Test results

[Rama89]

Following some research on this site I purchased:
Hanna
Nitrate
Alk
Phosphate ulr.
Salifert
Mg
Ca

Here are results
Nitrate 23.3
Phosphate. .29
Alk 256

Mg 1480
Ca 450

Seems that my nitrates are high as is the phosphates. Unless testing error.
Tank is 2 years old or so. Starting to see dinos and hair algae.

 

[Dan_P]

Following some research on this site I purchased:
Hanna
Nitrate
Alk
Phosphate ulr.
Salifert
Mg
Ca

Here are results
Nitrate 23.3
Phosphate. .29
Alk 256

Mg 1480
Ca 450

Seems that my nitrates are high as is the phosphates. Unless testing error.
Tank is 2 years old or so. Starting to see dinos and hair algae.

Is there a question or an issue with your aquarium?

 

[Rama89]

Is there a question or an issue with your aquarium?

Sort of both, my apologies. I am still trying to understand the relationship between nitrates/phosphates and algae/dinos. Not sure what is"ideal" for test parameters and how to control the algae/dinos.

 

[Dan_P]

Sort of both, my apologies. I am still trying to understand the relationship between nitrates/phosphates and algae/dinos. Not sure what is"ideal" for test parameters and how to control the algae/dinos.

OK.

No ideal numbers but a consensus might be PO4 close to 0.03 ppm and nitrates 5-10 ppm. The funny thing is that you can have a beautiful aquarium with phosphate close 1 ppm and nitrate anywhere between 2 and 20 ppm. Unless there is a specific physiological link between a measured quantity and animal health, for example calcium and alkalinity for hard coral growth, water chemistry is notoriously poor at indicating aquarium health. Hair algae grows in an aquarium because it is not being eaten or plucked out, not because of water chemistry. Dinoflagellate growth seems to be encouraged by very low nitrate and phosphate concentrations in new systems, but you can have dinoflagellate growth with ideal numbers too. It’s all a bit frustrating.

 

[Rama89]

A quick update. Here are current test results.

Nitrates 49.3
Phosphate. .30

Still battling dinos. I feed once every other day varies between pellet/flake and frozen.

Brand new lights, 2 viparspectras. I have blues set to 7 and no daylight right now. Lights run about 7 hours day til I can control the outbreak.
I dose nitrobacter7 daily as per instructions.
Will keep trudging along in hopes that things will settle down.

 

[CHSUB]

understand the relationship between nitrates/phosphates and algae/dinos

The only relationship is algae/dinos need N and P to grow. Any other “conclusion” is based on guessing and the “guy” who believes something else was observed. Hobby testing only shows that some excess amounts are present beyond what is needed.