So, this is basically a follow up post to a thread I started a few weeks back on the Red Sea forum, and more or less resolved. That resolution brought up a few more questions/clarifications I was hoping to get more information on, however, regarding the balance of nutrient levels, and how they pertain to the daily dose of NoPoX.
Here is the nutshell version of my previous post: I was using a media reactor with Seachem Matrix that ended up getting clogged up with detritus, and I believe raising my nitrates from the stable level they were at of around 8, up to somewhere between 16-32. I pulled this reactor offline, and did four large, 25% (40 gallons each) water changes, and was able to bring my nitrate level back to 8. With that in mind, I have always had an issue with unbalanced nutrients, having zero phosphates, and higher nitrates, which has made carbon dosing a little tricky. Now that I am looking at a nitrate level that would require a dose of 2/ml per 25 gallons, but a phosphate level that would require a much lower dose, what is the best course of action going forward?
As was suggested in my other thread, I am dosing some phosphate (Brightwell NeoPhos) to push my phosphate up to 0.03, and balance the nutrients to allow the NoPoX to work, which will work for now, but doesn’t seem like a long term fix. As soon as I don’t dose the NeoPhos, my phosphate is back to zero, and by zero, I mean ZERO on the Hanna Phosphorus checker. So, I understand that the nitrate level of my tank dictates a NoPoX dose of 12ml/day (150 gallon water volume), but the Phosphate level dictates a level of 6ml/day (or less). I know that I have read somewhere that the NoPoX will eventually bring the nutrients into balance, but I believe I am correct that if there is no phosphate, the carbon dosing can’t really work (redfield ratio)?
At this point is it basically a trial and error sort of thing? Lower the NoPoX dose until I can get the phosphates to show up, but try not to overshoot this so there is enough of a dose to bring my nitrates down from their current level of 8? Before I inadvertently bumped my nitrates up I was able to get my phosphates to just register at about 0.01 on the Hanna Phosphorus checker, but this didn’t do anything to lower my nitrates from hovering around 8, with a total dose of 3ml/day of NoPoX, for my total 150 gallon water volume. Since I am trying to move forward running the whole Red Sea SPS Dominant recipe, I know that I need to bring my nitrates down closer to 1, so not sure how to proceed.
I feel that it’s easy to just read the instructions on the NoPoX and dose “x” amount if nitrates are “x”, but think there must be more of a nuanced approach when fine tuning things, which I’m not sure I totally get.
Thanks in advance!
Here is the nutshell version of my previous post: I was using a media reactor with Seachem Matrix that ended up getting clogged up with detritus, and I believe raising my nitrates from the stable level they were at of around 8, up to somewhere between 16-32. I pulled this reactor offline, and did four large, 25% (40 gallons each) water changes, and was able to bring my nitrate level back to 8. With that in mind, I have always had an issue with unbalanced nutrients, having zero phosphates, and higher nitrates, which has made carbon dosing a little tricky. Now that I am looking at a nitrate level that would require a dose of 2/ml per 25 gallons, but a phosphate level that would require a much lower dose, what is the best course of action going forward?
As was suggested in my other thread, I am dosing some phosphate (Brightwell NeoPhos) to push my phosphate up to 0.03, and balance the nutrients to allow the NoPoX to work, which will work for now, but doesn’t seem like a long term fix. As soon as I don’t dose the NeoPhos, my phosphate is back to zero, and by zero, I mean ZERO on the Hanna Phosphorus checker. So, I understand that the nitrate level of my tank dictates a NoPoX dose of 12ml/day (150 gallon water volume), but the Phosphate level dictates a level of 6ml/day (or less). I know that I have read somewhere that the NoPoX will eventually bring the nutrients into balance, but I believe I am correct that if there is no phosphate, the carbon dosing can’t really work (redfield ratio)?
At this point is it basically a trial and error sort of thing? Lower the NoPoX dose until I can get the phosphates to show up, but try not to overshoot this so there is enough of a dose to bring my nitrates down from their current level of 8? Before I inadvertently bumped my nitrates up I was able to get my phosphates to just register at about 0.01 on the Hanna Phosphorus checker, but this didn’t do anything to lower my nitrates from hovering around 8, with a total dose of 3ml/day of NoPoX, for my total 150 gallon water volume. Since I am trying to move forward running the whole Red Sea SPS Dominant recipe, I know that I need to bring my nitrates down closer to 1, so not sure how to proceed.
I feel that it’s easy to just read the instructions on the NoPoX and dose “x” amount if nitrates are “x”, but think there must be more of a nuanced approach when fine tuning things, which I’m not sure I totally get.
Thanks in advance!