Alkalinity and nitrates

[Elmorenicholas]

So I've been looking for research related to this with no luck. Seems I remember that you want to keep a certain level of nitrates and phosphates for sps relative to your alkalinity. However, I can not remember if all goes up you want more or less of the other. Just wondering if I could get some thoughts and opinions on this topic?  Thanks in advance

[lewisriverfisherman]

I believe that you want lower alk with low no3, and  higher alk with higher nitrates.  The most important thing is to keep your parameters stable.

Each and every tank is unique and what I mean by this is every tank has a different sweet spot where it will thrive.

[The ReefBox]

Are you talking about the redfield ratio?

[pdxmonkeyboy]

This isn't a dig or anything but if you are asking this kind of question then I would give you the stock SPS answer.. nitrates between 5-10, phos around .05, and alk in the 8's. You CAN run higher alk and calcium if you have the requirements for the higher growth rates that you CAN achieve with higher alk and cal.

These are: HIGH flow, great lighting in the PROPER amounts, stable nitrates in the 5-10 range, and stable alk.

In the not so recent.. OMG the water has to have undetectable nitrates and phos days thos who were running higher alk were experiencing burnt tips. The theory was that high alk and no nutrients is a no no.

So that still holds true. My tank is pretty stable these days and would love to run higher alk.. like 10.5 or 11. But that brings up the question..HOW WOULD YOU PUT ANY NEW SPS IN YOUR TANK?

ohhh sweet frag! (likely kept at 8 something alk). Here, I will put it in my tank for an instantaneous 3 dkh swing.

Frags LOVE that.

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[SuncrestReef]

13 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:

]My tank is pretty stable these days and would love to run higher alk.. like 10.5 or 11. But that brings up the question..HOW WOULD YOU PUT ANY NEW SPS IN YOUR TANK?

ohhh sweet frag! (likely kept at 8 something alk). Here, I will put it in my tank for an instantaneous 3 dkh swing.

Frags LOVE that.

You just need a series of frag tanks...Your introductory 8.0 dKH tank for new frags, then a few weeks later move them to your 8.5 tank, then 9.0 tank, etc.  Eventually they end up in your 11 dKH tank.  Can you imagine all the dosing pumps or calcium reactors you'd need to monitor and maintain for this???

Alternatively, you just have 1 frag tank that starts at 8.0 dKH.  Then you buy a pallet of new frags all at once (perhaps from @viper55's new shop) and put them in the frag tank.  Over the next couple months you slowly increase alkalinity to 11.0, then BOOM....new frags ready for your display tank! 🤣

[Elmorenicholas]

2 hours ago, viper55 said:

Are you talking about the redfield ratio?

Sort of but I didnt understand that very well lol.

[Elmorenicholas]

2 hours ago, SuncrestReef said:

You just need a series of frag tanks...Your introductory 8.0 dKH tank for new frags, then a few weeks later move them to your 8.5 tank, then 9.0 tank, etc.  Eventually they end up in your 11 dKH tank.  Can you imagine all the dosing pumps or calcium reactors you'd need to monitor and maintain for this???

Alternatively, you just have 1 frag tank that starts at 8.0 dKH.  Then you buy a pallet of new frags all at once (perhaps from @viper55's new shop) and put them in the frag tank.  Over the next couple months you slowly increase alkalinity to 11.0, then BOOM....new frags ready for your display tank! 🤣

Thank you for the reply. I've been holding my alk at 9.0. I dose 2.5ml a day to hold it there. Nitrates were at 20. Phosphate I'm waiting on my test kit. Getting the par meter tomorrow to get that where it needs to be. I added a few testers. Some died in a day or so. The others have stayed alive and have polyp extension but I am having quite a bit of red carpet alge. The snails take about half of that out every night but I'm starting to get a few spots that are losing color and have algea on them. But it's not the tips. It's kind of in the middle of the frag and they have been in there for three weeks. 0 nitrite 0 amonia. Just trying to find the sweet spot and didnt know which way to go with the nitrates. I feel like my water is a little too dirty even with alk at 9. I also have a torch that seems like its bleached but has full extension. Of course zoas and shrooms are perfectly fine. Any suggestions would be great. 

[youcallmenny]

Randy Holmes Farley has had a lot to say about the coorelation between alkalinity and nitrates.  Here's his basic chemistry primer that sort of includes it: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

If you search more of his following work, that article evolves pretty quickly in to talking about that coorelation.  Essentially though, lower nitrates need lower alk.  High alk with low nitrates can result in burnt tips on SPS etc.  I try to keep my alk right at 9.1dKH and right ~10ppm nitrates personally.  

[Elmorenicholas]

1 hour ago, youcallmenny said:

Randy Holmes Farley has had a lot to say about the coorelation between alkalinity and nitrates.  Here's his basic chemistry primer that sort of includes it: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

If you search more of his following work, that article evolves pretty quickly in to talking about that coorelation.  Essentially though, lower nitrates need lower alk.  High alk with low nitrates can result in burnt tips on SPS etc.  I try to keep my alk right at 9.1dKH and right ~10ppm nitrates personally.  

Thank you I'll definitely check it out..