Explain “balanced p04 and n04” please.

[reefer4816]

I have heard many people say “my nitrates and phosphates are out of balance. Or something of that nature.

Right now due to me dosing nitrates, my nitrates read .04 and my phosphates are .02 according to triton test.

Is there a ratio where they would be considered “balanced”

Trying for:

Calcium-450
Alkalinity-8
Po4-.02
Nitrates-5 to 10

I want a good mix of color and growth

 

[Flippers4pups]

I have heard many people say “my nitrates and phosphates are out of balance. Or something of that nature.

Right now due to me dosing nitrates, my nitrates read .04 and my phosphates are .02 according to triton test.

Is there a ratio where they would be considered “balanced”

Trying for:

Calcium-450
Alkalinity-8
Po4-.02
Nitrates-5 to 10

I want a good mix of color and growth

Your on the right track. Keeping N03 above P04 is desirable. N03 around 5ppm and P04 at a trace is a good starting point. It's loosely based on some research that was done sometime ago called the "redfield ratio".

 

[leepink23]

I have heard many people say “my nitrates and phosphates are out of balance. Or something of that nature.

Right now due to me dosing nitrates, my nitrates read .04 and my phosphates are .02 according to triton test.

Is there a ratio where they would be considered “balanced”

Trying for:

Calcium-450
Alkalinity-8
Po4-.02
Nitrates-5 to 10

I want a good mix of color and growth

For me phosphates .01, nitrates 2-3 and my corals seem good, when my nitrates hit 0 I get cyano.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have heard many people say “my nitrates and phosphates are out of balance. Or something of that nature.

Right now due to me dosing nitrates, my nitrates read .04 and my phosphates are .02 according to triton test.

Is there a ratio where they would be considered “balanced”

Trying for:

Calcium-450
Alkalinity-8
Po4-.02
Nitrates-5 to 10

I want a good mix of color and growth

IMO, people who focus primarily on the balance between the two are not doing themselves or others a service.

IMO, they should be independently monitored to be at desirable levels. Just because one is very high or very low is not a reason to suggest that it is desirable that the other one "should" be very high or very low.

Your target levels are fine, and your current levels are probably also OK, but raising nitrate a bit may be desirable for some organisms.

 

[reefer4816]

IMO, people who focus primarily on the balance between the two are not doing themselves or others a service.

IMO, they should be independently monitored to be at desirable levels. Just because one is very high or very low is not a reason to suggest that it is desirable that the other one "should" be very high or very low.

Your target levels are fine, and your current levels are probably also OK, but raising nitrate a bit may be desirable for some organisms.

Thank you! Appreciate your help very much

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I belive it's a common myth.

We're talking about it here.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/theory-on-nutrient-ratios-and-algae-bacteria.337339/page-2

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

I'm gonna say again:
Don't be number chasing.
Don't try to fix thing if it's not broken.
Don't try to match someone else tank numbers.
The more you try to more you get headache and issues to your tank and at some point might be a rage quit for some hot head temper

 

[Cory]

The desire to maintain balanced po4/no3 comes from something called the Redfield ratio. Basically phytoplankton consume those nutrients in specific amounts, and if one gets too low they cannot grow, thus the Redfield ratio. So this is the reason for having them balanced. So corals dont have a defiency of either. However growth will be more dependant on the slow release of nutrients that is slowly released from things like sand, rotting food or poop. So does a coral ever need it balanced if there is a slow release? Probably not.

I'e read a scientific paper or study rather, that basically showed that once a coral grows for a few months on light/po4/no3 alone it stops growing. But what gets it growing again is the addition of food. This suggested that a coral cannot fulfil its nutritional requirement from light alone.

 

[aeras1131]

I would only start looking into the Redfield ratio and worrying about it, If you keep macro in your sump or a bio-pellet reactor and you are feeding a denitrifying reactor.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The desire to maintain balanced po4/no3 comes from something called the Redfield ratio. Basically phytoplankton consume those nutrients in specific amounts, and if one gets too low they cannot grow, thus the Redfield ratio. So this is the reason for having them balanced. So corals dont have a defiency of either. .

But looking at a ratio doesn't say anything about whether their is too little, enough, or too much present.

They can be in perfect Redfield balance and be far too low to be useful.

Hence my disdain for the ratio being used as a target.

 

[Cory]

But looking at a ratio doesn't say anything about whether their is too little, enough, or too much present.

They can be in perfect Redfield balance and be far too low to be useful.

Hence my disdain for the ratio being used as a target.

I agree. I don't follow Redfield ratio either for that reason exactly.

 

[rkpetersen]

I hadn't heard of the Redfield ratio before I read this thread, but it happens to coincide pretty well with where I've got my numbers at the moment (for entirely different reasons). My phosphate is .05, nitrate is 1. Corresponding 16:1 Redfield ratio is .05 phosphate and .8 nitrate. Just a bit of excess nitrate. Tank critters are looking great, too.