I have a 180 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump. I run 2 skimmers a sca302 and a reef octopus 110nt. Reason is chaeto dies in my refugium. I have between 20 to 30 nitrates and zero phosphate. I have tested with hanna, salifert, red sea , and nyos. All say the same. I quit nopox because it caused slime at 5 MLS a day, guess cause no phosphate. Should I dose phosphate and use nopox then. Or maybe start back my refugium and dose phosphate? Thanks in advance.
Phosphate issue
- Thread starter Bulldog39
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IslandLifeReef
Valuable Member
I would dose the phosphate and continue to run chaeto in your refugium. Once you get your PO4 stable, your nitrate will come down and your refugium will keep NO3 and PO4 in balance.
PatW
2500 Club Member
I run chaeto. There is an extensive series of you tube videos from Bulk Reef Supply on the subject. To not have the chaeto whither and die, I seem to need: measurable nitrates, measurable phosphates and a powerful refugium light. I use the Kessel H 380.
I dose both nitrate in the form of Sodium Nitrate and phosphate in the form of trisodium phosphate. I buy a pretty pure form of both on amazon.
I run my nitrates at just above 1 ppm. The phosphates bounce around. I dose daily and I think right after dosing it is about .04 ppm and by the next day .01 ppm.
Having a low nutrient load without getting too much is a matter of tweaking import mechanisms like food and dosing and tweaking export mechanisms like gfo, skimming, macro algae and water changes.
I hit on a method that seems kind of stable. But my method isn’t the only one that will work.
I dose both nitrate in the form of Sodium Nitrate and phosphate in the form of trisodium phosphate. I buy a pretty pure form of both on amazon.
I run my nitrates at just above 1 ppm. The phosphates bounce around. I dose daily and I think right after dosing it is about .04 ppm and by the next day .01 ppm.
Having a low nutrient load without getting too much is a matter of tweaking import mechanisms like food and dosing and tweaking export mechanisms like gfo, skimming, macro algae and water changes.
I hit on a method that seems kind of stable. But my method isn’t the only one that will work.
