What is the most Phosphate (PO4) you’ve needed to dose daily?

[Reefahholic]

It’s cool to interact with folks that think in a similar way, nutrition is such a interesting topic for me it becomes easier once the earlier forms of nutrients are more understood.

I think nutrition is a great tool, but it can get you into trouble when you start overdosing vitamins, amino’s, coral foods, etc. We gotta be careful with that because I believe we all love to feed!

A lot of reefers don’t realize that a tank can thrive on just N&P mixed in with some natural fish fertilizer. Wink Wink.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I think nutrition is a great tool, but it can get you into trouble when you start overdosing vitamins, amino’s, coral foods, etc. We gotta be careful with that because I believe we all love to feed!

It’s a great fertiliser for macro and micro algaes in excess

A lot of reefers don’t realize that a tank can thrive on just N&P mixed in with some natural fish fertilizer. Wink Wink.

carbon is great to balance N and P that’s its main function and in excess is great food source for dinoflagellates and Cyanobacteria

 

[ClownSchool]

I’m curious what is the most PO4 you’ve needed to dose daily. If you’ve ever had a tank drinking it down or currently have one drinking now you’ll know what I’m taking about. I’ve set a personal record with this tank at 0.16 ppm daily and the tank is still drinkin’ like she’s ready for more. Typically this doesn’t happen as much with Phosphate, but is more common with Nitrate and growing SPS/Acropora corals. Yes, you read that right…0.16 ppm daily! This has been going on for about 5 months! I won’t get into the reasons about what I believe caused it. That I’m not exactly sure, but I do suspect a few things. Just worth mentioning…my equipment is good and this is confirmed with ICP testing and I’ve dosed two different products at the same ppm potency.

I did just add 7 fish and I expect this level of dosing to decrease this week as the fish start to bring in their natural fertilizer.

I don’t. ReefRoids once a week usually takes care of it.

 

[Reefahholic]

I don’t. ReefRoids once a week usually takes care of it.

So very low demand for PO4 in the system.

 

[hans4811]

1:16…heh

Try 100:1

That is a fairly good ratio that I’d say the majority of pro’s are having good success at. Although I see 200:1 a lot too.

100:1 is for every 1 N you’ll need .01 P
So the ratio I like is anywhere from 5-20 N to .05-.20 P,

Mostly I try to run at 6-15 and .06-.15

200:1 is for every 10 N you’ll need .05 P

This is what I’ve always strived for, the 100:1 ratio. Last 2 tests…5.7/0.07 and 2.9/0.04….close enough for me. Daily dosing of NP-Bacto and PNS Probio bacteria has really helped me with this ratio and cleaned up my tank and sand bed.

 

[McPuff]

@Reefahholic what do you use to test PO4? My nitrates are actually quite high but PO4 is quite low. I think I need to work on keeping that number a bit higher and it's not exactly cost effective to send in ICP tests just for PO4. :0)

 

[Reefahholic]

This is what I’ve always strived for, the 100:1 ratio. Last 2 tests…5.7/0.07 and 2.9/0.04….close enough for me. Daily dosing of NP-Bacto and PNS Probio bacteria has really helped me with this ratio and cleaned up my tank and sand bed.

Very nice.

 

[Reefahholic]

@Reefahholic what do you use to test PO4? My nitrates are actually quite high but PO4 is quite low. I think I need to work on keeping that number a bit higher and it's not exactly cost effective to send in ICP tests just for PO4. :0)

The best hobby grade tester at affordable price is the Hanna “Phosphorus” ULR. It is very close to an ATI ICP analysis. It has the least margin of error also.

 

[rtparty]

I was dosing 15ml a day of NeoPhos to my old 120 to keep PO4 above 0. No idea what that equates to ppm daily. I almost never test PO4. I let my ICP tests do the talking there

 

[Kenneth Wingerter]

This is what I’ve always strived for, the 100:1 ratio. Last 2 tests…5.7/0.07 and 2.9/0.04….close enough for me. Daily dosing of NP-Bacto and PNS Probio bacteria has really helped me with this ratio and cleaned up my tank and sand bed.

What are the dosages of each (both NP-Bacto and PNS Probio)? You're doing both daily?

 

[hans4811]

What are the dosages of each (both NP-Bacto and PNS Probio)? You're doing both daily?

In a 70gal system, daily, 2ml of the NP-Bacto and 30ml of the PNS Probio, mix together, let it set for 5 mins and dose to tank in high flow area, turn UV off for 2 hrs. Do it right as the lights come on.

Following the instructions, started with NP-Elimi until I got my P04 under 0.1, then switched to NP-Bacto. Don’t have to worry about bottoming out nutrients with this product which is why I switched from NoPox and MB7.

 

[Reefahholic]

I was dosing 15ml a day of NeoPhos to my old 120 to keep PO4 above 0. No idea what that equates to ppm daily. I almost never test PO4. I let my ICP tests do the talking there

You sir have been around far too long not to know what 15 mL’s equates to in ppm for your system.

 

[Reefahholic]

What are the dosages of each (both NP-Bacto and PNS Probio)? You're doing both daily?

How is the PNS Probio? Snake oil or you can definitely see beneficial things happening? Does it drop nutes?

 

[Reefahholic]

Don’t have to worry about bottoming out nutrients with this product which is why I switched from NoPox and MB7.

Do they say how much N or P is in the product? Or what the N or P actually is?

I’m assuming they use common products for it to be cost effective.

 

[sixty_reefer]

How is the PNS Probio? Snake oil or you can definitely see beneficial things happening? Does it drop nutes?

Kenneth is the founder of hydrospace pns probio

 

[KStatefan]

In all my old tanks, dosing .01-.02 was just fine to bring it up.

This tank is very unique to say the least.

I used to dose Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) and although it does work, I really got a chance to evaluate how well it performed when my system was severely starving. All I can say is that I’d try a different phosphate product the next time. Maybe like Sodium Phosphate Dibasic or something.

Why is Sodium Phosphate Dibasic better then Tri Sodium Phosphate?

 

[Reefahholic]

Why is Sodium Phosphate Dibasic better then Tri Sodium Phosphate?

I don’t know that it is, but what I do know is TriSodium Phosphate will never go into another tank I own. If you look at what it’s actually used for you’ll understand. I did observe a lot of negatives with it especially when I was dosing more than what would normally be dosed if a system wasn’t starving. I don’t want to get too much into that, but just take my word for it.

Right now I’m dosing a product that is pretty amazing. I believe it’s superior to everything that’s currently available to the average reefer especially if a tank is starving. The problem is that it’s weak, and isn’t cost effective ATM…especially for larger systems, but we are working on that. It’s a matter of lawyers, warning labels, & child proof caps. Some of this stuff is very dangerous.


In the meantime I’m testing a couple of easily assessable products. I have a few other guys testing with me. I’m observing the effects to see how much they differ from TSP. If I were you, I would trash the TSP and look into a different source, and also read up about each product and what it’s used for. You’d be surprised. You can google, wiki, or go to a place like LoudWolf and read about each product.

 

[GarrettT]

Ive been having to dose 0.2ppm per a day on my tank, sometimes more. I’m waiting for the day for it stop or slow, but losing hope. I no longer run a skimmer, as I just don’t see the point anymore. Tank is about a year and half old now. The rock and sand have to have reached equilibrium at this point. Anything else that could possibly be using this much po4? Only have acros and a single clam.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Ive been having to dose 0.2ppm per a day on my tank, sometimes more. I’m waiting for the day for it stop or slow, but losing hope. I no longer run a skimmer, as I just don’t see the point anymore. Tank is about a year and half old now. The rock and sand have to have reached equilibrium at this point. Anything else that could possibly be using this much po4? Only have acros and a single clam.

Hows your nitrates are they stable?

 

[GarrettT]

Hows your nitrates are they stable?

My nitrates are relatively stable. I only have to dose about 3ppm once per week.