Need to Dose Phos and Nitrate...and im SCARED

RobertTheNurse

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Hey everyone,

I know this topic is probably redundant for most of you, but I'm stumped and a little anxious about my nutrient level.

Took my water to my LFS who used their Hanna and other testing kits to clarify what my test kits were showing me.

Current params:

Nitrate 1.5 ppm
Phos 0 (he said "I've never seen an actual 0 before)

I knew that my nitrates were low (2 using salifert) and my phos were alwsys undetectable (also salifert) hence why I wanted a second opinion with better testing.

So...I've tried upping my feeding...for about a month...and nothing has changed. Added a new fish as well. SO FAR, no signs of dinos or cyano...

I just wanna play my cards right. He suggested dosing nitrates and phos...they have Brightwell in stock.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Have a mix of soft coral and LPS in a 65G.

I'd like a target nitrate of 10 and a phos of 0.1...but I'd be happy with a gradual nitrate of 5 at this point.
 

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How are you managing your nutrients, water changes, refugium etc?
The answer might dictate the approach.
For example if you run a fuge, maybe reduce the light schedule.
 

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Hey everyone,

I know this topic is probably redundant for most of you, but I'm stumped and a little anxious about my nutrient level.

Took my water to my LFS who used their Hanna and other testing kits to clarify what my test kits were showing me.

Current params:

Nitrate 1.5 ppm
Phos 0 (he said "I've never seen an actual 0 before)

I knew that my nitrates were low (2 using salifert) and my phos were alwsys undetectable (also salifert) hence why I wanted a second opinion with better testing.

So...I've tried upping my feeding...for about a month...and nothing has changed. Added a new fish as well. SO FAR, no signs of dinos or cyano...

I just wanna play my cards right. He suggested dosing nitrates and phos...they have Brightwell in stock.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Have a mix of soft coral and LPS in a 65G.

I'd like a target nitrate of 10 and a phos of 0.1...but I'd be happy with a gradual nitrate of 5 at this point.


So I’m kinda where you are. I have a 160 total volume 6 fish BK skimmer feed heavy 2x a day and phosphates are 0 my phosphorus is 30 and nitrates are .05-.08
From what I have read some reefers just test for phosphorus and I will attach a file that gives you what your phosphates should be at.
Dose neophos and neonitro 30ml a week and I am seeing a slow increase in both but I’m taking it slow.
 

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RobertTheNurse

RobertTheNurse

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How are you managing your nutrients, water changes, refugium etc?
The answer might dictate the approach.
For example if you run a fuge, maybe reduce the light schedule.
I only have a cannister filter. No skimmer. I removed the floss and pads and use use ceramic, matrix bio media, and poly filter carbon for filtration. I do 20% water changes every 2 weeks. It's worth noting that, about 3 months ago had a GHA issue. My nitrates then was 25. I dosed half the dose of vibrant for "clean" tanks...when I noticed my nitrates were 10 and my algae issue was under control...I stopped dosing vibrant. It's been about 6 weeks since I've dosed Vibrant.

Cut to now.
 
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RobertTheNurse

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So I’m kinda where you are. I have a 160 total volume 6 fish BK skimmer feed heavy 2x a day and phosphates are 0 my phosphorus is 30 and nitrates are .05-.08
From what I have read some reefers just test for phosphorus and I will attach a file that gives you what your phosphates should be at.
Dose neophos and neonitro 30ml a week and I am seeing a slow increase in both but I’m taking it slow.
I dont test phosphorus...I only have a phosphate test. I use salifert. When I read the directions for Brightwell Neophos it confused me.
 

Pistondog

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Do you have any algae? It might be using up all the n and p.
 

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Have you considered dry food to raise po4 if you currently are on frozen. I am betting most use TPS, but I use the aquavitro planted tank nitrate and phosphate with good luck.
 

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So I’m kinda where you are. I have a 160 total volume 6 fish BK skimmer feed heavy 2x a day and phosphates are 0 my phosphorus is 30 and nitrates are .05-.08
From what I have read some reefers just test for phosphorus and I will attach a file that gives you what your phosphates should be at.
Dose neophos and neonitro 30ml a week and I am seeing a slow increase in both but I’m taking it slow.
So 30ppb phosphorus is .09 ppm phosphates .
which isn’t absolute 0 ...
 
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RobertTheNurse

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So 30ppb phosphorus is .09 ppm phosphates .
which isn’t absolute 0 ...
Can't remember if he even said anything about phosphorous. But he literally said 0 Phospate lol and how surprised he is.

I just have a little pad of GHA nothing overboard.

I was reading to start dosing nitrate and get that on track before dosing phosphate, as Neophos can reduce nitrates?!?! Never really a chemist lol. I'm so confused. But I also came off a nighg shift and running on 3 hours sleep.
 
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RobertTheNurse

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Come to think of it. I have a big load of this in a filter bag in my cannister. The bottle says 1L works on 200G...and I only have a 65G
20210219_201058.jpg
 

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I have a ~35 gal system and I’ve tried everything in the books... reduce fuge photo period, feed heavy, less water changes, nothing worked. I am currently dosing 5ml neonitro twice daily and 2.6ml neophose about once a week (I need to test phosphate more to get a better range of how much I need to dose). I think some systems just have way heavier export then planned, that’s the only thing I could think of lol
 
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Could too much of my Seachem Matrox be causing the continued drop in Nitrate and Phos? Or you think the vibrant has contributed (even after 6 weeks?) As well as a lil GHA?

PERHAPS, I remove half my Matrix? Or, keep doing what I'm doing, as my corals all seem happy and dose neonitrate and neophos?
 

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Could too much of my Seachem Matrox be causing the continued drop in Nitrate and Phos? Or you think the vibrant has contributed (even after 6 weeks?) As well as a lil GHA?

PERHAPS, I remove half my Matrix? Or, keep doing what I'm doing, as my corals all seem happy and dose neonitrate and neophos?
If your corals are happy let it be.
In my 120 my po4 and no3 were 0.02 and 1-2 for 14 months. No real issues except not great color. Now I carbon dose to keep no3 at
5-10. and po4 runs 0.04 to 0.1. Most of the time its .06.
I feed heavy and for the last 6 weeks I have been dosing elos omega amino acids.
The aminos have made a noticable increase in colors.
I am only dosing 1/2ml and dont need more.
The carbon also helps feed the coral.
Im only at 15 a day.
 
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RobertTheNurse

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I'd be happy with a Nitrate of 5-10 and a lil somethin somethin of phosphate.

Just dont like the idea of running a low nutrient system I.e for coral growth and also to reduce the risk of dinos and cyano
 

X-37B

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I'd be happy with a Nitrate of 5-10 and a lil somethin somethin of phosphate.

Just dont like the idea of running a low nutrient system I.e for coral growth and also to reduce the risk of dinos and cyano
Mine ran fine with very good growth at those low parameters.
I do run alk at 7.
Been running it this way for about a year now.
In september I ran fluconazole and alk went up to almost 9 as it affected comsumption.
I brang it down to 7.2 over a period of a month.
Once my algae was gone my no3 runs 5-10. It got up to almost 20 before I carbon dosed.
My po4 did not change much.
 
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Mine ran fine with very good growth at those low parameters.
I do run alk at 7.
Been running it this way for about a year now.
In september I ran fluconazole and alk went up to almost 9 as it affected comsumption.
I brang it down 7.2 over a period of a month.
Once my algae was gone my no3 runs 5-10 and got up to almost 20 before I carbon dosed.
My po4 did not change much.
Ya. I actually would rather deal with a lil GHA than dinos or cyano...so im gonna say...I'll welcome GHA any day over those other 2. As you can see I have a lil hairy rock there. My snails are good at maintaining...but once it starts to grow a bit they not down to eat.

I've been watching vids online, and it sounds like I may start SLOWLY dosing some nitrates into my system first...continue with my routine and tap a lil dose of phos...just to get it up to a detectable level like 0.03 would make me happy.

As I mentioned about 4 months ago my nitrates were 25 (still no phos tho), and now that my nitrates are at <2 my corals for the last few months all seem ok, but I'm worried this will not last long.

Other params

CA 411
Dkh 7.1
Mg 1310
20210219_181607.jpg
 

X-37B

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Ya. I actually would rather deal with a lil GHA than dinos or cyano...so im gonna say...I'll welcome GHA any day over those other 2. As you can see I have a lil hairy rock there. My snails are good at maintaining...but once it starts to grow a bit they not down to eat.

I've been watching vids online, and it sounds like I may start SLOWLY dosing some nitrates into my system first...continue with my routine and tap a lil dose of phos...just to get it up to a detectable level like 0.03 would make me happy.

As I mentioned about 4 months ago my nitrates were 25 (still no phos tho), and now that my nitrates are at <2 my corals for the last few months all seem ok, but I'm worried this will not last long.

Other params

CA 411
Dkh 7.1
Mg 1310
20210219_181607.jpg
Looks good! My snails wont touch long algae.
After it was 95% gone I added asteria snails at 1 per 2 gallons of tank size and have not had it return.
I only had small amounts of cyano in the begining.
 
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RobertTheNurse

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Looks good! My snails wont touch long algae.
After it was 95% gone I added asteria snails at 1 per 2 gallons of tank size and have not had it return.
I only had small amounts of cyano in the begining.
Next WC I'm planning on scrubbing the algae off that rock in saltwater and hope the snails pay more attention to it. I had it away from the rock structure since the start. And kept growing longer as they weren't able to easily get to it, so as you can see I've moved it next to the rock structure so the snails can go to town easier.
 

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Next WC I'm planning on scrubbing the algae off that rock in saltwater and hope the snails pay more attention to it. I had it away from the rock structure since the start. And kept growing longer as they weren't able to easily get to it, so as you can see I've moved it next to the rock structure so the snails can go to town easier.
Sounds like a good plan.
What is your water change schedule?
 

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