Weird NO3/PO4 ratio?

[micl10]

My original plan for my 20g nano was just to dose 0.5ml of No3-Po4-x or whatever was appropriate, but weirdly, my NO3 seems really good, and the PO4 seems really bad

NO3 - 7.5 (according to hanna HI782)
NO3 - 10ish (according to red sea test kit)

Hanna HI736
1) PO4 - 174ppb / 0.54ppm
2) PO4 - 200ppb / 0.61ppm (15 mins later)

As a curious question, does this make sense? Am I picking really high phosphate foods or something? I only feed Hikari Marine S once daily to the fish, and 1/4 frozen Mysis cube to my anemone

Secondly, I'm guessing I should NOT be dosing nopox for this situation right? Maybe even a large water change might be bad. I would risk zero-ing out my nitrates?

If so, what's my safest alternative? GFO? Never used it before, but as i understand it, it's pretty effective...if not too effective

 

[Dan_P]

My original plan for my 20g nano was just to dose 0.5ml of No3-Po4-x or whatever was appropriate, but weirdly, my NO3 seems really good, and the PO4 seems really bad

NO3 - 7.5 (according to hanna HI782)
NO3 - 10ish (according to red sea test kit)

Hanna HI736
1) PO4 - 174ppb / 0.54ppm
2) PO4 - 200ppb / 0.61ppm (15 mins later)

As a curious question, does this make sense? Am I picking really high phosphate foods or something? I only feed Hikari Marine S once daily to the fish, and 1/4 frozen Mysis cube to my anemone

Secondly, I'm guessing I should NOT be dosing nopox for this situation right? Maybe even a large water change might be bad. I would risk zero-ing out my nitrates?

If so, what's my safest alternative? GFO? Never used it before, but as i understand it, it's pretty effective...if not too effective

GFO works. Remember you are in control. If you want to slowly bring down PO4, use a little GFO and change it every couple of days, or sooner for a faster reduction. Folks who zero out PO4 are likely following a recommended dose.

 

[gbroadbridge]

My original plan for my 20g nano was just to dose 0.5ml of No3-Po4-x or whatever was appropriate, but weirdly, my NO3 seems really good, and the PO4 seems really bad

NO3 - 7.5 (according to hanna HI782)
NO3 - 10ish (according to red sea test kit)

Hanna HI736
1) PO4 - 174ppb / 0.54ppm
2) PO4 - 200ppb / 0.61ppm (15 mins later)

As a curious question, does this make sense? Am I picking really high phosphate foods or something? I only feed Hikari Marine S once daily to the fish, and 1/4 frozen Mysis cube to my anemone

Secondly, I'm guessing I should NOT be dosing nopox for this situation right? Maybe even a large water change might be bad. I would risk zero-ing out my nitrates?

If so, what's my safest alternative? GFO? Never used it before, but as i understand it, it's pretty effective...if not too effective

I test first thing in the morning before feeding so the tank has used PO4 overnight.

Your Phosphate is a little high, but nothing to stress about.

In a nano I'd be using an Aluminium Oxide based phosphate remover such as phosguard.
I find it easier to use than GFO in small tanks, just put a teaspoon or two in a bag in an area of high water flow and check again after a few days.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How is the tank doing?

 

[MyFirstCar]

My original plan for my 20g nano was just to dose 0.5ml of No3-Po4-x or whatever was appropriate, but weirdly, my NO3 seems really good, and the PO4 seems really bad

NO3 - 7.5 (according to hanna HI782)
NO3 - 10ish (according to red sea test kit)

Hanna HI736
1) PO4 - 174ppb / 0.54ppm
2) PO4 - 200ppb / 0.61ppm (15 mins later)

As a curious question, does this make sense? Am I picking really high phosphate foods or something? I only feed Hikari Marine S once daily to the fish, and 1/4 frozen Mysis cube to my anemone

Secondly, I'm guessing I should NOT be dosing nopox for this situation right? Maybe even a large water change might be bad. I would risk zero-ing out my nitrates?

If so, what's my safest alternative? GFO? Never used it before, but as i understand it, it's pretty effective...if not too effective

Just a thought, I'd monitor your carbon dosing carefully. I dosed nopox at ~1/4 dose in my 20g, nothing happened for a week, then one day both nitrate and phosphate shot to 0 and I spent a month getting them back to normal levels. Especially in a 20 gallon, if I were to do it again I'd get a doser and start very slowly.

 

[micl10]

How is the tank doing?

It's doing well I think, visually. I have 4 frags and an anemone. All of which seems to be happy.

I have 1 none soft coral, a single candy cane frag. Again polyp extension is pretty good. It looks like it might be about to split actually.

I don't really know though if coral polyps can both be happy and struggle to build skeleton due to high po4

 

[micl10]

Just a thought, I'd monitor your carbon dosing carefully. I dosed nopox at ~1/4 dose in my 20g, nothing happened for a week, then one day both nitrate and phosphate shot to 0 and I spent a month getting them back to normal levels. Especially in a 20 gallon, if I were to do it again I'd get a doser and start very slowly.

This is actually what I'm doing. Just ¹/4 recommended dose. I actually stopped dosing nopox because of how low my nitrates are

I put in seachem phosguard aland seems to be slowly eating away at my po4

 

[Reefahholic]

I’d just feed less vs Carbon dosing. Feed based on nutrient numbers considering your export isn’t lacking and the fish aren’t getting too skinny. Remember, nutrients will only rise from what we add to the system. That could be fish, coral food, fish food, etc.

 

[I never finish anythi]

I’d just feed less vs Carbon dosing. Feed based on nutrient numbers considering your export isn’t lacking and the fish aren’t getting too skinny. Remember, nutrients will only rise from what we add to the system. That could be fish, coral food, fish food, etc.

Op is already only feeding once a day .
I don't recommend starving fish to keep nutrients in check .

 

[Reefahholic]

Op is already only feeding once a day .
I don't recommend starving fish to keep nutrients in check .

You missed the part where I said “if the fish aren’t getting too skinny.”

and the fish aren’t getting too skinny.

Personally, I’d avoid feeding the anemone at all if PO4 is 0.6ppm. They survive just fine from whatever is leftover from fish food or poop. 1/4 of a Mysis cube daily is too much for that 20/G Nano and what he’s already feeding the fish daily. The PO4 level is likely higher considering that we can’t test for organic phosphate at home with hobby grade test kits.

Phosphate can make or break a tank, and so can carbon dosing if you are inexperienced. Somebody that is unable to manage nutrients should think twice before carbon dosing. It is much easier to stop/reduce feeding than it is to add a secondary high risk regimen that requires more testing and special attention to details.

 

[jda]

Anemones do not need fed, IME. If they get some food from a clownfish or happen to catch some tasty morsel as it floats by, then cool, but I never feed mine directly anymore.

I would not cut back on feeding the fish to lower backend po4 or no3 numbers. You will remove available forms of nitrogen and phosphorous if you do this. Just increase the export on the back end.

Don't let the phosghard tumble or be disturbed. There is a paper out there somewhere that Dr. RHF did on aluminum oxide adding aluminum to the reef tank. I won a 5g bucket at a raffle and used it and while I did not experience as high of a rise as he did, but I also never let it move and rinsed it well before use. The risk can be real, so just be careful.

 

[Reefahholic]

Anemones do not need fed, IME. If they get some food from a clownfish or happen to catch some tasty morsel as it floats by, then cool, but I never feed mine directly anymore.

100% agree. They do not need to be fed directly at all. They get enough from floating particulate organic material leftover from feeds and fish poop. If you feed them directly they will grow bigger much faster. If one desires a large anemone feed it often with small sized pellets like TDO or Mysis shrimp.