Confusing Parameters

[basile]

I'm a bit lost about my phosphate parameters. I have a huge macro-algae refugium, that helps with my stability of my reef. Now i've just found this table of parameters. For a Macro algae tank it says .5ppm and for my mixed reef it needs to be at 0 ppm. Right now its at .5 , so i'm ok for my refugium tank but not for the reef. How can i adjust this. Should i leave it at .5ppm to keep my macro's happy of the reef which is doing well i must admit.


Ideal Reef Tank Macroalgae Tank Fish Only

Ammonia 0 ppm 0 ppm 0 ppm 0 ppm

Nitrite 0 ppm 0 ppm 0 ppm 0 ppm

Nitrate 0 ppm 0-10ppm .5-10ppm 0-30ppm

Calcium 425 400-450 400-450 350-450

Alkalinity (meq/L) 3.5 2.5-4 meq/L 2.5-4 meq/L 2.5-4 meq/L

Alkalinity dKH 10 8-11 dKH 8-11 dKH 8-11 dKH

Specific Gravity 1.025 1.025-1.028 1.022-1.028 1.022-1.028

Temperature (F) 79 73-83 73-83 73-83

pH 8.2 8-8.5pH 7.8-8.5pH 7.8-8.5pH

Magnesium 1250 1250-1400 1250-1350 1100-1400

Phosphate 0 ppm 0 ppm <.5 ppm <.5 ppm

Sorry for the columns doesn't seem to accept.

 

[Myka]

I see 4 "columns", but only 3 tank types??

Anyway, there are a lot of people on these forums that are dosing nitrate in one form or another to achieve anywhere from 0.25-5 ppm. IMO, 0.5 ppm nitrate is a GOOD thing for a reef tank. I do think that the macroalgae in your refugium will suck that nitrate out of your tank pretty quickly if it starts growing.

 

[jsker]

@Myka makes a good point in regards to testing nutrient levels with algae present in the system. I have found, and read when there is algae present in the system the nutrients test lower then what they really are. The only real way to find out what your nutrients are at would be to send out a water sample to a lab and also test the same sample at home. Then there would be a baseline established between the home test and lab test and then you can make adjustments to your nutrients.

I use the old school method and look at my system and if things look good, I leave it alone. I do test and tweak, but try to leave things alone as much as I possibly can.

 

[basile]

I see 4 "columns", but only 3 tank types??

Anyway, there are a lot of people on these forums that are dosing nitrate in one form or another to achieve anywhere from 0.25-5 ppm. IMO, 0.5 ppm nitrate is a GOOD thing for a reef tank. I do think that the macroalgae in your refugium will suck that nitrate out of your tank pretty quickly if it starts growing.

The first column is ideal the second is reef tank then Macro tank, last fish only. Its not my nitrate that i worried about its my phosphates at 0.5 ppm sorry i forgot to specify.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't agree that phosphate should be targeted as high as 0.5 ppm in any reef tank. I'm not sure where that came from, but I wouldn't focus on it.

 

[Myka]

The first column is ideal the second is reef tank then Macro tank, last fish only. Its not my nitrate that i worried about its my phosphates at 0.5 ppm sorry i forgot to specify.

Oh, I read it as "ideal reef tank".

I think the columns would be much more useful if they were: Fish Only, Soft Corals, LPS or mixed reef, and SPS Corals.

Yeah, 0.5 ppm PO4 is not good in any tank IMO. I even target 0.1-0.2 ppm in FOWLR tanks to keep algae at bay.