TaigC94

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Hi everyone, I wanted people’s experience on this, The red field ratio. The ratio of 1 phosphate to 16 nitrate. Studies have show once plants and organisms have exhausted the phosphate supply, nitrate consumption stops (plants, coral, and bacteria). My phosphate is 0.01 but my nitrates are very high (higher than I’d like to admit). Has anyone used a method of raising their phosphates (nothing drastic but raise it and maintain it daily) on purpose to have the breakdown of nitrate begin again?
 

Caseyoidae

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I use 2 tablespoons of trisodium phosphate diluted in a Gallon of rodi and dose 3ml with dosing pump daily to keep my phosphate at .03ppm in a 40 gallon. Some binding may occur when you first begin phosphate dosing so take it super slow and work up. It’s $7on Amazon And very predictable compared to using reef roids, overfeeding ect. I’m in the same boat but I dose vinegar as my carbon source because although not as effective per volume it’s way cheaper than vodka or nopox
 

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TaigC94

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Craig Bingman

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Hi everyone, I wanted people’s experience on this, The red field ratio. The ratio of 1 phosphate to 16 nitrate. Studies have show once plants and organisms have exhausted the phosphate supply, nitrate consumption stops (plants, coral, and bacteria). My phosphate is 0.01 but my nitrates are very high (higher than I’d like to admit). Has anyone used a method of raising their phosphates (nothing drastic but raise it and maintain it daily) on purpose to have the breakdown of nitrate begin again?
Just a few technical points. It’s “Redfield’s ratios.” He was a chemical oceanographer who studied the ratios of numbers of atoms of different elements found in phytoplankton.

The 16:1 ratio is a molar ratio or “number of atoms ratio.” I guess people normall measure things as nitrate ion and phosphate ion, and the have masses of 62 and 95 grams per mole, respectively. So in nitrate to phosphate ion masses a 16:1 Redfield’s ratio would be more like 10:1 nitrate ion to phosphate ion.
 

Craig Bingman

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Where do I find these? Checked websites for phosphate dosing but had no luck
Trisodium phosphate is a common cleaning agent that is still used widely for surface prep of walls prior to repainting. So that’s where I would start looking for it in the hardware store. There are TSP variants that combine bleach and phosphate (often used to remove mildew stains from walls.) You don’t want those. Just TSP. There will be an increase in alkalinity when you add this. Go slow, etc. I‘m sure someone must have made a dosing calculator somewhere, but if not we can whip out some formulas for you.
 

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