Are my phosphates to high?

[thatindonesianreefer]

Hi
I have a lps dominated reef tank with a few softies and NO sps (for now). My phos are currently sitting at around 0.25 and nitrates at 5 (pretty low). My question is is my phosphates to high? As of

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Note :
I do weekly 10% water changes and change the filter floss weekly.

 

[TX_REEF]

0.25 phosphate could be considered "high", but more concerning is that your phosphates are too high compared to your nitrates. The "rule of thumb" if you want your nitrates to be 50-100x your phosphates, so with 0.25 phosphates you'd want nitrates to be 12.5-25.

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Do you have any advice for lower the phos and rising the nitrates?

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

I currently dose nopox (1 ml a day).

 

[TX_REEF]

For reducing phosphates, you can try adding more nutrient export, such as a refugium or algae turf scrubber, or reducing feeding of pellet foods or other phosphate rich foods (reefroids, for example). However, your phosphates are not alarmingly high, so you could increase the dose of nopox to balance.

A more important question, however: is everything in your reef happy? If so, I wouldn’t change anything! Diagnose observable problems, not numbers - that’s my opinion.

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

For reducing phosphates, you can try adding more nutrient export, such as a refugium or algae turf scrubber, or reducing feeding of pellet foods or other phosphate rich foods (reefroids, for example). However, your phosphates are not alarmingly high, so you could increase the dose of nopox to balance.

A more important question, however: is everything in your reef happy? If so, I wouldn’t change anything! Diagnose observable problems, not numbers - that’s my opinion.

Most of the lps are doing well execpt for one trachy i’be had for 6 months now. Aside from the trachy the others seem to be growing well (had and acan grow 6 babies in 1 month)

 

[SPR1968]

Try ATM agent green, that’s what I use these days, very simple and it works.

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Thanks

 

[Solo McReefer]

The "rule of thumb" if you want your nitrates to be 50-100x your phosphates, so with 0.25 phosphates you'd want nitrates to be 12.5-25

Is that rule of thumb based on The Redfield Ratio?

Or something else?

 

[Nano_Man]

I’ve had phosphate through the roof and I looked in my tank and everything was thriving probably the best it’s looked so don’t be over concerned. If everything looks happy why change it. Number chasing Numbers not for me. Weekly water changes is the best way of getting rid of nutrients .

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Thanks

 

[Dburr1014]

I currently dose nopox (1 ml a day).

Nopox helps reduce nitrates a lot faster than phosphates. If you want to raise your nitrates, stop the nopox.
I would do this first before anything else. IMO.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Which test kit are you using?

If using API, then you don't know your phosphate level and should not do anything until you get a proper test kit. My phosphate is at .1, so you need to be able to measure .1, but if your test go from zero to .25, then your test kit is no good. Get a hanna tester, this is the best phosphate tester.

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Which test kit are you using?

If using API, then you don't know your phosphate level and should not do anything until you get a proper test kit. My phosphate is at .1, so you need to be able to measure .1, but if your test go from zero to .25, then your test kit is no good. Get a hanna tester, this is the best phosphate tester.

Salifert

 

[Pistondog]

Hi
I have a lps dominated reef tank with a few softies and NO sps (for now). My phos are currently sitting at around 0.25 and nitrates at 5 (pretty low). My question is is my phosphates to high? As of

Mostly good advice here. Id stay the course and try to identify the phosphate source. Reefroids are mostly phosphate, for example.

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Mostly good advice here. Id stay the course and try to identify the phosphate source. Reefroids are mostly phosphate, for example.

My guess for now is pellets

 

[Pistondog]

Maybe eliminate the pellets, or cut in 1/2. Substitute frozen.

 

[VintageReefer]

Lps dominated tank. Have a large trachy also. I wouldn’t say your phosphates are high but agree they could go a little lower. Try not to bottom out at zero

For my tank
Phosphates are .16
Nitrates 6.6

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is that rule of thumb based on The Redfield Ratio?

Or something else?

IMO, such ratio guidelines are suboptimal. I think it can never go wrong to independently ensure that N and P are at appropriate levels.

I recommend 2-10 ppm nitrate and 0.03 to 0.1 ppm phosphate, with levels above those ranges better than below.

If you want to raise nitrate, I believe ammonia dosing gives better organism response than nitrate dosing.

Some nice tanks have phosphate far higher than the op so I would not treat it as an urgency.