High nitrate low phosphate

[justjenny]

Hi iv just done my water testing with the salifert kits and it come back saying i have high nitrate but low phosphate.

What is the best way to tackle the high Nitrates pls iv attached photos

 

[sixty_reefer]

Promoting morere denitrification should work. If everything else working fine.

 

[justjenny]

Sorry I don’t understand

 

[exnisstech]

Unless I'm reading it wrong PO4 looks OK. NO3 a bit high. What is your water change schedule? Also if you have coral how do they look?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What do you read the phosphate as in person?

 

[justjenny]

My phosphate is 0.1 in person. I was going to do a 10% water change tomoz as I normally do two 10% water changes a week instead of a big 20% water change once a wk but I’ll do a 20% water change now tomoz.

 

[Dburr1014]

My phosphate is 0.1 in person. I was going to do a 10% water change tomoz as I normally do two 10% water changes a week instead of a big 20% water change once a wk but I’ll do a 20% water change now tomoz.

Sounds good to me.

Po4 is fine and 20% WC will bring down no3 20%, more if you go bigger.

 

[justjenny]

My corals look ok iv only got a bubble tip and a feather duster one they but look fine

 

[Gumbies R Us]

My phosphate is 0.1 in person. I was going to do a 10% water change tomoz as I normally do two 10% water changes a week instead of a big 20% water change once a wk but I’ll do a 20% water change now tomoz.

Sounds like a good plan of attack!

 

[justjenny]

These my Pics of coral

 

[Knucker]

You can get a Nitrate lowering media sponge.

Like this one.

 

[justjenny]

Better pic of my bubble tip

 

[justjenny]

You can get a Nitrate lowering media sponge.

Like this one.

Is there any you recommend? And where do you place them in the tank?

 

[bakbay]

It depends on what you’re trying to “tackle”. On mature tanks, esp with just softies, I don’t think nitrate is a problem. On all my tanks, nitrate is over 75 (that means it could be higher since my ULN Hanna can only detect under 75). Looks like yours is still relative new so getting a handle on nitrate is a good idea. You can do WCs or carbon dose (I use vodka) to keep it in check.

Also, I’ve found that Salifert might be hard to read / misreading. Try Hanna for NO3/PO4 yet?

 

[Knucker]

Is there any you recommend? And where do you place them in the tank?

Any kind will work really. I cut mine to fit in the filter chamber along with the other filter media.

 

[Knucker]

It depends on what you’re trying to “tackle”. On mature tanks, esp with just softies, I don’t think nitrate is a problem. On all my tanks, nitrate is over 75 (that means it could be higher since my ULN Hanna can only detect under 75). Looks like yours is still relative new so getting a handle on nitrate is a good idea. You can do WCs or carbon dose (I use vodka) to keep it in check.

Also, I’ve found that Salifert might be hard to read / misreading. Try Hanna for NO3/PO4 yet?

Wait you use vodka? Are they Russian fish? I'm picking, I've never heard anyone using alcohol in their tank.

 

[exnisstech]

People have been using it for years and some use vinegar. The vodka can have a dual use but not the vinegar, it tastes bad.

 

[justjenny]

It’s a mature tank but iv only had it since June, so am still learning I brought the tank, rock, sand and water and her two clowns off her iv just added a better skimmer (bubble magus qq3 a better wave maker and just brought a new heater and put a new external filter with uv light inside) I only just fitted the new skimmer last wk. It’s only a 100ltr tank am already wanting to upgrade to a bigger tank as iv heard it’s easier to keep control of in way of stuff like this.
Am off for my water in morning to do my change so I’ll have a look in the shop and see what they have in terms of media sponge

 

[bakbay]

It’s used as a method of carbon dosing for nitrate control. I used to dose vinegar but been using vodka (less volume needed, smells better than vinegar).

NEW Vodka and Vinegar Dosing Charts

The reasons I'm updating the Vinegar and Vodka dosing charts are two-fold: 1. The ramp was unnecessarily slow. There was no perceived benefit to such a tedious ramp, and it led to reefers quitting because they thought carbon dosing didn't work. 2. The ramp did not scale up correctly...

www.reef2reef.com

For PO4, I just use PhosphateRx (Lanthanum Chloride based).