Optimum phosphate values?

[jonthefb]

what do you all consider teh standard for phosphate in tanks? whats high and low? in martin moes book, it lists a phosphate level ove 1 ppm to be optimum, howeve in my salifert test kit, it says that an optimu level is .003 ppm. my water is testing at .5 ppm of phosphate. the salifert test kit also states that at .25 ppm of phosphate, coral growth is retarded. im not sure whom to follow here. any suggestions?
thanks in advance
jon

 

[jonthefb]

oh come on now guys, what do you all use as the "standards" for measuring phosphate?
anyone...anyone?

jon

 

[bang guy]

Any PO4 will retard skeleton building. 1.0ppm will significantly slow it. It's not linear though. NSW levels vary from 0.003 to 0.100.
Sidebar - PO4 is required in trace amounts to build protein. A level of 0.0 is not the goal. Try to stick to NSW levels.

 

[jonthefb]

guy, if you tested your tank for phosphate, what would yours read? so would you consider a phosphate level of .25-.5 bad?
just a little confused here!
jon

 

[bang guy]

I just finished testing it. Undetectectable but then I just have the el-cheapo Red Sea Fish Pharm kit and it only goes down to 0.1. i guess I'm ok as long as it doesn't show up on my test kit (assuming it works).
I have a LOT of caulerpa though. I would imagine and PO4 is quickly consumed. That doesn't mean I don't have any, it just means that it get consumed quickly.
Keep in mind that all fish foods contain PO4 as it must be. The easiest way to remove it I've found is macro algae.
Guy

 

[nm reef]

I seldom test for phosphates but when I do I use the salifert test . As a rule my results are non-detectable. I've always thought that we should attempt to keep phosphates as low as possible...and if they are detectable then attempts should be made to lower or stabalise them. Just to insure mine don't become a problem I run Kents phosphate sponge once a month for a few days...I place a relatively small amount in a micron bag in a high flow area of my refugium. After a few days I remove it and discard. I run carbon in the same manner.....Not sure that its really needed...but its worked for my system and its become part of the regular system maintenance.

 

[frankl15207]

I have the Salifert and my readings are non-detectable. However, I also have their dissolved oxygen test and the reading is also non-detectable. 900 to 1600 gph in a 75 and a 0 dissolved oxygen reading. Hmmm. My phosphate levels must really be high.

 

[jonthefb]

thats what i can figure out. on the salifert test, i read between .25 and .5 ppm. i run a poly filter on my wet/dry all the time and change it when it discolors. but like guy said, his red sea kir only measured to 1 ppm. im so confused here. When i test my water with a Laotte's kit, my phosphates read normal as well. do you think my salifert test kit is bad? im so lost. if phosphate is such a causative chemical in our tanks(red slime algae, other algaes, etc) you'd think there would be a set of standardized info, and a reliable test kit to go by!
jon

 

[ironreef]

UNDETECTABLE is optimun. U can only test for inoraganic po4. organic won't register= you always have po4 every living thing has it= organic, it can be off the chart and still be undetectalbe for inorganic. So imo 000000000000 which IME is easy to do