Lower Phosphate and nitrate ?

[Piece of reef]

Whats a good way to lower nitrate and phosphate?

I know gfo and chaeto are good ways and i know theres plenty other ways

But i want to know what i should try first ?

My nitrates are 40ppm
And phosphate 0.24

Using hanna phosphorus checker
And api nitrate master test kit

Im currently running a skimmer and using rodi water with 0 tds

And i feed pellets some days and mysis

Any help will be appreciated other days

 

[Jekyl]

Water changes is the best way

 

[Piece of reef]

Been doing water changes weekly with not much effect

 

[Jekyl]

50% water change instantly cuts your levels in half. I am also dosing nopox but that takes a few weeks to help out.

 

[Dom]

Been doing water changes weekly with not much effect

How big is your tank and how big are your water changes? Weekly water changes should equal 20% of the total system water volume.

 

[Piece of reef]

How big is your tank and how big are your water changes? Weekly water changes should equal 20% of the total system water volume.

So ive got a 85 gallon and ive been doing 15% to 20% water changes weekly

 

[Pistondog]

Whats a good way to lower nitrate and phosphate?

I know gfo and chaeto are good ways and i know theres plenty other ways

But i want to know what i should try first ?

My nitrates are 40ppm
And phosphate 0.24

Using hanna phosphorus checker
And api nitrate master test kit

Im currently running a skimmer and using rodi water with 0 tds

And i feed pellets some days and mysis

Any help will be appreciated other days

If you have room for chaeto and a refugium, this is very efficient with a good light.
Carbon dosing also works well with a skimmer.

 

[Jekyl]

So ive got a 85 gallon and ive been doing 15% to 20% water changes weekly

Running skimmer wet? Also make sure to use a turkey baister and blow off you rocks and vacuum your substrate when doing water changes.

 

[Dom]

So ive got a 85 gallon and ive been doing 15% to 20% water changes weekly

Go bigger. 20% is 17 gallons. How many gallons weekly are you changing?

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

I think you will find there is not a “best” first thing to try.

What are you trying to achieve by lowering your nitrate and phosphate levels in the first place?

The easiest way would probably be simply to feed less, would take a while but your levels should drop unless you are dosing something else with Nitrate and Phosphate.

A properly sized protein skimmer should help as well, although it is not exactly clear to me that it removes inorganic Nitrate and phosphate directly.

Other options would include:

1. Bacteria: through either carbon dosing (nopox, vinegar, alcohol) or biopellets.

2. Competing algae: through either a lit refugium or an algae scrubber/reactor

3. Mechanical: bare bottom tank with lots of flow and filter socks changed regularly or a roller mat.

4 Purely chemical removal: a GFO reactor for phosphate and a sulfur denitrator for Nitrate (don’t think anyone really uses those anymore haha).

Or any combination of the above methods. There is going to be many opinions which should tell you there is not one truly superior method for all cases.

Good luck

 

[Dom]

The first thing to do is to determine the underlying cause of the nitrates and phosphates. But we need a lot more information about your tank.

Also post some full tank shots too. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

 

[Piece of reef]

Running skimmer wet? Also make sure to use a turkey baister and blow off you rocks and vacuum your substrate when doing water changes.

Will do man i usually vacuum sand during a water change,

Go bigger. 20% is 17 gallons. How many gallons weekly are you changing?

Yes been doing a 15 to 17 gallon water changes weekly, i have a empty tub that is 20 gallons
I empty water into that so i know how much im taking out

What are you trying to achieve by lowering your nitrate and phosphate levels in the first place?

The easiest way would probably be simply to feed less,


Good luck

I feed once per day either mysis or pellets, and ive read that phosphate and nitrate need to be at a certain level for coraline to grow, so then i can start with corals etc i know itll come in time but if itll help the process by lowering it then i can always try to

The first thing to do is to determine the underlying cause of the nitrates and phosphates. But we need a lot more information about your tank.

Also post some full tank shots too. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Will take some pics as soon as i get home from work

 

[TrevorL]

Ok so with the api test for nitrates I really wouldn’t worry too much. My api nitrate test said that my nitrates were skyrocketing at about 80ppm I took my water to a lfs and my nitrates were 16ppm which is fine

 

[Piece of reef]

Ok so with the api test for nitrates I really wouldn’t worry too much. My api nitrate test said that my nitrates were skyrocketing at about 80ppm I took my water to a lfs and my nitrates were 16ppm which is fine

Awesome will give that a shot thanks