Lowering nitrates with phosphate dosing

[Salucam]

I’ve struggled with nitrates that read from 50-100ppm on the salifert kits for a year now. I’ve been patient with multiple attempts at cheato that always just melt away, a long carbon dosing experiment that ended in cyano everywhere (vinegar dosing), regular very large water changes, nothing sticks. My coral either grow very slowly or melt (zoas in particular just melt away). My phosphate has always been better (0.5ppm currently) but proportionally way lower. I have no algal growth.

Today I started a new experiment to lower it. I am restarting carbon dosing in conjunction with phosphate dosing. I started today at 10ml vinegar and 2.5ml neophos. I am going to slowly increase the vinegar and stay at that neophos for at least a week before deciding to go up or down in dosage.

I will update the thread when/if and thing noticeable comes of this. Obviously I’m going to closely monitor nitrates and phosphates daily. Any suggestions? Or am I way off on my methods/missing the issue here? Open to criticism and advice! Thanks

Edit, the tank is a 75gallon with about 5gallons in the refugium tank. I run a skimmer, filter socks, and blow the rocks off every couple days. Biweekly 10 percent water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Phosphate is currently 0.5 ppm? Dosing more will have no benefit. That’s far more than any organism requires.