How low can Phosphate and Nitrate be? Sulphur denitrator & Lanthanum reactor methods

[pixelhustler]

I’ve been using a Sulfur Denitrator; and a DIY Lanthanum Chloride dosing pump into a reactor with pleated filters.

Finally getting good control and stability on Phosphate and Nitrate has been a game changer. Polyp extension is amazing and some monti/lepto skeletons are even regrowing.

My question is how low can Phosphate and Nitrate be without starving my LPS dominant livestock?
I’m particularly curious on Lanthanum dosing. I currently dose 1.2ml of diluted solution every hour, 24 doses total. If I understand correctly, phosphate levels fluctuate during the day as they are released, then the Lanthanum enters the system and binds suspended phosphate into the flocculant/crystals. So even if it tests at near 0 or 0, phosphate is always available as it has to be released before being flocculated. In addition, undetectable levels can still be larger than 0.00.

How low is too low and how risky is running 0/undetectable phosphates?

 

[Saltyreef]

I would be asking myself why are my nutrients that high to begin with?

 

[pixelhustler]

I would be asking myself why are my nutrients that high to begin with?

Because I overfeed
I feed enough to allow my slower fish (clownfish/yellow clown gobies) to get plenty of food before my wrasses deplete the suspended food. The remaining food falls to the bottom, feeding corals and slower/grazing fish like mandarins and pipefish.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Unless you are actively dosing other forms of N (such as ammonia or amino acids), less than 2 ppm nitrate is too low.

IMO, less than 0.01-0.02 ppm phosphate is too low,.