lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
I ordered a phosphate test kit on Amazon and got it today. I tested my 55 planted tank and got 1-2 ppm (couldn't tell for sure) I'm just wondering what the recommended level is?
phosphates
- Thread starter lovemyguppies
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Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm new to planted tanks but I maintain 2.0ppm but my tank is heavily planted
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
Mine doesn't have quite as many plants, but i do have a lot, and I'm working on getting more. So would you say that my phosphate level is pretty good then?
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Like I said I'm new but from what I've read and have been told yes you wanna hang around 2.0ppm. I also try and maintain nitrates at 10ppm
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
My nitrates are always 10-20 ppm. Also your tank looks amazing. I'm jealous lol
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
- Messages
- 5,011
Phosphate Levels
Hello love...
From the reading I've done, phosphate readings in excess of 1 ppm isn't very good. At 1 ppm, you can get the beginnings of algae growth and higher levels will create a real algae problem.
There are many flaked fish foods with high levels of phosphate, it's some kind of additive that extends the shelf life of the product. Maybe you're using one. If you use these flaked foods you can just reduce the amount you feed and make sure when you do your water changes, that you remove a good percentage of the tank water.
There is filter media available that removes phosphate. I've never used them, but I understand that type of thing is out there.
B
Hello love...
From the reading I've done, phosphate readings in excess of 1 ppm isn't very good. At 1 ppm, you can get the beginnings of algae growth and higher levels will create a real algae problem.
There are many flaked fish foods with high levels of phosphate, it's some kind of additive that extends the shelf life of the product. Maybe you're using one. If you use these flaked foods you can just reduce the amount you feed and make sure when you do your water changes, that you remove a good percentage of the tank water.
There is filter media available that removes phosphate. I've never used them, but I understand that type of thing is out there.
B
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
I feed either nls pellets or frozen foods so i doubt that's the problem. I'm really not sure if it was 1 or 2ppm though. When i get home I'll retest and see if i can figure it out.
You want to run higher phosphates if you have alot of non-green plants as Convict has. High phosphates does not mean your going to have algae problems. I run a 220g 100% planted high light tank with 2/3 of the plants being colored and I purposely run my phosphates between 5-10ppm without algae issues because of all the colored plants. If you have alot of plant but most or all are green then you only need about .5-1ppm phosphates and alittle higher nitrate of around 15ppm.
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
Well i currently only have one colored plant, rotala macrandra, but i want to get a lot more.
Colored plants get better color with high light, low nitrates (I keep mine at 10ppm and no higher), higher phosphates (which you only need about 1ppm right now and as you increase the number of colored plants you can slowly increase phosphates up to 2ppm. Since you do have Macrandra I would keep nitrates at 10ppm.
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
Alright well i will do a pwc tonight to get those lower, and I'm super excited cuz i got my new quad t5ho's in the mail today!! My tank looks a million times brighter than with just dual t5ho!
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
Oh i forgot i also just got telanthera cardinalis, rotala wallichi, and rotala rotundfolia. I've also had rotala indica for a while now.
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
I just wanted add one thing. Don't let the phosphates scare ya too much. I've had phosphates off the color charts for weeks with no ill effects so... To say you want your phosphates to be 1.0 or under I'd say that sounds like more of an opinion then fact.
Again I'm new to plants so if I'm wrong then so be it.
If you plan on more reds and other colors your gonna want your phosphates 2.0ppm and nitrates 10ppm.
Again I'm new to plants so if I'm wrong then so be it.
If you plan on more reds and other colors your gonna want your phosphates 2.0ppm and nitrates 10ppm.
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
As long as it isn't harmful to my fish, I'm not scared by it lol. And i definitely plan on more colorful plants, i was just waiting to get my new lights. I just got home and retested phosphates and I'm pretty sure its 1 ppm. I think once my liquid ferts run out and i switch to pps pro I'll be able to better control phosphates (correct me if I'm wrong though).
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
Have you guys ever seen Tom Barr's tanks? He doses 5 ppm phosphate at a time. That can accumulate as high as 17 ppm. I've run as high as 10 ppm before without blowback. EI can easily get above 5 ppm. Generally speaking, high levels of just about anything don't matter all that much until they're really, really high, at least with respect to algae.
What I'm trying to say is: the best recommended value that we can tell you is "enough". Don't run out, don't run it too low, and you'll be fine.
What I'm trying to say is: the best recommended value that we can tell you is "enough". Don't run out, don't run it too low, and you'll be fine.
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lovemyguppies
Aquarium Advice Freak
Well that seems easy enough lol, thank you!
