Phosphate test kits

[anthonys51]

Just got the Milwaukee low range tester and results was 2.06 and 2.00

Also tested on salifert got
.50 ppm. Maybe a little darker but pretty close to .50 ppm

The Milwaukee I got 2.00 and 2.06. That's a big difference. So what test is right.

. Plus how can my monti Green slimmer and blue acro still be living with 2 ppm phosphates
Ny tank is 2 months old and I haven't run Gfo yet but I just added it yesterday.

But 100 lbs of live rock was from old tank with is part of the current system
Also have algae on rock but nothing crazy



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by anthonys51

. Plus how can my monti Green slimmer and blue acro still be living with 2 ppm phosphates

Its not "toxic" really.. Its just going to fuel algae growth, slow calcification,etc...

I'm curious how you have that much phosphates in a new tank..
Rocks leaching it? heavily overfeeding?

[anthonys51]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Its not "toxic" really.. Its just going to fuel algae growth, slow calcification,etc...



I'm curious how you have that much phosphates in a new tank..

Rocks leaching it? heavily overfeeding?

What text is correct. Salifert was done by my and ny friend .50. Witch is high but I do feed a lot. But the other test of 2.00 is off the charts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by anthonys51

What text is correct. Salifert was done by my and ny friend .50. Witch is high but I do feed a lot. But the other test of 2.00 is off the charts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Was that a question asking which test is correct?

At this point we can't assume either is correct.. Take a sample to your local fish store and have them perform a test too..

In general both should be fairly accurate but you may have testing errors,etc..
And you clearly have a pretty large difference so.... maybe run the tests again and see how it goes..

[anthonys51]

I will tonight I put Gfo in so wanted to wait 2 days to test


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[anthonys51]

Ok put Gfo in after few days the Milwaukee is down to .81 salifert stayed the same at .5. So maybe salifert isn't that accurate over .50


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hbrochs]

+1 take a sample to lfs, If your coral look ok I would hold of interventions until you know what it is you are dealing with.

[anthonys51]

Why would you hold off on adding Gfo. I wasn't running it and now I am currently running it. Corals do look ok algae isn't growing like crazy. Wondering why you would of help off on adding Gfo or any other intervention


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mcgyvr]

While its never a good idea to make corrections if you can't trust your measurements its not a big deal here to add the GFO as you clearly had phosphates of some level.. Their statement makes more sense say if you had differing salinity and didn't know what to trust yet. If that happens don't just start adding salt or freshwater as needed. Wait till you know for sure..

Good thing you include the "Iphone at Tapatalk" in your posts or I would have thought you were a non-native English speaker or a hood rat from your "text like" posts/spelling,etc.. Just playin'

[bertoni]

How much GFO did you add to the system?

Phosphate might reduce growth in corals by making it harder to form a skeleton, but I think we have very little knowledge about what actually will kill animals. Since the tank seems to be doing well enough, I'd proceed slowly.

[anthonys51]

Originally Posted by bertoni

How much GFO did you add to the system?

Phosphate might reduce growth in corals by making it harder to form a skeleton, but I think we have very little knowledge about what actually will kill animals. Since the tank seems to be doing well enough, I'd proceed slowly.

I added 6 cups of Gfo. Yes I now know that phosphates aren't going to kill everything in your tank all at once.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bertoni]

That's a lot of GFO. Some people report problems when dropping the phosphate level rapidly. I'd watch for signs of trouble, and scale back on the GFO if the corals start reacting badly. I might scale back now, just out of caution.

[anthonys51]

Originally Posted by anthonys51

I added 6 cups of Gfo. Yes I now know that phosphates aren't going to kill everything in your tank all at once.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is 6 cups for 600 gallons is a lot?

The went from 2.00ppm to .80ppm in a week. Do you think that is too fast. All Corals look the same. The Only corals doing bad is both wellso. But they been doing bad since I put them in tank. All others such as the arco,hammers,Lobo ritteria anemone , all 3 clams are doing fine



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bertoni]

Hmm, that's a lot larger system than I thought you had. I'd still probably have started smaller, but if the corals are fine, then there's no need to worry. So are all the systems you have in your profile plumbed together?

[anthonys51]

Yes one big system. Tank is about 10 weeks old. Wondering why I didn't have algae growing all over the place with phosphates that high


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[anthonys51]

Originally Posted by bertoni

Hmm, that's a lot larger system than I thought you had. I'd still probably have started smaller, but if the corals are fine, then there's no need to worry. So are all the systems you have in your profile plumbed together?

Rocks have a little algae but just really the dry rock I used. The only live rock doesn't have any



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bertoni]

Algae might show up at some point, but I'd just work on getting the phosphate level down for the time being.

[anthonys51]

Going to run Gfo until it gets down to .01. Nitrate are either .10 or .05 Can't really tell color difference on the salifert test Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Vinny Kreyling]

Anthony,
Current thinking on Nitrates is that up to 10 ppm is fine.

[anthonys51]

Yes I meant to write nitrates are in acceptable range. So as long as I got phosphates in acceptable range my stuff should be ok




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nicholasb]

Often high phosphates can cause the algae that grows in S.P.S corals, to grow to fast. The coral then ejects the algae, and the coral bleaches and dies. In this case you could have something else limiting the growth of the algae, like iron. High phosphates slows down the calcification of corals, but wont kill them. As for the test kits they are always difficult to read. Salifert is easy to read it you have phosphates levels below 0.03ppm. Other wise salifert is a nightmare!!.

[anthonys51]

I am dosing Iron. Maybe that's why I haven't noticed algae growing like crazy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nicholasb]

There are probably many reasons why the algae in your corals is not growing to fast. Lack of iron was just one idea. No one really knows why S.P.S corals can sometimes stand high phosphates. Why are you dosing iron. Iron is algae's best friend.

[anthonys51]

I am dosing iron at half the recommended dose because I have Macro algae and I heard Macro algae grows better with the addition of iron. Is this incorrect thinking. My calurpa is dark green and growing like crazy. Plus my halimeda is growing like crazy too. I have a 57 dsb tank with Macro algae ( fancy ones ) and 50 gallon refugium in my sump My tank is 2 months old. Used rock from my 57 and 75 lbs of live rock and 200 lbs of drive rock to start tank. My old tank was neglected and little dirty. So I think using that rock made my new tank have high nitrates ny firsts test result was 75 and phosphates .1 Marco was added and over the course of 2 weeks nitrates quickly lowed to .25. Over time it hit .10 or lower. But phosphates went up but I did start feeding more as I saw nitrates drop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nicholasb]

Yes macro algae needs iron. It is difficult to tell how much to dose, but difficult to overdose. Macro algae is 98% water, and often does very little for phosphate removal. Using G.F.O is a better way to remove phosphates. It is probably cheaper than dosing iron.