What is the best way to increase Phosphate and Nitrate?

[rcpalmer1]

I have put about 50 corals in the tank. I have lost 5 or 6. I have 7 fish that all are doing fine. Didn't get a chance to install carbon reactor this morning. I am going to try again tomorrow before work. My original goal was to get them as low as possible. I didn't know it was possible to be to low. Now I know. I am going to try and cut back on the filtration first before I start dosing NO3 and PO4. I may order some to get them up temporarily until I get My filtration dialed in. It will be nice to know if my nutrients start to climb I can bring them down easily.

 

[rcpalmer1]

Water can be cloudy from phytoplankton (greenish and photosynthetic), nonphotosynthetic bacteria (white), detritus stirred up (brownish) or abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate (white).

There is a brownish film that forms on the glass. I clean it and it comes back within a hour. On the rock in the high flow areas there is brown and in my over flow.

 

[rcpalmer1]

Ok, first thanks for everyone's input. I am smart enough to listen when I ask for help. My plan is to reduce light to chaeto and remove Matrix. I will monitor NO3 and PO4 levels. Once they reach my goal level then I will increase light and add back in Matrix until levels are maintained. I have been reading a lot of post by Randy. He sure has helped a lot of people. I am planning on a mixed tank. My favorites are yumas, acans, and zoas. Now I just have to decide what my goal levels are going to be. In the article http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm recommendations are Phosphate <0.03ppm and Nitrate <0.2ppm I also read a comment from Randy "If you want high alkalinity for high growth, make sure you have reasonably high levels of nitrate (say, 2-10 ppm) and phosphate (0.02-0.05 ppm). " What would be considered high alkalinity? I try to keep mine around 9dkh. I would like growth so is this a good Alk? So I need some help deciding goal levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

For 9 dKH with SPS, I'd want more nitrate than I recommended in that article. Maybe 2-5 ppm.

 

[rcpalmer1]

One more day and I will be off work for 8 days. I hope to get everything leveled out before I have to go back. The only reason I have been keeping my alk at 9 is that was what was recommended in the BRS two part kit. I am always open to learning something better. I removed 75% of the matrix last night. I am not sure how much the algae bloom is effecting my levels. I will keep a close eye on everything until it settles out. Until I learn more my goals are going to be 9 alk, 5 nitrate and 0.03 phosphate. After reading Randys post it is clear he fully understands the cause and effects of water. I seen where he has a 120 mixed tank. I wonder what his goal levels are?

 

[Paul B]

You can add a few gallons of my water to your tank. My nitrates are 160.

 

[rcpalmer1]

You can add a few gallons of my water to your tank. My nitrates are 160.

How do you test that. Mytwst lit doesn't even come close to be able to test that high.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I've found using a coral food is WAY better than trying to feed fish more or trying to dose NO3 or PO4 to get nutrients up. I use Red Sea energy A&B and Reef Nutrition Oysterfeast for my SPS. Colors are awesome, algae on the sand is actually going away from when I wad trying to "just feed more."

 

[Paul B]

How do you test that. Mytwst lit doesn't even come close to be able to test that high.

I don't have a kit, I let the LFS test it. To test that high, just add half the amount of test solution. read that, and double the reading.

 

[roberthu526]

Set up auto feeder and feed as much as you want. Pellets can get your tank up to speed in no time.

 

[SlvrZ]

i dose kno3 but like to follow along to learn more. i only have a diamond goby, a maroon clown and a 6 inch foxface in my 120 and i have to dose to keep the water up lol

 

[Rick Gaas]

What food would be best to raise phosephates? I am currently dosing phytofeast and feeding nori in an attempt to raise phosephates.

 

[Old Glory]

I though having no phosphates and Nitrates was the goal? Why dose them?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I though having no phosphates and Nitrates was the goal? Why dose them?

Having "none" is not usually the best plan. Having just enough to support your photosynthetic organisms is the goal, and depending on the tank, that might be a few ppm nitrate and something like 0.02 ppm phosphate.

 

[beaslbob]

kill your display lights until the water clears. You should also notice an increase in nitrates/phosphates/potassium also.

A diatomaceous earth filter like the vortex diatom xl will make that tank crystal clear in a few hours.


my .02

 

[nhlives]

I have the same problem.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/who-would-has-thought.320256/#post-3980769

I have been using Dr Tim's Ammonia Chloride that I used for cycling. It has been working but I'm also going to check out some of the suggestions here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have the same problem.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/who-would-has-thought.320256/#post-3980769

I have been using Dr Tim's Ammonia Chloride that I used for cycling. It has been working but I'm also going to check out some of the suggestions here.

You are supplementing ammonia to an existing reef?

 

[bfsaunde]

I've had two incidents in which I have run my nutrients too low with carbon dosing (NoPox). I even took the advice of my LFS that said to start out at a quarter of the dose recommended in the instructions. I then went to actually cutting the NoPox to a tenth of the strength with RO/DI water. I was using a doser to dose the system. I took this offline about 6-8 weeks ago and still have had trouble getting the Nutrients up. I tried feeding more at first but that seem to raise the phosphates but the nitrates were still not showing up. I started getting some nuisance algae, so I added some GFO and dosed some NeoNitro by Brightwell. The phosphates dropped to .02-.04ppm and I took the GFO offline in fear I was going to run it to zero. Well, I ran it to zero anyway. So, I am currently dosing the NeoNitro to keep my corals colored up and the chaeto in the sump thriving. So far, I haven't had any issues with the chaeto. I just read the instructions for the NeoNitro again and realized I am not dosing enough to get the nitrates up to ~3-5ppm. I think the phosphates will come back on their own through feeding. If not, I do have a bottle of the NeoPhos as well. Good luck getting yours back up to the desired parameters. I join in the struggle. I am also feeding Reef Energy during this time of low nutrients. I think that is why my corals are not showing any signs of stress, because right now I have a ULN system and that's really not what I was aiming for.

 

[Thomas B]

Following along. However, I have a question. If you used a less expensive non aquarium product, such as stump remover to increase nitrate, would it drive up the potassium levels to a lethal concentration?

 

[beaslbob]

Following along. However, I have a question. If you used a less expensive non aquarium product, such as stump remover to increase nitrate, would it drive up the potassium levels to a lethal concentration?

I wouldn't think so as potassium is very high like 400ppm or so. whereas you're just adding a few ppm nitrate