Struggling With High Phosphates Again

[Akasha72]

I can't open this tank lid cos my SAE's are notorious jumpers. They'd be out the tank in no time. I wouldn't trust my angels either if I'm honest

 

[Zante]

I didn't mean opening the whole lid, but only a little window in the lid.
 
You know the little window the Rekord has to fit an autofeeder?

 
Does your other tank have something similar?

 

[Akasha72]

no. The rio doesn't have that

 

[Zante]

Ah, pity...

 

[Asteria]

This post as now actually got me thinking what the phosphate level is in my tank. I have stupid high nitrates coming out the tap and they don't seem to lower in my tank even with all my plants.

I'm also thinking of trying this vinegar method. It will lower nitrates too right?

 

[Akasha72]

I think it does Asteria as Zante said I might have to start dosing Nitrates. 
 
I was supposed to do my water change today but I've not been feeling well and barely had the energy to walk the dog so it will have to wait until I get my energy levels back. Stupid M.E
 
I'm guessing my PO4 will rise again with the next water change and so I'll be starting dosing with the vinegar myself very soon 

 

[Zante]

This post as now actually got me thinking what the phosphate level is in my tank. I have stupid high nitrates coming out the tap and they don't seem to lower in my tank even with all my plants.

I'm also thinking of trying this vinegar method. It will lower nitrates too right?

 
Yes, in a proportion of 16 units of nitrate to 1 of phosphate, just like plants would do.
What the vinegar does is provide the 108 units of carbon for the bacterial colonies to metabolise the nitrate and phosphate. Again this proportion is the same that plants would use, only plants use CO2 as the source for carbon.
If you have, say, 50ppm of nitrate and 1ppm of phosphate, the uptake of nitrate will be limited to 16ppm, as the uptake would be limited by the amount of phosphate.
If in the same scenario you also have only 54ppm of biologically available carbon in the water (whatever that form may be) then the carbon will be the limiting factor and the uptake would be limited to 8ppm of nitrate and 0.5ppm of phosphate.
 
The ramping up of the vinegar dosing is to give time to the bacterial colonies to grow
 
One thing that reefkeeping has taught me, though, is not to rely only on one method. Bacterial colonies can crash, plants can die and/or be eaten, algae turf filters can collapse, and so on. The best thing is to replicate what is in nature and provide several different nutrient export methods.
 
A very good one if you have an open tank is emersed plants. Plants that have access to the CO2 in the air will have a literally unlimited supply of CO2, so the only limiting factor in nutrient uptake will be the 16:1 balance between nitrates and phosphates, micronutrients in the tank (though that is VERY rarely an issue) and the size of the plant itself.
If you have a look in the picture I posted, you will see a branch of pothos leaning against the window handle: that is actually an old picture. That branch has already been bent back towards the tank and again towards the door to the right of the window. It is now halfway across the door. imagine how much nitrate that single stem has absorbed to grow so long (and half an inch thick), and I have several stems growing out of that tank.

 

[Asteria]

I may try this pothos plant too. Since my nitrates are just crazy. They come out my tap at 40ppm. Along with this vinegar thing and see how it goes.