clm65
Well-Known Member
I have been fighting high nitrates and phosphates for several months. I am dosing vinegar along with an occasional treatment of lanthanum chloride (either Phosphate Rx or Phosphat-E). Over the last couple of weeks, my nitrates have really dropped, and are now about 2 ppm per Salifert tests. Phosphates are still high, anywhere between .4 and .9, depending on how long since I dosed LC (which is way less than where I started). All this is good news. I was hoping to fine tune the vinegar dosage to maintain a fairly constant level somewhere between 5-10, and have cut it in half so far. But I am getting ready to head out for a 1.5 week vacation, and I really don't want it to bottom out completely or go back up too much while I'm gone. My FIL will come by to feed the fish, but anything more than that is asking for too much (he is in his 80s). So should I reduce the vinegar dosing to a small amount (I'm using a dosing pump)? Should I eliminate it altogether, at least while I'm gone? I don't know what effect starting and stopping carbon dosing will have on the tank. I plan to but a GFO reactor in service while I'm gone, which will hopefully keep the phosphates in check until I return. And I will remove the filter socks while I'm away too. Any advice is appreciated!
