How much nitrate to dose to reduce phosphates

[scubaboy]

Are you having any Algae issues?

 

[jda]

I have never heard of needing to dose nitrates for phosphate to lower. If you are feeding your fish, then you likely are not nitrogen limited at all since nearly everything in your tank can use ammonia and nitrite to get nitrogen except for maybe anoxic bacteria.

If you want to lower phosphate, you need media, algae or to otherwise grow a lot of things.

 

[Solasis]

Are you having any Algae issues?

No. Really bad cyano

 

[Solasis]

Update: I've still got high phosphates. At 1.4 ppm now. Nitrates are up to 20 ppm. I don't know why they aren't going down.. all I can guess is that my refugium was too full and stopped new growth. I removed a bunch of ulva so let's hope this works. Cyano is still rough. Maybe it's time to just get a reactor?? Not sure.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Update: I've still got high phosphates. At 1.4 ppm now. Nitrates are up to 20 ppm. I don't know why they aren't going down.. all I can guess is that my refugium was too full and stopped new growth. I removed a bunch of ulva so let's hope this works. Cyano is still rough. Maybe it's time to just get a reactor?? Not sure.

I'd consider using a phosphate binder. Lanthanum, GFO, etc.

 

[Solasis]

I'd consider using a phosphate binder. Lanthanum, GFO, etc.

Do you have any recommendations for a product I can use in a media bag effectively? Before I go out and get a reactor.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you have any recommendations for a product I can use in a media bag effectively? Before I go out and get a reactor.

A media bag greatly limits choices.

In a media bag, the best bet is an aluminum oxide product. Rinse it really well before use, and if you see leathers close up, I'd switch to something else. I really do not want to support Seachem (Phosguard) for misleading users, so I'd recommend Kent Phosphate Sponge.

 

[CoralB]

Do you have any recommendations for a product I can use in a media bag effectively? Before I go out and get a reactor.

Brightwell phosphat-e

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Brightwell phosphat-e

Won't work in a media bag as it is a lanthanum liquid.

 

[CoralB]

Won't work in a media bag as it is a lanthanum liquid.

Yes I know , I wasn’t really answering his quest about what to put in a media bag but more what I would use to tackle his problem . I should have been more explanatory.

 

[Solasis]

Okay, so I went ahead and purchased a media reactor last night. Only thing is, it has to run SUPER low to keep the GFO barely tumbling and not flying out. 24 hours later it seems like we are down from 1.4 -> 1.22. I probably used 1/3 of the recommended amount of GFO for my tank size.

Progress for sure, but is this not enough for that time frame?

 

[jabberwock]

Looking for some advice regarding my phosphate issue. My tank is 3ish months old and 300 gallons, mainly LPS dominated but I have some easy SPS. I have been fighting high phosphates for awhile now, I suspect it is leaching out of my rocks. Last month it was 2.25 ppm, I just checked tonight and it was at 1.83. My nitrates are ALWAYS undetectable, I have never been able to get a reading on it. I am using the salifert test kit for nitrates and hanna checker for phosphates. I invested in the red sea dosing pump because I wanted to start dosing all for reef. It comes with two heads so tonight I just added some neo nitro on the other head. I am dosing 25 ML a day (spread out over 24 doses) which should add .6-.7 ppm of nitrate daily. I run a skimmer 24/7, filter socks, and refugium with sea lettuce 24/7 as well. I am hoping that since I am dosing nitrates now the sea lettuce will start to consume it in addition to the phosphates.

My question is, should I be more aggressive with the nitrate dosage? Up it to 1-2 ppm a day? And any other changes I should make to my tank besides buying a phosphate reducing media?

I only read the first post.

You have a 3 month old that is LPS dominant with SPS. Why is ANYTHING in a 3 month old tank "dominate". Is there some background we need to make sense of this?

 

[Solasis]

I only read the first post.

You have a 3 month old that is LPS dominant with SPS. Why is ANYTHING in a 3 month old tank "dominate". Is there some background we need to make sense of this?

Sorry, maybe dominate is a bad word to use here. I have like 10 frags and 6 of those are LPS. Dominate in the small number of corals lol. All just cultured stuff from local reefers. It does good and some grows.. but obviously my phosphates are not in the right spot.

 

[jabberwock]

Sorry, maybe dominate is a bad word to use here. I have like 10 frags and 6 of those are LPS. Dominate in the small number of corals lol. All just cultured stuff from local reefers. It does good and some grows.. but obviously my phosphates are not in the right spot.

Fair enough, my point is that you potentially have way too much going on in a 3 month old tank.

 

[Solasis]

Fair enough, my point is that you potentially have way too much going on in a 3 month old tank.

Fair. Not planning on buying anymore coral until I get everything where I want. I'm down to 1 ppm phosphate today so making progress still. Alk has taken a bit of a hit from that, down from 7.5 -> 7.1 which I've heard is normal with GFO, so may need to dose.. Corals look good today.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Okay, so I went ahead and purchased a media reactor last night. Only thing is, it has to run SUPER low to keep the GFO barely tumbling and not flying out. 24 hours later it seems like we are down from 1.4 -> 1.22. I probably used 1/3 of the recommended amount of GFO for my tank size.

Progress for sure, but is this not enough for that time frame?

I wouldn’t want phosphate dropping any faster.