How to balance nitrate and phosphate

arman

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
387
Reaction score
58
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Its about three months im dealing with balancing nitrate and phosphate in my reef tank and im steal dealing.
This started when i saw my corals loosing their color and i asked in R2R and they say me that the po4 is too low for a tank that has LPS.So i tried to rise my no3 and po4 but i added too much and the nitrate was 60 or higher and phosphate was about 2ppm. Even though these had high levels the corals were much btter but not the best they were before.So i siphoned the water and during 2 weeks the nitrates was 10ppm and phosphate about 0.1ppm.And my corals were very well.3 days ago i saw my chalice not growing as before and its bleaching.So i added a little phosphate and nitrates but tomorrow i saw all of my corals not doing well and tested parameters.The no3 was about 3 and phosphate about 0.1.So i added a little po4 and things got better.
Im really confused with this and i will be thankful if you help me solving my problems.
 
OP
OP
arman

arman

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
387
Reaction score
58
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Im dosing NaNO3 powder and neophos.I have Na3PO4 too.
 

Macdaddynick1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
1,790
Reaction score
2,297
Location
Reseda, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Whoa, your corals are unhappy because of the swings, not because of your levels. You should just do a few water changes, and try to keep no3 between 2-10 and po4 between .02-.08 . Just as a general guideline. To do that. You should feed a little less if you see your levels rising... and if you see your levels are low you should feed more. It's pretty simple really. If your no3 is 0 but your po4 is .08+ you can dose very little no3 to balance the levels, dosing no3 actually reduces po4. If your no3 is very high but your po4 is low you can perform a w/c or dose a little of phosphates. (Not sure what people use for that)
 
OP
OP
arman

arman

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
387
Reaction score
58
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Whoa, your corals are unhappy because of the swings, not because of your levels. You should just do a few water changes, and try to keep no3 between 2-10 and po4 between .02-.08 . Just as a general guideline. To do that. You should feed a little less if you see your levels rising... and if you see your levels are low you should feed more. It's pretty simple really. If your no3 is 0 but your po4 is .08+ you can dose very little no3 to balance the levels, dosing no3 actually reduces po4. If your no3 is very high but your po4 is low you can perform a w/c or dose a little of phosphates. (Not sure what people use for that)
Ill try that thanks.I dont feed my corals and i rely on the light they consume from a 150watt metal h lamp.
 

acer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
1,310
Reaction score
754
Location
Pittsburgh
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
tagging along. I have zero nitrates and .025 PO4 myself. Have Hair algae issue so I think the PO4 is actually higher than that - the algae is taking out of my system at it grows- hence the tests shows a low PO4. My corals doing OK with growth, but color is off. This is a great topic thread and hope I learn something.
 
Last edited:

tjnorthdakota

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 11, 2015
Messages
313
Reaction score
141
Location
Kalispell, Mt
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
tagging along. I have zero nitrates and .025 PO4 myself. Have Hair algae issue so I think the PO4 is actually higher than that - the algae is taking out of my system at it grows- hence the tests shows a low PO4. My corals doing OK with growth, but color is off. This is a great topic thread and hope I learn something.
Zero nitrates will cause your corals to lose color, I try to keep it between 2-10ppm, 0 will eventually starve your corals to death
 
OP
OP
arman

arman

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
387
Reaction score
58
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What are the most recent nitrate and phosphate values?
Let me test it right now and i just five you the result.I added po4 and no3 2 days ago.And the nitrate increased to 15 and po4 to one and my corals got happier:rolleyes:
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,553
Reaction score
62,858
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OP
OP
arman

arman

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
387
Reaction score
58
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This is the test result

sali.JPG


sera.JPG
 
OP
OP
arman

arman

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
387
Reaction score
58
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I cannot see the scale on the nitrate result, but there is certainly plenty of phosphate present and I wouldn't dose any.
Yes i dosed phosphate to raise it but id was a little overdosed.Its about 0.5 and nitrate about 15.
I just wanted to know that do we just keep these nutrients at low levels to prevent algae?
Its about 2 weeks that i keep the nutrients at high levels and my corals are good and i havent algae problem because of having herbivores.
And even better colloration in corals
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,553
Reaction score
62,858
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes i dosed phosphate to raise it but id was a little overdosed.Its about 0.5 and nitrate about 15.
I just wanted to know that do we just keep these nutrients at low levels to prevent algae?
Its about 2 weeks that i keep the nutrients at high levels and my corals are good and i havent algae problem because of having herbivores.
And even better colloration in corals

Algae is a primary reason to keep nutrients low. Potential browning of corals at high levels that promote zoox growth can be another.
 

scoopsthedog

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
309
Reaction score
190
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have my Pho stuck at .12-.16 and so far no issues with algae (running GFO and a Refugium). I feed coral food daily and my NO is around .02. So far so good but by no means does current success indicate future coral happiness. My POV on critical factors: 1- Chem stability. Change water vs dumping more stuff in. 2- feed. If you deal with low levels feed more vs dump stuff in. 3- modify slowly. If you corals seem to be unhappy don't drastically change everything. Test and go back to step one (change water) and then back to 2 (feed corals).
 
Back
Top