does fine and colors good. Should I be worried the phosphate is on the high side even though I'm sure my tank has been high for the last 2 years and SPS shows no side effects?

Just because "inquiring minds want to know" Your tank is doing good. You want to change it because "the hanna checker says your phosphate is high". Is this correct?

Blu3s94 · 02/16/2018, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lapin

Just because "inquiring minds want to know" Your tank is doing good. You want to change it because "the hanna checker says your phosphate is high". Is this correct?

Honestly the only reason I even started checking phosphate and getting a reactor was battling the brown algae. I saw alot of posts stating it's linked to high phosphate. The tank isn't new, it's going through RODI with 0 TDS. So I figured that's what it was.

If there's any reason for me to lower it. I would say that's it. It's possible I am not seeing the true growth and color from my coral? But it looks good to me.

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Bent · 02/16/2018, 05:13 PM

Much like in healthcare.

Treat the patient not the numbers.

Subsea · 02/16/2018, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent

Much like in healthcare.

Treat the patient not the numbers.

Best advice I have heard in a long time.

HBtank · 02/16/2018, 05:44 PM

I have seen recommendations of 0.01-0.05 phosphate, although the consensus seems to be 0.01 - 0.03 is best.

But if your system seems to be fine, I would not be overly concerned with 0.07-0.08.

Bent · 02/16/2018, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subsea

Best advice I have heard in a long time.

You’d really be surprised the similarities between keeping a part of the ocean on life support, and a human being on life support....

tkeracer619 · 02/16/2018, 07:54 PM

I would continue using very small amounts of GFO to bring the number to ~.03.

I wouldn't do it fast nor be too concerned about it. It could take a very long time to remove that amount since it is likely bound in the substrate and rock. Since the tank is doing well make the change to export a little more phosphate in your normal routines and let it fall with your normal maintenance routine.

Blu3s94 · 02/16/2018, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

I would continue using very small amounts of GFO to bring the number to ~.03.

I wouldn't do it fast nor be too concerned about it. It could take a very long time to remove that amount since it is likely bound in the substrate and rock. Since the tank is doing well make the change to export a little more phosphate in your normal routines and let it fall with your normal maintenance routine.

This is what I'm going to do, thanks. I'm hoping once I get closer to the 0.01 - 0.05 most people go for I won't be scraping the glass every 2 days. Dimming the light or going dark for 3 days never helps. Always comes back. So it must be high phosphates.

Maybe my SPS will even benefit. Who knows.

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mcgyvr · 02/17/2018, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blu3s94

I corrected it.

The hanna registered 24 and 26 PPB, using the conversion chart I got 0.074 & 0.080.

0 nitrate.

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Totally fine as is IMO..
I would not be running GFO if I were you..

THEUNION1 · 02/17/2018, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent

Much like in healthcare.

Treat the patient not the numbers.

Blu3s94 · 02/26/2018, 01:55 AM

Update: 10 days late I now have a reading of .040.

In between there's has been (1) 20% water change. Have not added or changed GFO.

Happy with this number. Have not noticed a difference in the algae growing on glass however. Going to see if it continues to drop or hopefully levels out here. Need to check output of GFO to see if it's depleted.

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02/16/2018, 01:13 PM	#1
Blu3s94 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 269	Phosphate After 2 years in the hobby I finally got a reactor and started measuring phosphate with a Hanna ULR. BRS deluxe reactor running 1/2 cup ROX carbon and 1/4 cup of High capacity GFO. Both from BRS. My Hanna measured 0.074 and 0.080 on my first 2 checks. I then measured from the output of the reactor to see if the GFO was doing it's job after a few days running. It measured 0.049. I keep a mixed reef of SPS, LPS, and ZOAS. Everything does fine and colors good. Should I be worried the phosphate is on the high side even though I'm sure my tank has been high for the last 2 years and SPS shows no side effects? I started with a pretty low dose of GFO from reading all the bad about shocking the system. The only thing I notice is brown algae on the glass and sand that I constantly have to clean every 2 days. It's a 125 gallon with a 40 gallon sump. Heavy stock of fish IMO. 8 fish total. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk Last edited by Blu3s94; 02/16/2018 at 02:59 PM.

02/16/2018, 01:16 PM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Was the first number supposed to be .74 and not .074? big difference.. You certainly seem to have a phosphate issue.. What is your nitrate reading? Have you thought about just not overfeeding so much? __________________ Who me?

02/16/2018, 05:13 PM	#6
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	Much like in healthcare. Treat the patient not the numbers. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

02/16/2018, 05:44 PM	#8
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	I have seen recommendations of 0.01-0.05 phosphate, although the consensus seems to be 0.01 - 0.03 is best. But if your system seems to be fine, I would not be overly concerned with 0.07-0.08. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/16/2018, 07:54 PM	#10
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	I would continue using very small amounts of GFO to bring the number to ~.03. I wouldn't do it fast nor be too concerned about it. It could take a very long time to remove that amount since it is likely bound in the substrate and rock. Since the tank is doing well make the change to export a little more phosphate in your normal routines and let it fall with your normal maintenance routine. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

02/26/2018, 01:55 AM	#14
Blu3s94 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 269	Update: 10 days late I now have a reading of .040. In between there's has been (1) 20% water change. Have not added or changed GFO. Happy with this number. Have not noticed a difference in the algae growing on glass however. Going to see if it continues to drop or hopefully levels out here. Need to check output of GFO to see if it's depleted. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk