How to fix Nitrate and Phosphate ratio!?

[zaddy]

Hello,
I cannot get my phosphates down!!

Phosphate was at .4 and nitrates at 16.5.
I did a 50% water change, fed very little for a week, tested again, now nitrates are down to 2.6 and phosphates AT .41.
meaning, they went up a bit.

Very confused as to what I should do as water changes dont fix the ratio, if anything they lower both. Anyone know how to lower phosphate while keeping nitrate stable?

 

[tmccaff]

Either use Phosban RX or some liquid form to remove phosphates or use GFO. However, when you run GFO should be in reactor and go less than recommended. Water changes do little with phosphates mostly nitrates. Also 50% quite a lot of change at one time. It's better to remove nutrients slowly than too fast. What you using to test parameters?

GFO can work too well so some prefer to control it like using Phosphat-E or like I said Phosphate RX. One thing you don't want to happen is chasing numbers. Look and see how your corals doing and find sweet spot for your tank. If you have a lot of algae most likely phosphates need to come down or nitrates. Also note that some of your rock can leach phosphates in water. Test kits only show what is in water column.

​

 

[JONAFIN]

Have you tested your new salt water and verified the parameters with a different tester?

 

[KrisReef]

GFO, carefully to avoid zero.
It can take months and years to get a tank running on auto pilot with "good" parameters. The more you aim at target numbers the more complications similar to what your 1/2 water change provided. You are on target to zero out N with current situation. Adding live rock, microbes, might speed your quest for balance but the tank will develop over time and you will need to monitor and adjust tactics until your tank and the "magic numbers" occur, and they may never go to your target, so beware and keep an eye on your critters that are depending upon you for stability as much as any target number.

 

[Larry Stewart]

Zaddy.... 0.4ppm PO4 isn't all that bad - you seem to be on the right track. Lowering these nutrients should be gradually.

* * * I make sure to siphon the GUNK out of sandbed when I perform my weekly water changes. Maybe this can help.

I'm not sure if you have a sump but growing macroalgae could lower phosphates - reverse light schedule from display tank.

Adding a GFO reactor with pump will help reduce PO4.

Water Source: RO/DI systems to mix your own water/salt is a great idea.

Again, it sounds like you're on the right track. Continue doing your maintenance and you will reach your goal in no time.

Bottom line it takes time but be patient.

Good luck.

- Larry

 

[I never finish anythi]

What size tank do you have ?? How many fish are currently in it??

 

[zaddy]

Zaddy.... 0.4ppm PO4 isn't all that bad - you seem to be on the right track. Lowering these nutrients should be gradually.

* * * I make sure to siphon the GUNK out of sandbed when I perform my weekly water changes. Maybe this can help.

I'm not sure if you have a sump but growing macroalgae could lower phosphates - reverse light schedule from display tank.

Adding a GFO reactor with pump will help reduce PO4.

Water Source: RO/DI systems to mix your own water/salt is a great idea.

Again, it sounds like you're on the right track. Continue doing your maintenance and you will reach your goal in no time.

Bottom line it takes time but be patient.

Good luck.

- Larry

Gotcha, thanks for the reassurance.

just for clarification, my p04 levels are at .4, not .04, and you're saying .4 is okay?

 

[zaddy]

What size tank do you have ?? How many fish are currently in it??

10 gallon, mixed reef, no fish

 

[zaddy]

GFO, carefully to avoid zero.
It can take months and years to get a tank running on auto pilot with "good" parameters. The more you aim at target numbers the more complications similar to what your 1/2 water change provided. You are on target to zero out N with current situation. Adding live rock, microbes, might speed your quest for balance but the tank will develop over time and you will need to monitor and adjust tactics until your tank and the "magic numbers" occur, and they may never go to your target, so beware and keep an eye on your critters that are depending upon you for stability as much as any target number.

very insightful
thanks

 

[zaddy]

Have you tested your new salt water and verified the parameters with a different tester?

yes

 

[I never finish anythi]

I would just leave it a few weeks . Keep doing 20% water changes. Why exactly do you want to lower the nutrients. Do you have some issues in the tank ??

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would just leave it a few weeks . Keep doing 20% water changes. Why exactly do you want to lower the nutrients. Do you have some issues in the tank ??

IMO, water changes will drop his nitrate and not do much for phosphate since most of it in a typical system is reversibly bound to rock and sand.

 

[KrisReef]

very insightful
thanks

I agree!

IMO, water changes will drop his nitrate and not do much for phosphate since most of it in a typical system is reversibly bound to rock and sand.

And Randy is always right (as far as I can tell!)

I have a barrel I cure rock in and when I get a rock with high phosphates I put it in a seperate bucket to soak with lanthanum chloride and circulate that around and let it soak for a day. Then I change the water and let it soak another day or two before I remeausure to see if/how much phosphate the treated rock will release into the clean water. Repeat this until the leacher is "cured." Getting the rock to measure zero leaching into the water can be helpful for stability in the DT.

I also test for copper on rocks I acquire from other reefers and lfs, just to make sure those are not leaching copper or phosphate before I add them to a living system. In a running tank, I use GFO in a canister an monitor changes along the way.