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Vinegar dosing

You may want to try using the low range measurement. Look through the side (instead of looking down from the top) and match the color and divide by 10 (so 50 becomes 5) Looking from the side is more accurate and measures lower numbers. It should at least confirm that you are over 10.

Yeah, I’m definitely over 10 but sometimes not quite 25.
 
Yeah, I’m definitely over 10 but sometimes not quite 25.
Haha. I’m in the same boat, but more or less 25. I’ve recently started vinegar dosing. I have more than enough phosphates as well so hoping to reduce both a little bit. I have too many fish I guess, sigh. That’s honestly the best part of the tank for me a morn of times tho just all the color and movement of the fish. At least when it’s just a quick glance form across the room. Obviously corals are where it’s at for me mostly, but I really like having a lot of fish. Maybe I should just give in and setup a discards refugium.... I’m going the easy route first though and see how it goes.
 
My Salifert nítrate test has colors for 10 and 25. I’m always in that range. Is there a test that can show me more detail there ?

I have the API test kit. Half the time I can't tell the colors apart, but for nitrate mine was always the worse color. I sent my water to a lab and they confirmed it ... 219 ppm nitrate! Should be close to zero.

However, as we know now, Aquatic Collection now has a new test machine and will test your water for $12, so that's a good way to get a baseline.

V
 
I have the API test kit. Half the time I can't tell the colors apart, but for nitrate mine was always the worse color. I sent my water to a lab and they confirmed it ... 219 ppm nitrate! Should be close to zero.

However, as we know now, Aquatic Collection now has a new test machine and will test your water for $12, so that's a good way to get a baseline.

V

My last ICP test included nitrate and phosphate results and they matched my tests.
 
Why would removing Chaeto increase nutrients? By making room for more to grow, I imagine it would then consume more nutrients.

I get it. The smaller mass absorbs less
 
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My experience:
I tried vinegar dosing for a few years.
It really seemed to reduce Nitrates pretty well. But really did not do much to Phosphates.
My guess is because the Nitrate/Phosphate ratio used by the bacteria is pretty high toward Nitrate.

I ended up with Cyano problems at times.
I also ended up with PH problems. Vinegar lowers PH, and my tank has always been a bit low.

Those problems are not 100% due to vinegar obviously. But I do think it might have contributed,
so I went away from it.

At any rate : I do think it does work, but like all other methods, it is not perfect.
 
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