Phosphate trending up while nitrates stay the same, alk wont rise.

[crazyleo]

Hi guys. This is actually 2 questions... First, I tested my water this morning and my phosphates are going up slowly every week, but nitrates are hanging steady.

Ammonia 0
Nitrate 6.6
Phosphate .08 (up .01 each week)
Alk 5.8
Ph 7.9
Salinity 1.028

Is this normal? Or am I feeding too much maybe?

Second, my alk won't go above 6.1,6.2. I tested the fresh water and it's only mixing to 7.2 instead of 8.3 like it's supposed to. I'm using Fauna Marin Reef Power, but after this bucket is done, I was thinking of switching to red sea blue bucket. Should I dose alk until I switch salt, or should I just wait it out? 5.8 seems really low to me.

Tank is a 180G (150G of actual water). Been running since December.
TIA
Leo

 

[Pod_01]

Hi guys. This is actually 2 questions... First, I tested my water this morning and my phosphates are going up slowly every week, but nitrates are hanging steady.

Ammonia 0
Nitrate 6.6
Phosphate .08 (up .01 each week)
Alk 5.8
Ph 7.9
Salinity 1.028

Is this normal? Or am I feeding too much maybe?

Second, my alk won't go above 6.1,6.2. I tested the fresh water and it's only mixing to 7.2 instead of 8.3 like it's supposed to. I'm using Fauna Marin Reef Power, but after this bucket is done, I was thinking of switching to red sea blue bucket. Should I dose alk until I switch salt, or should I just wait it out? 5.8 seems really low to me.

Tank is a 180G (150G of actual water). Been running since December.
TIA
Leo

Is this the salt you are using?

I would double check the salinity…
Salinity should be 1.0262…


I have used that salt and it mixed correct.
Perhaps on your new tank the Alk consumption is high, some surfaces need to get covered.

I would check the Alk again, and perhaps use baking soda to bring it up to 7, assuming salinity is correct.

Phosphate can creep up, but on new tank I would do nothing and just monitor. If it gets to 0.2-0.3 maybe consider carbon dosing.
Also water change will not reduce phosphate, water change only impacts nitrate.

Good luck,

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Dosing alk is always far cheaper than maintaining it by water change, unless you do the same size changes anyway.

The nitrate values looks fine to me.