Advice on My Levels and Adjusting NoPox Dosing

[IndyReef78]

Hi all! Here are my current as of 10 minutes ago, parameters for my mixed reef tank. I have a higher fish population and only small coral frags for the most part so far:

Alkalinity 9.1
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1380
Phosphates 0 (Hanna ULR)
Nitrates around 80 (API test)

I know I need a little phosphate but my nitrates still need to come down. They were both sky high and I’ve been slowly lowering them (started with GFO for the phosphates and will take that out now- it’s likely exhausted anyhow.). The nitrates were off the charts, so just getting a number is a win...sort of!
Everything else looks good, right? Because today my corals that normally look dependably good (GSP, Umbrella mushroom) look a little lackluster. I’ve been dosing NoPox at 15ml per day for my 120 gal tank at the direction of a LFS. Do you think I should adjust the dose now? If so, what would you adjust it to?

 

[Big G]

Bump

 

[rkpetersen]

With that kind of nutrient imbalance, NPX won't work.
The bacteria that it promotes the growth of need to take up both nitrate and phosphate in order to multiply and then be skimmed off. You have no phosphate for them.
And running GFO at the same time as NPX is dangerous, potentially severely depressing your phosphate level and hurting your corals in the process (been there.)
What you could use right now are a series of sizable water changes.
These will have maximum effect on the nitrate level with minimal effect on the phosphate level since it's already so low.

 

[IndyReef78]

With that kind of nutrient imbalance, NPX won't work.
The bacteria that it promotes the growth of need to take up both nitrate and phosphate in order to multiply and then be skimmed off. You have no phosphate for them.
And running GFO at the same time as NPX is dangerous, potentially severely depressing your phosphate level and hurting your corals in the process (been there.)
What you could use right now are a series of sizable water changes.
These will have maximum effect on the nitrate level with minimal effect on the phosphate level since it's already so low.

Ok, I’ve been researching and had come to the same basic conclusion about the phosphates being too low. The GFO is gone. A water change is in the works as soon as we make another batch of saltwater. I did a very heavy feeding of reef roids last night and today my phosphates are at 2 ppb on the Hanna checker (not great, but at least up a little.) I have placed an order for brightwell neophos to dose a little of that as well to see if I can raise the level a bit. Hopefully all this together will finally get levels where they need to be.

I appreciate the feedback!