5 ppm nitrates 0 ppm phosphate dinos and hair algae taking over 8 year old tank

[369Augold]

Answer to Neptune 90 : At a pH of 8.3 (most reef tanks),it is ammonium not ammonia +- (99 % ammonium). Whether you get ammonia or ammonium , both are pH dependent, ammonia occurs at a totally different pH . The ammonium almost never gets a chance to oxidize to nitrate, because nearly everything that photosynthesis 's (macro-algaes, corals (zooxanthellae ;(a microalgae that lives in corals, that produces starches for coral energy),and giant clams,:"EAT" or adsorb every bit that they can get.!!The ammonium you have( Dr. Tim's Tank Starter),should work. Its a matter of contacting the manufacturer for the concentration to use and how often. We make our own, ( I use to teach Chemistry, Biology, and Physics.) Addendum,::Remember that most "Phosphate" test kits, only test for INORGANIC Phosphates, and it's the ORGANO-Phosphates that come from feeding animals (fish, etc.) that cause the REAL problems. Re-read 369Augold of May 17, 2023, there's an addendum to it now.

 

[369Augold]

so you dose ammonia to lower your phosphours and raise nitrate if im understanding that correctly. right now according to my salifert I have 0 phosphate, I have a ulr phosphorus Hannah checker on the way to verify that though. my nitrates are sitting at about 5 right now. so I read people dose 1 drop per 10 gallons, I have some dr.tims ammonium chloride on had because im cycling a tank right now so I could use that but im not sure if this would be a good option for me because of where my parameters are sitting right now. any thoughts? thank you

Sorry, By my ignorance of computers, I somehow accidently posted my reply on the #2 "page", instead of this #1 page (please go to the #2 page.

 

[JohnL]

Sorry, By my ignorance of computers, I somehow accidently posted my reply on the #2 "page", instead of this #1 page (please go to the #2 page.

You didn't do anything wrong. The software automatically splits threads into pages. Thanks for your contributions.

 

[369Augold]

so you dose ammonia to lower your phosphours and raise nitrate if im understanding that correctly. right now according to my salifert I have 0 phosphate, I have a ulr phosphorus Hannah checker on the way to verify that though. my nitrates are sitting at about 5 right now. so I read people dose 1 drop per 10 gallons, I have some dr.tims ammonium chloride on had because im cycling a tank right now so I could use that but im not sure if this would be a good option for me because of where my parameters are sitting right now. any thoughts? thank you

At a pH of 8.3 (most reef tanks),it is ammonium (which is NON-toxic) not ammonia (which is very TOXIC) +- (99 % ammonium). Whether you get ammonia or ammonium , both are pH dependent, ammonia occurs at a totally different pH . The ammonium almost never gets a chance to oxidize to nitrate, because nearly everything that photosynthesis 's (macro-algaes, corals (zooxanthellae ;(a microalgae that lives in corals, that produces starches for coral energy),and giant clams,:"EAT" or adsorb every bit that they can get.!!The ammonium you have( Dr. Tim's Tank Starter),should work. Its a matter of contacting the manufacturer for the concentration to use and how often. We make our own, ( I use to teach Chemistry, Biology, and Physics.)

Addendum,::Remember that most "Phosphate" test kits, only test for INORGANIC Phosphates, and it's the ORGANO-Phosphates that come from feeding animals (fish, etc.) that cause the REAL problems. Re-read 369Augold of May 17, 2023, there's an addendum to it now.