when should i test to see if my phosphate and nitrates when down?

I normally wait a day and then test. If your nitartes were pretty high you'll have to do a few water changes before you start to see it decrease significantly.

Shortly after the water changes. Just enough time for the water to get all mixed up.

Phosphate and nitrates will go down assuming replacement water has less of those then your tank.


FWIW water changes alone will never maintain low levels of either unless the tank is balanced out and is consuming those things as they are being generated. I used macro algaes on my 55g and no water changes for almost 8 years and had unmeasureable nitrates and phosphates.


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

i think i should seriously invest in some more macro algae and see how that works. i only have like 2 hand fulls of caulerpa macro. thats all thats in my sump...what else should i put in there to try to keep ntrates and phospahate down so that i dont have to go crazy making so many water changes?

i ordered a R.O. system today so that when i do my next water change then things will be better. should get it in a few days.

I got some blue ochtodes (spelling) for my tank. looks nice and it keeps nitrates down. It's blue so it looks in is the display tank

Try some chaetomorphia also. (brillo pad)

The ro/di will make no measureable difference in nitrates/phosphates IMHO. Those come from the bioload in the tank and not the input water.

Keep getting the macro to expand. You will hit a point where all the sudden nitrates and phosphates just start dropping down.

my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Bob is right about adding plant life to a have
balanced tank. I have 6 or 7 different types of macroalgae in two refugiums running on my system, but this is where we part ways. I fell that doing regular water changes along with the plant life will give you a even more balanced system. Water changes can't be overlooked. The ocean is always renewing itself and that's what we do when we change out a % of our water. A good reef salt has essential elements and minerals that are depleted over time in our tanks that need to be replaced.

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If It Is To Be It's Up To Me!!!
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I also recommend dosing the stuff the is depleted like cal/alk/mag.

If things are building up (like nitrates) or being consumed (like calcium) water changes will limit but not prevent those changes.

So my emphasis is to get the tank as balanced out as possible.

but then trouble has nice tanks and mine hasn't been setup for a few years.


my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden