ideal phosphate levels? 0?
- Thread starter meph
- Start date
- Location
- Far Rockaway
0 is what you want
- Location
- Franklin Lakes, NJ
You could open a can of worms with this question, but close to zero is generally what you want.
ryangrieder
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Northern Jersey
Hahaha I agree. I saw a lot of different answers on another thread about this but in the end zero is good.
I did a few searches and got mixed results. Any suggestions on how to reduce phosphate? I was thinking of getting some pura pads.
- Location
- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY
Phosban or any ferric oxide in a reactor. =0)
You want to keep it under .05 so anywhere close to 0.00 is best. Theres a tolerance of .04 +- on the kit so take that into consideration. Heres a good Po4 article.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php
You want to keep it under .05 so anywhere close to 0.00 is best. Theres a tolerance of .04 +- on the kit so take that into consideration. Heres a good Po4 article.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php
DrHarryLopez
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Ozone Park, Queens
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Murray Camp gave a presentation and basically pointed towards Po4 above .03 ppm might inhibit calcification for coral growth.
.03 on a hanna meter is perfect! If you got 0.0 your tank would be starved. If you had SPS they would be pale in color. 0.0 on a hanna meter is a very difficult level to get to in any system.
On any conventional teskit such as salifert, API, elos, merrick etc. you should always get 0 as a reading. Regular phosphate testkits are useless at low ranges.
BTW I am speaking about the older more expensive hanna meters. i am not sure how accurate the new po4 checker is.
On any conventional teskit such as salifert, API, elos, merrick etc. you should always get 0 as a reading. Regular phosphate testkits are useless at low ranges.
BTW I am speaking about the older more expensive hanna meters. i am not sure how accurate the new po4 checker is.
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- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
i agree, as long as you dont go above .05 you should be fine. The new hana meters are not exactly 100% acurate. I own one and get readings all close but not always the exactly same??
Just keep up with 2 week water changes and you see improvement.
- Location
- East Stroudsburg, PA
Was talking to Simon Garrett at the swap(the setup the night before) he stated that all living things need a certain level of phosphate to survive- when he got his to test absolute 0 with his lab grade merc kits his corals started to not do so great. When he raised them- mostly by feeding a lot of algae based foods like nori and such which are loaded with phosphates to where the merc kits started to get readings registering everything looked better than they had in along time.
Based on that-- the Hanna not test kits like us poor folk use(lol) you dont want absolute 0 on that meter. You want it to just register like stated by others in here id say .03 would be good.
Enjoy the meter.
Based on that-- the Hanna not test kits like us poor folk use(lol) you dont want absolute 0 on that meter. You want it to just register like stated by others in here id say .03 would be good.
Enjoy the meter.
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
If you can maintain PO4 at .03 on the Hanna meter you will be fine. No reason to go lower.
DrHarryLopez
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Ozone Park, Queens
fallenlordz
Cant hear you under Water
- Location
- Fresh Meadows, NY
I need a phosphate test kit soon - when I buy a reefkeeper lite controller...
How is the quality and testing of the hanna phosmeter in your opinion?
How is the quality and testing of the hanna phosmeter in your opinion?
My readings on my Hanna Phosphate Meter stayed around .11 and .07. I made water changes at 5% tank volume once a week for about two months and it still stayed around .07. When I finally cleaned the inside of the test tube, the reading dropped to .05. So long story short, the test tubes need to be cleaned as well. You'll see a marked improved in LPS corals such as Chalices when the phosphate levels are below .05.
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DrHarryLopez
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Ozone Park, Queens
Good point.
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
How are you cleaning the test tubes?
FWIW, also do not handle the test tube with bare fingers. The residue would obscure the photometer.
FWIW, also do not handle the test tube with bare fingers. The residue would obscure the photometer.
I rinse the tubes w/ tap water after i use it.... and before i test, i rinse it with test water and pour that out before I put fresh test water. I also wipe the tubes down with a microfiber cloth b4 I insert it into the tester.
Last week i got .18ppm and this week i got .10 ppm.
Last week i got .18ppm and this week i got .10 ppm.
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