Phosphates

[PaReeferJ]

Is it possible to raise my phosphates with affecting my nitrates? My PO4 is not detectable and my NO3 are around 10.

 

[bubbaque]

I recently asked the same question and I used phyto feast to do it.

 

[JMLewis]

I've used Seachem Phosphorus to raise mine.

Raising phosphate will lower your nitrates a bit though. I was using about 1ml in my 66g and it would bring my phosphates up to about .03. Wouldn't really notice a drop in nitrates but I definitely wasn't adding much.

 

[PaReeferJ]

I recently asked the same question and I used phyto feast to do it.

Awesome thanks! How did you go about doing it? Dosing the recommendations? How fast did it bring them up?

 

[bubbaque]

I added 4 tsp to my 75 gallon and turned the skimmer off for several hours. I did this a couple days in a row and after two days I got a reading of .04. I originally seen @d2mini say he raised his po4 to .60 (not .06) but adding to much phyto feast so I asked how much he added. He said he started with the lower end of the recommended amount. Just be careful and test when adding it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any food will add nitrate as well. If you really want none, the chemical additives as mentioned above will work.

 

[PaReeferJ]

I added 4 tsp to my 75 gallon and turned the skimmer off for several hours. I did this a couple days in a row and after two days I got a reading of .04. I originally seen @d2mini say he raised his po4 to .60 (not .06) but adding to much phyto feast so I asked how much he added. He said he started with the lower end of the recommended amount. Just be careful and test when adding it.

Awesome thanks!

Any food will add nitrate as well. If you really want none, the chemical additives as mentioned above will work.

Ok. Is a nitrate level of 10 bad?

 

[Elementalj]

Awesome thanks!

Ok. Is a nitrate level of 10 bad?

You'll hear many different ideas about how nitrate is bad/good. I however keep mine below 10ppm. Anything over 10ppm for myself is detrimental.

 

[PaReeferJ]

You'll hear many different ideas about how nitrate is bad/good. I however keep mine below 10ppm. Anything over 10ppm for myself is detrimental.

Ok thanks. I was running a ulns and am trying to get the levels up. Guess I over shot that one

 

[bubbaque]

I don't think 10ppm nitrate is too bad but if your at 0 po4 when u raise it your nitrate might come down some.

 

[Elementalj]

Ok thanks. I was running a ulns and am trying to get the levels up. Guess I over shot that one

My alkalinity is on the low end because weather I like it or not, I'm running ULNS.

If you attempt to increase alkalinity and you have really low phosphate and nitrate you can burn the tips of the corals.

Around my system I run and alkalinity between seven and 8DKH. And I feed regularly about every other day or every third day at Max.

Nitrate consumption of the organisms is actually tied into zoxanthellae and it's ability to metabolize with co2 and light.

Oops had to edit. And if I'm incorrect I'm ok a rebuttal.

 

[BlueCursor]

Anaerobic bacteria also lower NO3. This is the bacteria in your live rock (no On, In), in your substrate.

 

[reefruss]

I'm interested in this also. My nitrates are at 4 but phosphate is barely detectable. I'd ideally like to get both of them up for the sake of the corals. My kH is at 9.3 and my calcium level is high at 650 so I've turned off the calcium reactor, magnesium is at 1290 but the high calcium could be making this measurement suspect. Short of feeding the filter sock mysis or something similar, is there a way to raise nitrates and phosphates?

 

[BlueCursor]

I wouldn't be concerned about 0 phosphates. They get absorbed very quickly and stored until needed. Plus the test is only for orthophosphate. So it's really hard to have phosphates that are too low even when they are low in the water column according to your test. And most tests don't report 0.03 ppm well.

 

[reefruss]

Thanks, the test kit is just about impossible to read at 0.03 for sure. My sps corals are showing some signs of bleaching so I am interested in boosting the nutrients available for them.

 

[TbyZ]

mono potassium phosphate

 

[reefruss]

Loudwolf Industrial and Scientific sells this too. Any idea on dosing amounts?

 

[TbyZ]

Loudwolf Industrial and Scientific sells this too. Any idea on dosing amounts?

No, Randy could help. Otherwise, make a mix with RODI & dose carefully.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Loudwolf Industrial and Scientific sells this too. Any idea on dosing amounts?

I'd get the product first, then figure the amount since different products have different percentages of phosphate in them. The doses will be small. The smallest container is likely enough.

 

[reefruss]

Sorry about walking away from this thread but we had a 4 day power outage here in California and I was more concerned with keeping the tank alive. I did receive the phosphate product. I'm not sure how to determine the amount of phosphate available. I tis calcium phosphate tribasic, Ca3O8P2. It's also 99.9% pure. Any help on dosing would be greatly appreciated. I have to measure all my parameters agan post near calamity. I'm sure my nitrate levels will rise as I did loose one rock full of polyps. All in all though everything looks pretty good.