Great advice Matthew! I had a huge PO4 spike in my RSR250 and wasn't able to detect it! I used the Red Sea PO4 test kit, and the brightness of the color seemed to be in between 0.08 and 0.12 ppm, BUT the color did not match exactly. Important Lesson if the color is off, the value is outside of the test range! After a year of unhappy corals I had a Triton ICP test done and it said PO4 was 1.4ppm, I couldn't believe it so I bought the Hannah ULR phosphate checker, and it said the same thing. I started a media reactor with Fauna Marin Phos 0.04, but didn't work quick enough, my corals were dying. So I opted for the Elimi-phos and added 2ml/day for a month until PO4 was 0.1, then stopped adding it and it is quite stable at 0.02-0.04 since a month or so. It looks like my corals are slowly becoming happier again. My SPS corals have all died, and LPS corals were on the brink of dying, I hope the new stable PO4 value will help my tank look like it did 2 years ago.
Oh how I wish I could afford a Hanna tester. It sucks being on a fixed income but this hobby has kept me alive! I've loved the learning curve but now I'm disabled so affording this stuff is tight. My fish and crabs are well taken care of but I hate using these cheap test that I can do again and they read differently.🙄
Just get the Red Sea test, I have the Hanna ULR and it reads from 0.30 to the very next day 0.90 blinking so it states that I am over range, but it does tell me the value, so I am not buying the Red Sea kit.
Great 👍 job very well explained, phosphate very annoying. Reading 0.00 on hanner but cannot be as some algae brown on rocks, nitrates 10ppm. Have tried rowaphos works well. My Question: if zero phosphate and have algae issue, then how do younknow how much phosphate remover to use? I.e rowaphos calculator it's frustrating 😫
Don't forget you can use salifert tested solution use both jars for hanna fill one with tank water fill the other with your salifert agent and you can get a near enough reading and use hanna agent once a week to save money
No, probably not. Most of the time, nothing really eats the super long hair algae. Best to do manual removal, and get your phosphates under control via water changes, less/different food, and some gfo in need be.
@@matthewbrstv38 thank you so much for the advice. I tried to get some last night but man it really clings onto stuff! Super tough! Amazing content my friend, look forward to future videos! Thanks again!
Great explanation of the PO4 spike! I’m about on the other side of nuisance algae. I only have a handful of hardy corals so I opted for waiting it out with manual removal and a refugium. I think my problem was related to moving the tank (and stirring stuff up in the deep sand bed that was there previously) more so than excessive feeding or anything. I’ve actually noticed more feeding leading to less nuisance algae, but this could be purely coincidence as the microbiome settles everything out.
Yeah, for sure Taylor. Ryan's new Biome series talks all about how old sandbeds can cause nuisance algae spikes, so that makes total sense! Bet it feels good being on the other side of the algae bloom!
Matthew - do you have any recommendations for using it in a reactor? I’m seeing more and more people use it in a mesh bag inside the reactor but I’m not sure how effective that is
They take a while to get used to, you could just practice with a. used one, put some salt or sugar in it and practice pouring it. After a week of excessive testing I found to make sure you got it all.
How old is the tank? If it's just a few months old, this could be normal. If it's a more established system, I'd also want to rule out dinoflagellates as they can look similar to diatoms in some cases, but water changes could actually make the problem worse.
Great advice Matthew! I had a huge PO4 spike in my RSR250 and wasn't able to detect it! I used the Red Sea PO4 test kit, and the brightness of the color seemed to be in between 0.08 and 0.12 ppm, BUT the color did not match exactly. Important Lesson if the color is off, the value is outside of the test range! After a year of unhappy corals I had a Triton ICP test done and it said PO4 was 1.4ppm, I couldn't believe it so I bought the Hannah ULR phosphate checker, and it said the same thing. I started a media reactor with Fauna Marin Phos 0.04, but didn't work quick enough, my corals were dying. So I opted for the Elimi-phos and added 2ml/day for a month until PO4 was 0.1, then stopped adding it and it is quite stable at 0.02-0.04 since a month or so. It looks like my corals are slowly becoming happier again. My SPS corals have all died, and LPS corals were on the brink of dying, I hope the new stable PO4 value will help my tank look like it did 2 years ago.
wow, that was super high po4! I'm glad you were able to detect it and get it under control. Sorry to hear about your coral loss!
Another great video. Thank you
Of course, thanks for leaving a comment McKenzie!!
Excellent video! Great explanation of the phosphate « cycle »
Thanks for watching Martin!
Expert Reefer part of the internet
Oh how I wish I could afford a Hanna tester. It sucks being on a fixed income but this hobby has kept me alive! I've loved the learning curve but now I'm disabled so affording this stuff is tight.
My fish and crabs are well taken care of but I hate using these cheap test that I can do again and they read differently.🙄
Just get the Red Sea test, I have the Hanna ULR and it reads from 0.30 to the very next day 0.90 blinking so it states that I am over range, but it does tell me the value, so I am not buying the Red Sea kit.
Not necessarily, I have high phosphates and have no allergy at all
Great 👍 job very well explained, phosphate very annoying. Reading 0.00 on hanner but cannot be as some algae brown on rocks, nitrates 10ppm. Have tried rowaphos works well.
My Question: if zero phosphate and have algae issue, then how do younknow how much phosphate remover to use? I.e rowaphos calculator it's frustrating 😫
Does the trident test for this
The new version does. Trident HD
The best phosphate remover on the market is blue vet phosphate RX veterinarian approved devowers phosphates with few drops.
Don't forget you can use salifert tested solution use both jars for hanna fill one with tank water fill the other with your salifert agent and you can get a near enough reading and use hanna agent once a week to save money
Will my emerald crab eat a large patch of some pretty long green hair algae? I got a lawnmower blenny thinking it would help, but it barely eats that.
No, probably not. Most of the time, nothing really eats the super long hair algae. Best to do manual removal, and get your phosphates under control via water changes, less/different food, and some gfo in need be.
@@matthewbrstv38 thank you so much for the advice. I tried to get some last night but man it really clings onto stuff! Super tough!
Amazing content my friend, look forward to future videos! Thanks again!
Add a tuxedo urchin will eat alot of the algae
Great explanation of the PO4 spike! I’m about on the other side of nuisance algae. I only have a handful of hardy corals so I opted for waiting it out with manual removal and a refugium. I think my problem was related to moving the tank (and stirring stuff up in the deep sand bed that was there previously) more so than excessive feeding or anything. I’ve actually noticed more feeding leading to less nuisance algae, but this could be purely coincidence as the microbiome settles everything out.
Yeah, for sure Taylor. Ryan's new Biome series talks all about how old sandbeds can cause nuisance algae spikes, so that makes total sense! Bet it feels good being on the other side of the algae bloom!
@@matthewbrstv38 for sure it really does!
What's the difference between the HI774?
Matthew - do you have any recommendations for using it in a reactor?
I’m seeing more and more people use it in a mesh bag inside the reactor but I’m not sure how effective that is
I have to dose PO4 just so it doesn’t bottom out.
I hate the hanana phos regent packets
They take a while to get used to, you could just practice with a. used one, put some salt or sugar in it and practice pouring it. After a week of excessive testing I found to make sure you got it all.
Nice sell at the end.
How is it possible to have nitrates >20ppm and PO4 > 1.0ppm (a blue darker than what it is at 1.0 ppm) and zero pest algae or cyano?
just tested my ulr phsphates with the hanna checker and its at 0.90 what should I Do?
Where can I find one cheaper or is it one of those things where yea I can find it for 20 but if I do I’m gonna wish I didn’t?
Matt can you help I do a water change and in two days I have diatoms , what can I do
How old is the tank? If it's just a few months old, this could be normal. If it's a more established system, I'd also want to rule out dinoflagellates as they can look similar to diatoms in some cases, but water changes could actually make the problem worse.
@@BulkReefSupply I have had this tank for a couple of years now. Would like to send you a picture maybe you would have an idea. It’s only a 10 gal IM
Just run gfo
Milwaukee mi 412 is better then the hanna by far way more consistent