Should I continue down the same path?

[aus1230]

Prior to this week I have been having issues with Dinos. I have a small suspicion that being away from home every third day had something to do with the lack of stability with my nitrates since the fish were not being fed those days. I decided to track my numbers for a week and make sure that I'm feeding every day. Dinos have gotten much better since then. Here are my numbers and I just wanted to confirm that I am going down the correct route with a weekly water change and hopefully this will give the tank stability for the future.

2/7: Nitrate 8.1
phosphate: 0.05

2/8 morning: Nitrate 16.2
phosphate: 0.09

2/8 night time:
Nitrate: 9
Phosphate: 0.05

2/9:
Nitrate: 14.6
Phosphate: .15

2/10:
Nitrate: 15.8
Phosphate: .15

2/11 morning:
Nitrate: 17
Phosphate: .19

2/11 afternoon:
Nitrate: 10.1
Phosphate: .24

Should I be concerned with the rise in phosphate or should I just keep my routine with one cube of mysis shrimp at night and a weekly water change? I realize I might also be obsessing with my numbers at this point too. Sorry for the long post.

 

[Lasse]

What are you measure with and how old is your aquarium? Normally Nitrate value does not tends to be a roller coaster like your measurements. Have you a dense coral growth?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The current values seem fine to me.

 

[aus1230]

What are you measure with and how old is your aquarium? Normally Nitrate value does not tends to be a roller coaster like your measurements. Have you a dense coral growth?

Sincerely Lasse

The tank is 10 months old. I am using Hannah checkers all with new test packets.
Corals are doing fine and have growth to them.

 

[aus1230]

The current values seem fine to me.

Thanks Randy. So I shouldn’t be too concerned with the phosphate levels rising and just do my weekly water change?

 

[Lasse]

I´m a little surprised of the erratic NO3 readings - I use Hanna Marine Master and use the same method as the Hanna Marine Checker HR. My measurements do not change so much between days or time of measurements. NO3 use to be a rather stable parameter - either is show a stable, decreasing or increasing pattern - not as erratic like this.

Like Randy - I´m not concerned about the actual numbers

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Dan_P]

I´m a little surprised of the erratic NO3 readings - I use Hanna Marine Master and use the same method as the Hanna Marine Checker HR. My measurements do not change so much between days or time of measurements. NO3 use to be a rather stable parameter - either is show a stable, decreasing or increasing pattern - not as erratic like this.

Like Randy - I´m not concerned about the actual numbers

Sincerely Lasse

If the Hanna nitrate Checker is the high range version, some of the variation might be normal test swings, +/- 2 ppm. Also, there might be more swing than normal for this batch of reagent. Inconsistent mixing might add a little variation too.

 

[Lasse]

I do not know about the checker but the HR version with Marine Master HR method are rather stable for me and also rather accurate if I compere with samples send in to OCEAMO. Below shows the samples there I use both HMM HR NO3 and OCEAMO. Note - HMM express the concentration in ppm and I have translate it into mg/L with help of the density of my seawater at the actual day (temp and salinity in PSU)

I agree to that the checker may not give the same good result. I look at these numbers to and it was a little up and down.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy. So I shouldn’t be too concerned with the phosphate levels rising and just do my weekly water change?

This is my recommendation:

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

4. What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

 

[aus1230]

This is my recommendation:

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

4. What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

Thank you. I know my tank is still considered young but I am trying to get everything to a stable point where I know how much I should be feeding daily since l believe a lot of my instability was partially due to the lack of feeding on the days I was gone from home for 24 hours (every third day) then not to mention I wasn't feeding until the next night which added up to be more like 48 hours until my fish were fed again. Which I'm sure adds up over time.