It’s not a light problem, and it’s not a flow problem, When your SPS coral begins to look dull, phosphate might be the culprit. If you’re keeping your tank stable with ultra-low nutrients, then standard test kits won’t do you any good. They can’t see what you need to see.
The Hanna ULR Phosphate Checker alters all of this. With its ability to detect orthophosphate levels far below what can even be seen on traditional strips, you’ll get a look into the microscopic world of chemicals that delicate corals relies on for their very existence. To do this, the device is based off the concept of extremely precise measurements. By using a particular wavelength of light and the change in water color within a sample, it’s able to detect parts-per-million all the way down to the thousandths.
How to Use the Hanna Phosphate Checker
When you’re trying to run a tank as Ultra-Low Nutrient Stable, then you’re essentially targeting zero, but as we know, zero is a moving target. Here is the breakdown of how various phosphate level relate to coral health (chart above). Sensitive branching species such as Acropora start to have trouble when numbers exceeds these threshold levels. Other more hardy corals like softies may be able to handle higher numbers.
Knowing where you stand on that spectrum can help you avoid a slow death by 1000 cuts. These small issues can slowly kill your tank from the inside out. The meter isn’t so much about chemistry as it is about discipline.
To use it, you need to rinse the cuvette (critical), fill it with precisely 10 milliliters of your tank water (critical), drop in one reagent sachet (critical), wait three minutes for color change to occur (rushing this leads to inaccurate readings) and gently place the cuvette into the meter. Make sure to wipe outside of the cuvette carefully before doing this. Any water droplets or fingerprints will cause scattered light that won’t register properly.
Even the type of salt you have matter. It’s a small thing, but it matters more different than the brand of salt you use. First of all, what does this mean? That depends on who (and what) lives in your tank. The infographic shows target ranges based off tank type. Do you have a ULNS reef where phosphates should be less than ten micrograms per liter? What about a Fish Only With Live Rock system where they can get away with much more? Depending on what corals you keep, those numbers should ideally be in the lower brackets. For example, if you keep delicate SPS coral, you want those numbers down there.
Deep blue means there is a lot of phosphate. Time to do something about it! You’ll either need to ramp up your water changes with RODI water, or perhaps tune your granular ferric oxide reactor. Phosphate will come from somewhere, typically because of leaching substrate or overfeeding. So while measuring the result is key, knowing how it got there should of been equally critical.
Trust your data: consistency is key. Before every test, always zero your device with a clean blank cuvette. Keep all of your reagents in a dry and cool location as moisture will destroy their potency. Check accuracy of your meter at any time by using a certified check standard if you think it may be drifting. Doing so guarantees that a clear reading indicates true water quality.
A reef tank is a chemistry/biology balancing act. With the ULR checker, the chemistry portion becomes less guessing. Instead of comparing vague colors, you know exactly where things are. You can adjust to match those levels and make informed decisions without being forced into reactive panic measures. What you intend doesn’t matter to your corals…they will react based on the environment you provide.
Phosphate control promotes vibrant colors and healthy growth. You don’t see what you don’t look for. That is why seeing is believing and why you must establish a solid foundation to let life prosper.
