Discussion: Would You Rather 0 N or 0 P

[Poseidon03]

So I just wanted to get a discussion going and see what everyone thinks. If you had to choose, would you have zero nitrate and readable phosphate or zero phosphate and readable nitrate?

Personally, I'd rather have zero nitrate since the nitrate test kits are not as accurate as the phosphate ones. Also dosing aminos would help with the very low nitrates. What's your thought though?

 

[KrisReef]

Agree about the test results, kinda. I would rather have some of both, and a typical hobby P kit will often read zero when there is a tiny amount available, which is true in a good way just not good for knowing that the situation is.
Nitrates often shows presents of No3 when you have NO2 present but no NO3.
Presuming bad test results is ok for a Fish tank but a carp shoot when you are trying to get colors and growth from the finicky sps.
My fish tank has 40 ppb phosphate and zero nitrates

 

[mdb_talon]

If I had to choose them zero nitrate. Find it easier to dose it with predictable results than phosphate.

 

[Acros]

Zero nitrates, 0.04 - 0.1 phosphate. Not by choice. Just started dosing acropower.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Umm neither because that leads dinos and/or other issues! In a perfect world that’s more realistic (and the ocean) but in reality it’s not.

 

[Reefahholic]

Phosphate is much more important.

 

[Reefahholic]

If I had to choose them zero nitrate. Find it easier to dose it with predictable results than phosphate.

If you mix the Phosphate correctly or Follow the product dosing instructions it’s pretty easy to get predictable results. Although if you’re using the wrong test kit or meter it may be very difficult.

 

[killer2001]

My tank is still relatively new (4 months old) and if I blink the wrong way phosphate bottoms out. I test everyday at the same time so I can study how it flucuates. Right now I'm dosing 3 mL NeoPhos (daily) in a 45 gallon system to keep my PO4 levels around 0.05 to 0.1.

 

[Reefahholic]

My tank is still relatively new (4 months old) and if I blink the wrong way phosphate bottoms out. I test everyday at the same time so I can study how it flucuates. Right now I'm dosing 3 mL NeoPhos (daily) in a 45 gallon system to keep my PO4 levels around 0.05 to 0.1.

It will read higher in the AM. Does Brightwell specify what ppm… 3mL is? I know that doesn’t list their actual PO4 source. I suspect it’s potassium phosphate.

 

[GARRIGA]

Perhaps phosphate readings not what we should be seeking. Tropic Marin now offering a feed because supposedly corals can’t efficiently absorb the phosphates in solution. Oddly, this mimics how corals on the reef obtain it from detritus. Perhaps we remove too much detritus, too.

I’m also of the camp that thinks we shouldn’t be chasing nitrates and perhaps a constant feeding will provide the ammonium they actually seek. Nitrates just being something that can be tracked since ammonia will go to zero quickly in a tank with a well established biological filter. Nitrates, not so fast. Just feed more often.

 

[Miami Reef]

I prefer zero nitrates over zero phosphates, but I wouldn’t make either zero in my tanks.

 

[Waters]

Don't think it really matters...they are both easily raised through feeding/dosing.

 

[HBtank]

Nitrate as there are other sources like ammonia and other organics that are in flux and not captured on a nitrate test.

 

[HBtank]

nm

 

[sixty_reefer]

So I just wanted to get a discussion going and see what everyone thinks. If you had to choose, would you have zero nitrate and readable phosphate or zero phosphate and readable nitrate?

Personally, I'd rather have zero nitrate since the nitrate test kits are not as accurate as the phosphate ones. Also dosing aminos would help with the very low nitrates. What's your thought though?

It’s a complicated question as the first paragraph is asking to choose and on the second paragraph you are relying on the inaccurate test to have some nitrates.

personally I rather have both at all times, aminos aid a organisms to absorb nitrogen, I wouldn’t rely on aminos alone to ensure the health of my coral.

 

[Poseidon03]

Perhaps phosphate readings not what we should be seeking. Tropic Marin now offering a feed because supposedly corals can’t efficiently absorb the phosphates in solution. Oddly, this mimics how corals on the reef obtain it from detritus. Perhaps we remove too much detritus, too.

I’m also of the camp that thinks we shouldn’t be chasing nitrates and perhaps a constant feeding will provide the ammonium they actually seek. Nitrates just being something that can be tracked since ammonia will go to zero quickly in a tank with a well established biological filter. Nitrates, not so fast. Just feed more often.

I definitely agree with not chasing, but it is best to follow trends and keep it under 7ppm for algae control. It's just with how things are now-a-days, it's more common to see 0 nitrate or phosphate than elevated nutrients. I just wanted to see what others thoughts were on the subject and how they run their tanks. Also the phosphate thing was something I learned about recently (within the last year), and it surprised me. Bacteria dosing has really become a super beneficial thing now.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

It’s a complicated question as the first paragraph is asking to choose and on the second paragraph you are relying on the inaccurate test to have some nitrates.

personally I rather have both at all times, aminos aid a organisms to absorb nitrogen, I wouldn’t rely on aminos alone to ensure the health of my coral.

+1 on this

 

[mdb_talon]

If you mix the Phosphate correctly or Follow the product dosing instructions it’s pretty easy to get predictable results. Although if you’re using the wrong test kit or meter it may be very difficult.

Ya I guess I am too stupid to dose phosphate and test it but plenty smart enough to do the same thing with nitrate.....or that there is something else going on in my system with phosphate.

 

[GARRIGA]

I definitely agree with not chasing, but it is best to follow trends and keep it under 7ppm for algae control. It's just with how things are now-a-days, it's more common to see 0 nitrate or phosphate than elevated nutrients. I just wanted to see what others thoughts were on the subject and how they run their tanks. Also the phosphate thing was something I learned about recently (within the last year), and it surprised me. Bacteria dosing has really become a super beneficial thing now.

The point I’m making is that one could bottom both nutrients out and then possibly by overfeeding constantly keep it in suspension as it’s processed. According to Tropic Marin, corals might need phosphates fed directly vs being soluble.

It’s much easier for me to zero things out and over feed. When I do that. Only issue I have is algae but that’s always going to exist and why CUC and tangs live in most tanks.

Have never had dinos in 40 plus years and fact is I only found out about them once social media brought it to my attention.

WWC feeds on the hour every hour lights are on. Could be most underfeed their systems vs over filtering them.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Both coral and zooxanthellae need P and N…so you don’t want zero or even close to zero for either.