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  • Nitrate and Phosphate Ratio of Redfield Ratio

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    Dzsan
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    The document discusses the Redfield ratio, which suggests an optimal nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of 16:1 can limit algae growth in freshwater aquariums. It provides calculations to determine the molar ratios and concentrations of nitrate and phosphate that correspond to a 16:1 N:P ratio. Specifically, it shows that a nitrate concentration of 2.0-5.0 ppm and a phosphate concentration of 0.2-0.5 ppm achieves a ratio close to 16 parts nitrogen for every 1 part phosphorus. This ratio is recommended as target concentrations for nutrients to inhibit excessive algae.

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    An explanation of what NO3 to PO4 ratios are required for redfield.

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    The document discusses the Redfield ratio, which suggests an optimal nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of 16:1 can limit algae growth in freshwater aquariums. It provides calculations to determine the molar ratios and concentrations of nitrate and phosphate that correspond to a 16:1 N:P ratio. Specifically, it shows that a nitrate concentration of 2.0-5.0 ppm and a phosphate concentration of 0.2-0.5 ppm achieves a ratio close to 16 parts nitrogen for every 1 part phosphorus. This ratio is recommended as target concentrations for nutrients to inhibit excessive algae.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    125 views1 page

    Nitrate and Phosphate Ratio of Redfield Ratio

    Uploaded by

    Dzsan
    The document discusses the Redfield ratio, which suggests an optimal nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of 16:1 can limit algae growth in freshwater aquariums. It provides calculations to determine the molar ratios and concentrations of nitrate and phosphate that correspond to a 16:1 N:P ratio. Specifically, it shows that a nitrate concentration of 2.0-5.0 ppm and a phosphate concentration of 0.2-0.5 ppm achieves a ratio close to 16 parts nitrogen for every 1 part phosphorus. This ratio is recommended as target concentrations for nutrients to inhibit excessive algae.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    https://buddendo.home.xs4all.nl/aquarium/redfield_eng.

    htm#stock

    ^ Article we’ve all read. Suggests that at a certain ratio. Algae is less likely to thrive.
    Specifically around 16N to 1P. This is a molar ratio not ppm to ppm.It should be noted that this specific
    article is in regards to a freshwater aquarium. It should also be noted that people have tanks with no
    Algae with ratios outside of the redfield ratio.

    Anyways not here to debate the actual redfield ratio. Below is an explanation on how to get 16:1 ratios of
    N/P with your Hanna Checker and Nitrate measurements.

    NO = 62 g/mol (To simply what this means 62g is the mass of 1,000,000 marbles of NO3)
    3

    O = 16g/mol x 3
    3 48g/mol
    N= 14g/mol
    14 / 62 = 0.226 or 22.6%*

    PO = 95 g/mol (95g is the mass of 1,000,000 marbles of NO3)


    4

    O = 16g/mol x 3
    4 64g/mol
    P= 31 g/mol
    31 / 95 = 0.326 or 32.6%*
    *Only relevant if you are using the Phosphorus Checker. Essentially you need to multiply
    that number by 3 in order to get ppb PO4 and then divide by 1000 to get ppm.

    NO = 2ppm or 2mg/L => 2mg / 62g/mol = 0.0323 mmol (or Total of 32.3 marbles)
    3

    way to look at this mmol is to consider them as marbles


    PO = 2ppm or 2mg/L => 2mg / 95g/mol = 0.0211mmol (or Total of 21.1 marbles)
    4

    (1ppm NO3) / (1ppm PO4) => 32.3 / 21.1 close 3N / 2P

    16N/1P / (3/2) = 10.67 NO / 1 PO ppm ratios (10.46 if you want to be more exact)
    3 4

    Nice numbers to shoot for are then


    2.0 - 5.0ppm Nitrate
    0.2 - 0.5ppm Phosphate

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