# Phosphate:Nitrate use



## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I notice that in many of my tanks, I need to dose considerably more phosphate compared to nitrate compared to what I read plants use, to keep those values steady. I dose about 1:1.5 - 1:2 -> PO4: NO3. This leaves me with two options, one my plants use more PO4 than the average aquarium, or two: my food contains way more NO3 than PO4.

Please share your thoughts and also your ratio of PO4:NO3 if known.


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## Maryland Guppy (Mar 5, 2015)

I only dose NO3 once per week.
Have been trying to reach 1ppm of PO4 for months.
PPS Classic for me, I'll get it right sometime soon.
Hoping to make a predictable solution soon.


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## burr740 (Mar 6, 2015)

I dose 5 ppm KNO3, and 1.5 ppm KH2PO4, 3x week with 60% water changes. N stays in the 20 range and P around 5 or a little less. Tank is 75 gallon, heavily planted, about 50 small tetras moderately fed.


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## waxje (Mar 21, 2016)

I use the Easylife line of product and for every time I ad 5ml nitrogen, i have tot add 25 ml phosphate
spread in a 7 day use.
In my tapwater there is standard 10 ppm nitrogen and less then 26 microgram Phosfor

My plants assimilate but seem to have some difficiency ass well (white spots on leaves wich turn into holes).

I've been looking for an explenation for the higher phospor use and have a few possible hypothesis:

Some sorts of plants use more phosphorus(it seems as if the leaves of the red colord plants grow a lot darker with more phosphorus but that might be happening to the green plants ass well but possibly less vissible)
The black beard algea is eating it
Substrate or stones are buffering (plain sand with a few clumps of clay and a few small stones)
I use profito and extra iron, maybe the buffer does not work so Iron might neutralize phosfor (no signs of white clouds when adding product)


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

That's not so extreme because Easy life nitro is more concentrated. You dose 1:4 PO4:NO3 according to the package. With your tapwater and the average plant using 1:5, I think yours is quite normal!


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