If consistent feeding/export, does phosphate stabilize?

[jayteerq]

Looking at my chart gives me anxiety! Lol it’s bottomed out a few times and if I don’t keep a close eye on it, it’ll do it again! I’m just wondering, as the tank matures, does this stabilize and become easier to control? Same with nitrate? As long as consistent WC, feeding and export is continued?

 

[Dan_P]

Looking at my chart gives me anxiety! Lol it’s bottomed out a few times and if I don’t keep a close eye on it, it’ll do it again! I’m just wondering, as the tank matures, does this stabilize and become easier to control? Same with nitrate? As long as consistent WC, feeding and export is continued?

As the aquariium ages, the goal could change to one of keeping nitrate and phosphates down. Try doubling the time between water changes and see what happens to nitrate and phosphate concentrations,

 

[gbroadbridge]

Looking at my chart gives me anxiety! Lol it’s bottomed out a few times and if I don’t keep a close eye on it, it’ll do it again! I’m just wondering, as the tank matures, does this stabilize and become easier to control? Same with nitrate? As long as consistent WC, feeding and export is continued?

My current 90g tank is 4 years old in a couple of months.

Over the 2 years or so it has stabilised completely with Nitrate sitting at 5-10 and Phosphate between 0.05 and 0.15ppm.

It stays in that range with me doing nothing in particular - no GFO, no Carbon dosing, just a roller mat and a skimmer which have been there pretty much from the start. Feeding on auto feeders so everything is balanced.

Took a while but it's no effort these days, light glass cleaning once a week or so.

So in my case at least, yes it all settled down.

 

[jayteerq]

My current 90g tank is 4 years old in a couple of months.

Over the 2 years or so it has stabilised completely with Nitrate sitting at 5-10 and Phosphate between 0.05 and 0.15ppm.

It stays in that range with me doing nothing in particular - no GFO, no Carbon dosing, just a roller mat and a skimmer which have been there pretty much from the start. Feeding on auto feeders so everything is balanced.

Took a while but it's no effort these days, light glass cleaning once a week or so.

So in my case at least, yes it all settled down.

2 years in?! Lol i guess i got 16 months left to go!

 

[GARRIGA]

Ran decomposition tests for 2-1/2 years to test this exact assumption and for me that seemed to hold true. No corals but mechanisms in place to control food input (to some extent) and export (to a greater extent). Assumption going in that if input and export remained the same then that could be fine tuned to obtain desired results.

Recall from biology class in high school where professor mentioned being part of a military study where all fed same amount of food and all either gained or lost weight then maintained that weight. That has stuck with me since then. Seems logical that plus two less two equals zero or no change, for example.