Phosphate test kit

[ClownReef®]

Try Salifert test kits. In my opinion the best test kits out there.

[alton]

On testing for Phosphates save your money on buying test kits and just buy phosban or some other phosphate remover with the money. If you have hair algae your tank already told you, you have phosphates. When you feed you are adding phosphates

[Ram_Puppy]

i agree w/ alton,

not to mention there are different types of phosphate present, organic and mineral, and the tests almost always test for the wrong one (can't remember which - probably mineral (need to test for organic).

salifert makes great test kits, but chances are, your algae, if thats the proble, is locking that phosphate away almost as fast as it is produced, and you will test for 0 anyhow.

[cpreefguy]

Deltec makes the best phosphate test kit

[caferacermike]

Sean I agree with you that Deltec would make one of the finest kits, I know Tunze is also highly regarded as well. However from my understanding there is a company in Italy and in France that uses the absolute best chemicals and can test literally to zero I cannot think of the name but hopefully John at Kingfish can chime in with the name of the products. Maybe the Deltec kits are the same but repackaged? The kits are very expensive though, maybe around $100 for 100 tests?

[JimD]

i agree w/ alton,

not to mention there are different types of phosphate present, organic and mineral, and the tests almost always test for the wrong one (can't remember which - probably mineral (need to test for organic).

salifert makes great test kits, but chances are, your algae, if thats the proble, is locking that phosphate away almost as fast as it is produced, and you will test for 0 anyhow.

This is right on the mark, save your money.

[briancarlile]

In my opinion, most inexpensive PO4 test kits test for inorganic phosphate (e.g. salifert, seachem, aquarium systems, etc) The two PO4 test kits that test organic PO4 are both made by the chemical/pharm. co. MERCK. The Tunze kit usually retails for $35 at Aquatek if they have it, or the D&D aka Deltec is aroud $160.
Phospahte should never be absolute zero in any reef aquarium. It is advisable to run your PO4 levels at around 0.008 to 0.015 mg/L organic phosphate. In predominately SPS systems PO4 is important in the calcification process. SPS tanks with "zero" phosphate run the risk of growing brittle stony colonies. The statement that PO4 testing is unnecessary when you are running Phosban or the like is incorrect. In fact, it is more important than ever to test phosphates when running an Iron based PO4 absorbing resin, esp. when in a TLF reactor. This combination is effective in removing phosphates so much so that you can strip a tank esp. one that is lightly stocked with fish. I have seen many hobbiests running 200+ gph thru a TLF reactor, depending on the size of the tank, this is wayyyy to fast.

On the topic of hair algae. To say that if you have hair algae then you have phosphates is not always true. Many hair algaes (e.g. Derbresia (sp?) and esp Bryopsis) and even valonia can grow in the absence of "detectable" phosphates. These algae have a structure similar to a root system that extract nutrients from detritus in the rock. Detritus is broken down by chemicals produced in the algaes "roots" leaching nutrients whose levels are large enough to feed the algae but too small to test for. These nutrients are used locally and never have time to get sucked out by PO4 removers.

Finally, I am not saying that you should go out and blow $$ on a PO4 test kit. I would look at what is fuelling the algae. In most aquariums this source is detritus either in the rock or in the sand bed resulting from lack of sufficient flow.

[BIGBIRD123]

Well said Brian...another thing you can say is that you can still have high phosphates and no hair algae.

Steve

[briancarlile]

Steve, that is a good point.
And Jims statement, "if thats the problem, is locking that phosphate away almost as fast as it is produced, and you will test for 0 anyhow".
is also a very common scenario.

[BIGBIRD123]

Before my tank crash, I knew I had high phosphate because of the way my fuge algae grew but had no sign of any algae at all in the main tank.

Steve

[Ram_Puppy]

umm.. ok.. maybe i missed this in school - but algae, by its very nature, has NO roots. period, the end. they are equipped with holdfasts that do nothing but keep the little buggers attatched to the rock.

the argument that you can have no detectable phosphate in the presence of algae, only means that the algae is consuming enough phosphate to control your levels. this is akin to nutrien export if you can be so lucky as to get it out of the tank. Phosphates are very important in plant metabolism, even algae, and if memory serves (from my planted tank days) a lack of phosphate makes it difficult for other nutrients to be properly metabolized.

i.e if you have algae that is not growing, your probably phosphate limited, but if the algae is growing, guess what, it's present, even if you can't see it on your test.

[briancarlile]

These algae have a structure similar to a root system that extract nutrients from detritus in the rock.

Good point, algae by definition do not have roots. Bryopsis in particular has a structure similar to roots called microthalli. Bryopsis can reproduce sexually, asexually via spores, or via fragmentation. Fragmentation is the most common form of reproduction especially when you are trying to pull this stuff out. After fragmentation many single multinucleated algal cells called Thalli settle into the live rock. Each thallus "roots" into the rock holding itself in with structures called microthalli. Nutrients are absorbed as detritus in the rock breaks down and algae grow.

A lack of phosphate makes it difficult for other nutrients to be metabolized in a freshwater tank full of vascular plants whose phosphate requirements are much higher than that of marine alga.

The main point I want to make is that unless phosphate is particularly high ( 0.08-0.15 mg/L) in a reef tank, then PO4 is not always the reason for hair algae growth. Furthermore, simply slapping some phosphate remover in a tank is not the cure, which is what was suggested at the beginning of this thread.

Lastly, if your algae is not growing you could be nitrogen limited just as easily. Each algal cell assimilates 106 parts Carbon & 16 parts Nitrogen for each phosphate molecule used.

[briancarlile]

aeroaustin- if you cannot control this algae chemically you may look into Elysia ornata which is an obligate Bryopsis eater.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/3186/19073Elysia_ornata_2.jpg

[caferacermike]

You can find the lettuce nudi quite often, generally $5. A nice price for a nice to look at slug. My only problem is keeping them alive. I used to want tons of different nudis but they always end up in the sump or stuck to, or have gone through my power heads.