Dossing nitrate and phosphate
- Thread starter Vinno
- Start date
I know we've disagreed on this before Buddy! But i would still not recommend the Spectracide Stump Remover. Ask Organism, after switching he himself noted a distinct chemical odor present in Spectracide that isn't in the FW planted ferts at all. Not trying to argue with ya or anything like that Bif, I just don't like the chemical smell that doesn't exist from other products.
I would recommend the same item, but from NilocG. KNO3, Potassium Nitrate. Seachem Phosphorus is just fine though, no issues there.
Although this is the most important thing to know ---- Dosing nitrates will deplete your phosphates, dosing phosphates will deplete your nitrates. Because chemistry is magic.
To combat this, the only thing I've personally found that works is quite stupidly expensive... Brightwell Aquatics FaStart-M. It's a 'balance of no3/po4', and it's the only thing I've dosed that gives me measurable no3 AND po4, opposed to KNO3 / Phosphorus that only gives me one or the other.
Mr.Fishtank
New member
bif24701
New member
I agree that there are possibly better alternatives. Dosing NO3 and PO4 should be a temporary thing, once your feeding habits have been tuned it should remain pretty stable once you get your desired levels. So I don't see a problem with the stump remover. Even it the <1% of the product was some how unsafe it would still be diluted to safe level. I do not recommend adding PO4 and NO3 directly long term. These two are just two of the things we are aware that corals need. Corals also need many other things that come from food and don't come from chemicals. You need to feed your tank, well.
I also agree of course that +NO3= -PO4 and +PO4 = -NO3. So adding one with out the other WILL do more harm than good. Unless you have a large imbalance of one dosing the other can help bring it to a balance. I still wouldn't add either unless you have the materials to add and test both.
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Well said bif. There are very, very few people who continually dose no3/po4. Personally my tank is still getting stocked so my tank depletes no3 and po4 in days.. I have to do a maintenance dose of 30ml no3 two or three times a week (With my tank volume that adds around .8ppm no3). It will balance out when the tank is fully stocked.
Otherwise I haven't seen anybody except Schnitzel dose over long periods of time. He said he doses weekly and it seems like he's done so for almost a year now.
Only exception might be frag systems with a whole lot of frags and only a fish or two. Some of the big SPS farms claim their systems crush no3 and they can barely keep up with demand -- which makes sense to me.
Otherwise I haven't seen anybody except Schnitzel dose over long periods of time. He said he doses weekly and it seems like he's done so for almost a year now.
Only exception might be frag systems with a whole lot of frags and only a fish or two. Some of the big SPS farms claim their systems crush no3 and they can barely keep up with demand -- which makes sense to me.
bif24701
New member
I also have to make adjustments every other week or so, very light stocking also. Takes a long time to get fish, QT, treat, observe, then add to display.
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Seriously... My tank isn't that large, a mere 45g cube (50g cube footprint) and I've just gotten my 3rd and 4th fish in there -- Bangaii Cardinal and a disappearing Yasha goby.. Hope the latter shows up fat and happy one morning.
A Melanurus, Firefish, Bangaii Cardinal, and possible Yasha Goby don't make much poop for 36 SPS frags and mini colonies -_-
A Melanurus, Firefish, Bangaii Cardinal, and possible Yasha Goby don't make much poop for 36 SPS frags and mini colonies -_-
