# Dosing Phosphate



## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

If the plants are taking up the nitrates you are feeding the tank, and you are sure your PO4 test kit is working, then give it a try. Take 'baby steps' if you want and add half the dose the first time. 

Just don't add it at the same time that you add Fe.


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## ninoboy (Jan 26, 2004)

Adding phophate (to reasonable amount) will not make your hair algae problem any worse. I had hair algae when my PO4 level was 0. I started dosing fleet enema at the same time with KNO3. I even overdosed PO4 in my 5 gl planted once and didn't see any algae growth.


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

Hey Tee,

I might not be the best one to answer this... However I have found that for the first few months a tank is set up you go through cycles of different algea to the tank reaches its balance. Thread/hair algae is a common form that I have seen over the years in my tanks and was a real nasty inhabitant of my 120gallon for a few weeks. Once the plants started growing it seemed to disappear(that is until the great BBA outbreak of 03) :shock: 

Ok enough babbling. :lol: If your tank has a decent number of plants and they have been planted for more than a few weeks and are starting to grow, I dont see adding phosphates to be a problem. However if they have only been planted a week or two I would hold off..... 

BTW I keep my tank at 10-15ppm nitrates and 1.25-1.75ppm phosphates, I dose flourish and iron everyother day 5ml each... Plant growth and color are awsome....

Jason


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## TeeItUp (Mar 18, 2004)

Thanks folks. 

I will start the baby steps then. There are a lot of plants and they seem to be growing nicely.

I have tested my kit out using a known reference level and it is working fine.

SCMurphy says, "Just don't add it at the same time that you add Fe" so do this on off Plantex dosing days then?


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Yes, PO4 and Fe form a white precipitate that removes both from the water column (yes, I know that was redundant). So it is better to dose them on opposite days and limit the chemical interaction.


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## TeeItUp (Mar 18, 2004)

SCMurphy said:


> Yes, PO4 and Fe form a white precipitate that removes both from the water column (yes, I know that was redundant). So it is better to dose them on opposite days and limit the chemical interaction.


Thanks for the explanation.


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## malkore (Nov 3, 2003)

and I'll only chime in, that 'young' tanks (under 6 months old) will often have little algae issues... Good fert dosing will help minimize this and get you to a stable chemistry that becomes a lot easier to maintain.


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