Redfield Ratio: fact or fiction?

TX_Punisher · Feb 21, 2018

I've been working to bring up my po4 and to lower my no3. According to the RR chart, with .04ppm po4, my nitrates should be around .75 ppm, however, I'm at about 10ppm no3.

How closely do some of you follow these ratios? I see some tanks with what are generally believed to be high nitrates that have flourishing sps tanks.

What do you guys shoot for po4 to no3 ratio wise? I'd like to see the spread of numbers here that people run.

Thoughts?

Tahoe61 · Feb 22, 2018

Curious as well.

jda · Feb 22, 2018

Not at all. I do not chase any of this, but my tanks keep the N and P down on their own. I would follow the NSW ratio if I were to follow anything.

Just a detectable trace of P at .01 to .1 and N around 0-3 work for most. If you do not use any media or chemicals (GFO, LC, organic carbon), then you cannot drive them too low naturally. If you do use these thing, then I would keep a good buffer so that you are away from zero.

I would not consider N too high until it is over 10 or maybe even 20 in some cases, IMO. When you see a high N tank, pay attention to if that is just now, or always - most of these tanks did the critical part of their work and growth when the N was much lower... and now that it is high, stuff is mostly just maintaining or moving slower. Nearly all of the folks who will grow wall-to-wall acros in a few years have pretty low N and P numbers.

reeferfoxx · Feb 22, 2018

As far as I know, Redfield ratio only pertains to plankton and the believed N and P balance in deep oceans. Which later on was updated to include and not limited to iron. That said, the ratio changes from region to region. If you put that all in context, there isnt so much a balance but an equilibrium. That equilibrium can change tank to tank.