How much nitrate to dose to reduce phosphates

[Solasis]

Looking for some advice regarding my phosphate issue. My tank is 3ish months old and 300 gallons, mainly LPS dominated but I have some easy SPS. I have been fighting high phosphates for awhile now, I suspect it is leaching out of my rocks. Last month it was 2.25 ppm, I just checked tonight and it was at 1.83. My nitrates are ALWAYS undetectable, I have never been able to get a reading on it. I am using the salifert test kit for nitrates and hanna checker for phosphates. I invested in the red sea dosing pump because I wanted to start dosing all for reef. It comes with two heads so tonight I just added some neo nitro on the other head. I am dosing 25 ML a day (spread out over 24 doses) which should add .6-.7 ppm of nitrate daily. I run a skimmer 24/7, filter socks, and refugium with sea lettuce 24/7 as well. I am hoping that since I am dosing nitrates now the sea lettuce will start to consume it in addition to the phosphates.

My question is, should I be more aggressive with the nitrate dosage? Up it to 1-2 ppm a day? And any other changes I should make to my tank besides buying a phosphate reducing media?

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Pull the socks and dump some skimmate back into the tank this will help nitrates as far as phos. Have you thought about running some gfo?

 

[Reefahholic]

Once you get the ratio up closer to 100:1 the PO4 will begin to fall.

Dose 1 ppm NO3 every 24 hrs until you hit the target.

 

[Solasis]

Pull the socks and dump some skimmate back into the tank this will help nitrates as far as phos. Have you thought about running some gfo?

I have considered it, just was wanting to tackle it "naturally" first. Is GFO most effective in a reactor or can I just do a media bag?

 

[Solasis]

Once you get the ratio up closer to 100:1 the PO4 will begin to fall.

Dose 1 ppm NO3 every 24 hrs until you hit the target.

Thanks! So are you saying I would need my nitrates in the 180 ppm range to see a drop in phosphates? since I'm at 1.83ppm phosphates right now. Sorry just a little confused.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

I have found it more effective in a reactor I had the same leaching problem and what I did to combat it so I didn't lower it too quickly was I used a quarter of the gfo needed for my tank and just monitored over the next couple of weeks I then continued use until I kind of saw a stabilization to this day I still use gfo just to keep it stabilized sometimes I'll dial it way low sometimes I'll turn it up if I'm seeing it rising or replace the media when I was having issues with nitrates pulling the socks and putting skimate back into the water column helped me obtain nitrates

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

I even use a cheap all-in-one reactor that has pump and return tubing and hang it on the side of my sump this allowed me to save space and have it run right directly into the return chamber again this is something that worked for me and someone on this forum told me to do this and it helped me out tremendously

 

[Solasis]

I have found it more effective in a reactor I had the same leaching problem and what I did to combat it so I didn't lower it too quickly was I used a quarter of the gfo needed for my tank and just monitored over the next couple of weeks I then continued use until I kind of saw a stabilization to this day I still use gfo just to keep it stabilized sometimes I'll dial it way low sometimes I'll turn it up if I'm seeing it rising or replace the media when I was having issues with nitrates pulling the socks and putting skimate back into the water column helped me obtain nitrates

Thanks! Do you have a good reactor I should get?

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Here is my reactor setup that i can remove clean and use at ne time that its needed for stability

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Here is the specific one i use

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Just make sure you are monitoring your levels so you don't bottom out the tank I was reading nine on the hanna checker... it took a couple of weeks to do it the right way slow and steady but was able to get it dialed in at 0.07

 

[Solasis]

Here is the specific one i use

Thanks! Seems like that is just what I would want. How large is your tank?

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Thanks! Seems like that is just what I would want. How large is your tank?

It is currently running on a 55 gallon frag with a 40 gallon sump heavy bio load heavy feeding and still running a quarter of what's needed for my gallons per hour on bigger tank just make sure you are using the correct amount of gfo...
Again take what it says to use for your size of tank and either cut that in half or 1/4 that way you don't strip the tank too fast slow and steady wins the race

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Here is a shot of the tank

 

[Solasis]

Here is a shot of the tank

Wow!!! You have some amazing colonies. I don't understand how any of my corals are still alive with the phosphates this high . My frogspawn decided to split as well!

 

[hyprc]

Wow!!! You have some amazing colonies. I don't understand how any of my corals are still alive with the phosphates this high . My frogspawn decided to split as well!

Stability and balance over numbers

 

[Solasis]

Stability and balance over numbers

I guess so! I think having all aqua cultured corals probably helps.

 

[wlmalek]

Here is a shot of the tank

Very nice tank why don’t you try another nitrate tester (ex. hanna HR) for comparison.

you can start with small frequent water changes 10-15% every couple days and add nitrate 2-3 ppm to the water vat before adding it to your tank. So you can hit both targets raising nitrate and lowering phosphate gently at same time.

other route for chemical usage it to use lanthanum chloride product (carefully and slowly) and see the how your system reacts. It’s easier and more manageable.

if you can take off or reduce your refugium period and increase it after you get to the levels you desire. Algae consumes more nitrate than phosphate.

 

[Jon_W79]

FWIW, I bet that dosing ammonia into the refugium will be a lot more effective and better than dosing nitrate (assuming the algae is getting it's other needs met).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks! So are you saying I would need my nitrates in the 180 ppm range to see a drop in phosphates? since I'm at 1.83ppm phosphates right now. Sorry just a little confused.

No, that not correct.

As long as there is N available in sufficient quantity (say, 5 ppm), having more is not useful.

Dose enough so there is STILL 5 ppm present 24 h after dosing.