Beginner Phosphate Question

[WallysWorld]

I have a Reefer 170. Been running it for 9 months. My Hanna ULR phosphorous tester has been giving me readings of ~60-65 (0.18-0.19 ppm) for the last 6 weeks or so. Moderately stocked with fish, several LPS and zoas.

I'm using NoPox, 2.5 ml/day, and Nitrate is in the undetectable range (Red Sea Nitrate Pro). I have more algae than I'd like. I'm assuming that the algae is consuming the Nitrate (which is why its near zero) but not the phosphate.

Is this correct?

What besides a a GFO reactor do you recommend to help reduce phosphate? My cabinet is pretty packed, fitting a reactor in would be very challenging/impossible.

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

In my experience, nopox seems to take nitrate faster than phosphates. Once all nitrates are gone it's hard for phosphates to get used up. My friend uses chemipure and he swears by it.

 

[Nathan Milender]

I have a Reefer 170. Been running it for 9 months. My Hanna ULR phosphorous tester has been giving me readings of ~60-65 (0.18-0.19 ppm) for the last 6 weeks or so. Moderately stocked with fish, several LPS and zoas.

I'm using NoPox, 2.5 ml/day, and Nitrate is in the undetectable range (Red Sea Nitrate Pro). I have more algae than I'd like. I'm assuming that the algae is consuming the Nitrate (which is why its near zero) but not the phosphate.

Is this correct?

What besides a a GFO reactor do you recommend to help reduce phosphate? My cabinet is pretty packed, fitting a reactor in would be very challenging/impossible.

I am new and I have not used chemicals for this. I started a new tank about 6 months ago with used equipment and rock (cured in tap water, I have a well). While some say rock does not leach phosphate, mine seemed to. Initial readings on Hanna were as high as 0.7. I turned my refugium grown light on 24 hours a day and harvested algae from fuge and DT while slowly increasing cleaner crew. Phosphate is now 0.1, no nitrates and I have had to increase tank lights and feeding to try and get algae to grow in the tank as I am a little attached to the cleaner crew. In short, I would just pull the thicker areas of algae manually and give it time to settle. If that does not work take a look at what you are feeding and make sure it is not high phosphate. I use mostly frozen and hatched brine but my watchman seems to prefer PE pellets and my link seems to like flakes.

 

[PatW]

It is a good idea to have some nitrate like 1 ppm.

I don’t run GFO any more. I have Chaeto in a refugium. I dose both nitrate and phosphate to maintain a measurable level.

 

[Nathan Milender]

It is a good idea to have some nitrate like 1 ppm.

I don’t run GFO any more. I have Chaeto in a refugium. I dose both nitrate and phosphate to maintain a measurable level.

The dosing nitrate is a trend that boggles me a little. I agree there needs to be nitrate and phosphate, it just seems like dosing it is strange when we work so hard to control it. Has there been discussion anywhere (I have been unable to find it) on just turning down filtration? I have been considering slowly dialing down my skimmer or running it one hour on one hour off to allow the organics a little more time to stew until nitrates come up as an alternative to dosing. This would allow more nitrate, phosphate, and many other things we do not measure to be present. Any thoughts on that?

 

[PatW]

It is a little odd. But I run SPS and it is easier to export everything and to add just enough to keep a low level. It is working for me and what works is good. It is a solution. It is certainly NOT the ONLY solution. The are a bunch of variables in any reef aquarium. Once you hit on a situation that is effective give, it is easier to just stick with it.

 

[PatW]

It is a little odd. But I run SPS and it is easier to export everything and to add just enough to keep a low level. It is working for me and what works is good. It is a solution. It is certainly NOT the ONLY solution. The are a bunch of variables in any reef aquarium. Once you hit on a situation that is effective give, it is easier to just stick with it.

 

[PatW]

It is a little odd. But I run SPS and it is easier to export everything and to add just enough to keep a low level. It is working for me and what works is good. It is a solution. It is certainly NOT the ONLY solution. The are a bunch of variables in any reef aquarium. Once you hit on a situation that is effective give, it is easier to just stick with it.

 

[lapin]

I have a Reefer 170. Been running it for 9 months. My Hanna ULR phosphorous tester has been giving me readings of ~60-65 (0.18-0.19 ppm) for the last 6 weeks or so. Moderately stocked with fish, several LPS and zoas.
I'm using NoPox, 2.5 ml/day, and Nitrate is in the undetectable range (Red Sea Nitrate Pro). I have more algae than I'd like. I'm assuming that the algae is consuming the Nitrate (which is why its near zero) but not the phosphate.
What besides a a GFO reactor do you recommend to help reduce phosphate? My cabinet is pretty packed, fitting a reactor in would be very challenging/impossible.

0 nitrates is not the best.
Is there some reason you started carbon dosing? Maybe to bring down your high levels?
They could be caused by overfeeding.
Normally carbon dosing will bring down both n and p.
As for how to bring it down maybe this will give you a few ideas
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

All types of carbon dosing (NOPOX, vinegar, vodka, etc.) generally reduce nitrate a lot more than phosphate, and residual phosphate can remain.

I'd back off on the NOPOX to get some detectable nitrate, and consider other methods to deal with phosphate, but it is not a huge problem. 0 nitrate is, IMO, a bigger problem.

 

[Nathan Milender]

All types of carbon dosing (NOPOX, vinegar, vodka, etc.) generally reduce nitrate a lot more than phosphate, and residual phosphate can remain.

I'd back off on the NOPOX to get some detectable nitrate, and consider other methods to deal with phosphate, but it is not a huge problem. 0 nitrate is, IMO, a bigger problem.

So what do you do when you don't run anything other than a refugium and a skimmer and you still have no nitrate (based on nyos) and little phosphate? Overfeeding just makes a mess, chaeto stops growing and dies if you turn down the light too much. Dose fertilizer? I was thinking of using the phyto fertilizer. Seems strange to dump in nitrate and phosphate but it also seems like there ought to be some nitrogen.