What’s your po4 and no3 goals?

reefer4816 · Feb 15, 2018

hey guys. I had some nitrate issues a while ago and got those resolved by nitrate dosing. Now I have way too low of phosphates so I need to get them all balanced out. My phosphate is literally .005.

My sps are looking like crap and I need your help.
I am going to dose phosphate till I get everything balanced out. I have stopped dosing nitrates for about a month now. Once balanced I will be feeding to maintain those levels.

Greybeard · Feb 15, 2018

Measurable.

I've always had problems keeping Nitrate and Phosphate down out of the stratosphere, but with my new build, I'm struggling to get them above 0. Pulled the GFO, pulled 75% of the De-nitrate, shortened light cycle in the ref, increased feeding... I'm getting there, but not there yet.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 15, 2018

I wouldn't contend that there is a perfect value.

IMO, nitrate in the range of 0.5 to 5 ppm is likely appropriate for most tanks, and phosphate from about 0.01 to 0.03 seems pretty desirable.

Whether higher values are a problem may depend on many circumstances.

erky · Feb 15, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I wouldn't contend that there is a perfect value.

IMO, nitrate in the range of 0.5 to 5 ppm is likely appropriate for most tanks, and phosphate from about 0.01 to 0.03 seems pretty desirable.

Whether higher values are a problem may depend on many circumstances.

po4 for me is always at .08ish (hannah K ULR checker) yet no3 fluctuates from .5-10ppm (dosing stump remover) why would po4 not move that much vs the no3 fluctuation? Is there not a preferred ratio that these 2 like to be at?

Reef Jeff · Feb 15, 2018

None of the above. I shoot for .08 ppm PO4 and 1-2 ppm NO3. Keeps everything in my mixed reef happy including SPS's.

reefer4816 · Feb 15, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I wouldn't contend that there is a perfect value.

IMO, nitrate in the range of 0.5 to 5 ppm is likely appropriate for most tanks, and phosphate from about 0.01 to 0.03 seems pretty desirable.

Whether higher values are a problem may depend on many circumstances.

Totally understood lighting and other levels play into things.

Assuming my levels have been consistent for 1 month. How would you assume my sps look if..

Alk=9
Ca=450
Mag=1450
Nitrate=30
Phos=.005
Salinity=1.026
Par =250-350

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 15, 2018

IMO, it may depend on whether that 0.005 is completely accurate, but raising it a bit is a fine experiment.

reefer4816 · Feb 15, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
IMO, it may depend on whether that 0.005 is completely accurate, but raising it a bit is a fine experiment.

It was measured by Triton.

Assuming it is accurate. What are some side effects of phos levels that low

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 15, 2018

Photosynthetic organism like corals might be deficient and might look pale.

reefer4816 · Feb 15, 2018

Gotcha. Thanks for your help/input

reefer4816 · Feb 15, 2018

@Randy Holmes-Farley

What d you think is the most my phosphate should jump in one day while I test things out?

Would it be bad to go from my Hanna check reading .00 to .15 in one day?

madweazl · Feb 15, 2018

I have no goals in regard to either. My nitrates are less than one but there is some color (Salifert kit) and phosphates are typically .05 (Hanna ULR) or .01 (Triton). I pay it little mind either way and feed the fish until they're fat and happy regardless.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 16, 2018

reefer4816 said:
@Randy Holmes-Farley

What d you think is the most my phosphate should jump in one day while I test things out?

Would it be bad to go from my Hanna check reading .00 to .15 in one day?

I don't think an upward jump is as likely to be an issue as a downward jump, but there's no reason to add that much, is there?

reefer4816 · Feb 16, 2018

No. It was an accident. Lol!

Checked again this morning and it balanced out to .03. I think it was picking it up particles in water from when I fed reef roids about an hour previously

rosshamsandwich · Feb 17, 2018

Richard Ross would love this thread....

Ramon Estevez · Feb 17, 2018

My recent test showed Nitrates at somewhere between 10-20 and phosphates .02-.03. Everything in the tank looks good. I think stripping the tank also leads to unintended consequence like Dino outbreaks and lack of progress in the corals.

sil40sx · Feb 17, 2018

I keep mine at 0.03 and 3. Hanna and NYOS test kit.

Kinggeorge818 · Feb 17, 2018

My tank was at .03 phosphate and 32 nitrates and things seemed “okay” until I bumped up my lighting (15 radions) and my phosphate dried up inadvertently and my corals were starved of phosphate and started dying! I’m now taking measures to bring the nitrates way down from where they were and to raise my phosphate to 0.15 and 10 nitrates (at the beginning of the light cycle).

PatW · Feb 17, 2018

My nitrates run between .5 and 2 ppm. I add nitrate to maintain levels. My phosphates measure 0 with the Hanna ULR phosphate detector. I noticed the acros were having a hard time. I started extra feedings of pellets twice per day. That helped but still no measurable phosphates. I have started dosing Neophos. After dosing, it is 10 ppb. The next day, it is 0. But it seems to be working pretty well. The corals are responding positively.

In the future, I am thinking of adding some fish. I have a small population. I am also thinking of mixing up a DIY phosphate dosing solution using trisodium phosphate.