Chaeto remove more nitrate or phosphate?

[Potatohead]

Or both pretty evenly?

Reason I ask, is my tank has chronically low phosphate and has for a couple years. I don't run any phosphate removers, I do run a refugium. I struggle to get my phosphate over .03 and usually it's .01-.02. If I feed more, I just get more algae growth. The tank is 90% acropora, they seem happy but the colors are a bit pale and I wouldn't mind a bit faster growth. Nitrate is typically between 5 and 8. A couple weeks ago I brought the 'fuge lighting period down from 14 hours to 10, with little change thus far. The chaeto actually seems healthier and greener now, lol. I keep my chaeto ball small as well, between baseball and volleyball size.

So... Should I continue to bring the photoperiod down to maybe six hours? I'd hate to give up the overnight ph benefit but I don't really know any other way to do this other than very slowly ramping up feeding but that will take a couple months at least. I'd also prefer not to add any more fish. Should I do fewer water changes? (doing 10% per week).

Thanks

 

[Montiman]

Chaeto will remove more nitrate than phosphate but keep in mind. High nitrates are typically considered 20+ while high phosphates are considered 1+.

Even though the algae removes more nitrate there is also almost always far more nitrate than phosphate in your tank.

 

[ZoWhat]

Chaeto... it's the sweet one.