Nitrate & Phosphate Dosing

Vinny Lam · Oct 8, 2019

Looking for recipes to make solutions of Nitrate & Phosphate and guidance to dose them to my 75 gallon SPS dominant tank.

Tank has been running for almost a year and my Nitrates have always been undetectable and nitrates either undetectable or .01. Have a good bio load and feed often but my sps is a little pale.

Thinking I'd like to get to, and run at 3-5ppm NO3 and around .03 PO4.

Thanks in advance Reefers!

SliceGolfer · Oct 8, 2019

I use these. Mixes clean and very economical. You can mix the solution to your preference.

Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) Aquarium Fertilizer - 1lb Bag

Shop Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) Aquarium Fertilizer (1lb Bag) for fertilizing your aquarium plants. Brand: Green Leaf Aquariums (GLA). Orders ship fast worldwide and get free shipping on orders $125.

greenleafaquariums.com

Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) Aquarium Fertilizer - 1lb Bag

Shop Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) Aquarium Fertilizer (1lb Bag) for fertilizing your aquarium plants. Brand: Green Leaf Aquariums (GLA). Orders ship fast worldwide and get free shipping on orders $125.

greenleafaquariums.com

Javamahn · Oct 28, 2019

SliceGolfer said:
I use these. Mixes clean and very economical. You can mix the solution to your preference.

Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) Aquarium Fertilizer - 1lb Bag

Shop Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) Aquarium Fertilizer (1lb Bag) for fertilizing your aquarium plants. Brand: Green Leaf Aquariums (GLA). Orders ship fast worldwide and get free shipping on orders $125.

greenleafaquariums.com

Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) Aquarium Fertilizer - 1lb Bag

Shop Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) Aquarium Fertilizer (1lb Bag) for fertilizing your aquarium plants. Brand: Green Leaf Aquariums (GLA). Orders ship fast worldwide and get free shipping on orders $125.

greenleafaquariums.com

Any concern that you are dosing Potassium in both recipes? I am still using Stump Remover KNO3 and looking for a cost effective Phosphate recipe. I am debating between MKP and Trisodium Phosphate which would not add any more potassium. Also trying to formulate a single recipe both in one.

PatW · Oct 28, 2019

I use analytical grade sodium nitrate and trisodium phosphate from Eisenhower Golden labs on Amazon. I add 1/2 cup of sodium nitrate into 1 gallon of RODI for a stock solution and 2 tablespoons of trisodium nitrate into 1 gallon of RODI for the stock solution. I think 2 tsp of stock would get you .03 ppm of phosphate but start with one and test. With nitrate 2 tsp might get you 1 ppm.

SliceGolfer · Oct 28, 2019

I’ve been fortunate to control P04 levels through feeding frozen or pellets. I dose 1ml (.24ppm) daily to my small tank, but to be honest potassium levels aren’t on my radar.

Javamahn · Oct 29, 2019

I just ordered the Greenleaf KNO3 and KH2PO4 that SliceGolfer suggested. Prices are amazing so thanks for that. I think like the 3 big elements I will dose to a level and then measure the daily use to make the single dose formula containing both. Thankfully I found and awesome dosing calculator on http://rotalabutterfly.com. I am hoping I can get color back on my starving sps. one example is my Red planet which is pretty much white even though I am dosing aminos. Levels are NO3 0-1ppm and PO4 0-0.02ppm for last 6 months. I would love to add more fish but the current crew "don't take too kindly to strangers".

SeaDweller · Oct 30, 2019

What's your bioload and how "often" do you feed? Are your fish fat or no? You should probably feed more and skip the dosing. Fish poop is free dosing and helps the rest of your life too.

Javamahn · Oct 30, 2019

SeaDweller said:
What's your bioload and how "often" do you feed? Are your fish fat or no? You should probably feed more and skip the dosing. Fish poop is free dosing and helps the rest of your life too.

I feed 8 fish pellets every morning and alternate a second feed a night between pellet and frozen. I have added a 3rd feed on alternating days. Eventually I would like to get the population to around 10-12 fish but I am not going to increase until I am ready to deal with the killer fish.