Phosphate and Nitrate Dose Calculations

[wesman42]

I have been dosing nitrate and phosphate for a little over a week now.

I have used the nitrate calculator sheet for Spectricide.

I used Seachem's formula 0.8vp=m.

In BOTH cases, neither dose raises the nitrate or phosphate in the water to a level that's acceptable. I get maybe 1/3 of the readings that I *should* be getting like 1-2ppm nitrate, and 0.03 phosphate. If I wait longer than 24 hours, both numbers are back to zero.

Should I just take the expected - actual, and dose based on this difference?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I've always used this calculator:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Yes it for fresh water, but it works for salt the same way. I've always made my KN03 into a gallon solution and used the calculator. For P04 I've used seachem's flourish phosphorus and just followed the directions on the bottle.

When adding N03 and P04, your system will absorb what you dose and will take multiple doses to achieve equilibrium before a constant reading is obtained. Slow and steady to get there.

 

[wesman42]

I've always used this calculator:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Yes it for fresh water, but it works for salt the same way. I've always made my KN03 into a gallon solution and used the calculator. For P04 I've used seachem's flourish phosphorus and just followed the directions on the bottle.

When adding N03 and P04, your system will absorb what you dose and will take multiple doses to achieve equilibrium before a constant reading is obtained. Slow and steady to get there.

Thanks for the resource! Do you dose multiple times throughout the day to achieve this equilibrium, or do you dose the calculated amount each day and wait for your doses to catch up?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thanks for the resource! Do you dose multiple times throughout the day to achieve this equilibrium, or do you dose the calculated amount each day and wait for your doses to catch up?

Dose once a day, then test around a hour later. You could do it more, but word of caution, you don't want to overdose. Stressful on the coral.

 

[wesman42]

Dose once a day, then test around a hour later. You could do it more, but word of caution, you don't want to overdose. Stressful on the coral.

Okay. Thank you so much! I appreciate it. I'll update in a few days. Hopefully it'll have caught up by then.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Okay. Thank you so much! I appreciate it. I'll update in a few days. Hopefully it'll have caught up by then.

Your welcome!

 

[Rogergolf66]

Any update on this? Did it work did u see a benefit in coral health?