Nitrates don't go down anymore

[coburn13]

Hello, I had nitrates at 50 and phosphates at 0.40, I started using pro bio s and nitraphosminus with the recommended dose. 2 months later the nitrates are in 5 and the phosphates in 0.15. but I have been trying to lower nitrates of 5 and phosphates of 0.15 for more than a month and I do not get it. The dose is 5ml per day for 300l and 3 drops of pro bio, what can I do? Would it be good to increase the dose? or add NP Pro?

Thanks and best regards

 

[Euphyllia97]

Why do you want to lower the nutrients at this point? What happens if you stop dosing? If your tank is stable, I would just stick to schefuled waterchanges. Make sure you don’t make your water too clean...

 

[Greg P]

What test kits are you using?

How big is your tank?
Do you have a sump?
A skimmer?
Filter sock?
Any corals?
What fish and how much/how often do you feed?

 

[Tastee]

Why do you want to lower the nutrients at this point? What happens if you stop dosing? If your tank is stable, I would just stick to schefuled waterchanges. Make sure you don’t make your water too clean...

I tend to agree, those numbers are around where I currently am. There are some interesting threads on N/P ratios. There is no point chasing numbers and there is no single answer (every tank is different) but a lowish ratio in single digits or the teens seems a good starting point. Lots of people have great tanks with both parameters > yours. I am currently 6/0.1 and I’ve started a small amount of carbon dosing again only because I want to see how the tank behaves if I can lower N a little and either leave P alone or even let it rise a little. Your ratio is more towards what I am targetting.

Whatever you do it’s important to measure and monitor over time.

 

[coburn13]

I thought the phosphate had to be at 0.04 and wanted to lower the nitrates to 2-2.5.
I don't know if I have to continue using nitraphos minus or I can switch to NP Pro which is cheaper.