0 nitrate .12 phosphate

[King Turkey]

Are corals starving out? Seems like a imbalance. Just started running phosgard to get phosphate down. Zero nussence algae. I am running a refugium with cheto could that be bring nitrate to zero? I do use dr Tim's waste away also. Running carbon and a tunze 9012 skimmer on my 47g breader aio. Thoughts?

 

[Bryknicks]

How long has the tank been running? Is there a heavy bioload? How do the corals look compared to when you got them? You should see a reaction in the corals if they were starving. I had a nitrate deprived system that negatively impacted my coral and started dosing KNO3 to bring the levels up and the coral bounced back great after a few weeks.

 

[Bryknicks]

Either way in regards to your nutrient levels, I would bump up the nitrates to detectable levels to prevent any other issues. What test kit are you using for them? Can it read in very low levels?

 

[LARedstickreefer]

The Waste Away is eating your nitrates.

 

[King Turkey]

I see I figured wasteaway might be the issue at hand. Corals look great sps and lps. If anything seeing great growth. I use red sea pro kits the color is crystal clear at zero. I suspect there is some the cheo is using up. The tank started beginning of summer. Had normal ugly phase and all that. Would ya suggest lowing how much I use waste away befor I dose kno3? Also suggestions on a kno3 product?

 

[Bryknicks]

Yes, I would stop using waste away and test to monitor where your nutrient levels go before dosing anything. Give it a few weeks while keeping everything else the same.

I use Spectracide Stump remover from Home Depot or Amazon, but many others use pharmaceutical grade off the internet. I believe one company is called Loud Wolf but that would be for sodium nitrate.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Since your corals are doing well with “zero” nitrates, I’d just stop the Waste Away and wait a week to see if your nitrates rise with food alone. Make changes slowly since a lot could be at play here.

 

[King Turkey]

I see thank you for the suggestions I will keep you posted. I'll stop waste away for now and go from there

 

[King Turkey]

Dosing amines be a bad idea at this point??

 

[SeaDweller]

You're asking if your corals are starving out, but we can't see that. Perhaps on paper they COULD get to that point, but how do they look to you? You're running super heavy export methods, but how's your import? Are you feeding a ton and then able to export really well and you have low residual numbers? IF so, that's great. That's what many of us do that have a very good amount of bioload in the tank: feed a ton and export just as heavy.

You're running:
skimmer
GFO
carbon
chaeto
bacteria

You're in the perfect set up to feed a crap ton to your fish and to watch your tank flourish, if balanced right. Why dose aminos or products when technically you can just feed your tank more (how much do you feed and how much fish do you have?).

I think Anthony's bacteria thread ties in well to why some reefers will have issues with their SPS (not saying this is happening to you), looking at your situation: they run a ton of export methods to keep nutrients close to 0.000 ppm and only feed once a day or even less, then have these issues with their SPS. Bacteria can't help in these situations if you're having issues (which again, I don't know if you are or aren't).

 

[King Turkey]

You're asking if your corals are starving out, but we can't see that. Perhaps on paper they COULD get to that point, but how do they look to you? You're running super heavy export methods, but how's your import? Are you feeding a ton and then able to export really well and you have low residual numbers? IF so, that's great. That's what many of us do that have a very good amount of bioload in the tank: feed a ton and export just as heavy.

You're running:
skimmer
GFO
carbon
chaeto
bacteria

You're in the perfect set up to feed a crap ton to your fish and to watch your tank flourish, if balanced right. Why dose aminos or products when technically you can just feed your tank more (how much do you feed and how much fish do you have?).

I think Anthony's bacteria thread ties in well to why some reefers will have issues with their SPS (not saying this is happening to you), looking at your situation: they run a ton of export methods to keep nutrients close to 0.000 ppm and only feed once a day or even less, then have these issues with their SPS. Bacteria can't help in these situations if you're having issues (which again, I don't know if you are or aren't).

I have heavy export to help keep algae at bay. I did have the normal ugly phase and just rely do not want to go through it again.
I do not have a issue with corals at the moment. none that I am aware. I more or less have been told it is a good idea to use amino if I am running real low phosphate and nitrate. I don't feed heavy when I do feed once a day. I do 2 days pellets one day frozen. I did try amino once before knowing much about it did not have my levels low and poor export methods and had algae out brake. lesson learned.
I am wanting to do a coral vitalizer once a week so not a daily thing if it will boost coral growth. from what you are saying though just feeding more keeping nitrate and phosphate in check and i am good to go.
I can post some pictures of my system tommarow.
current levels are:
Ca450
Ph8.4
Alk10.4
Mg1350
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .12
all red sea pro kit
so far as I can tell stable I do not know my alk drop I only test once a 2pm
Light cycle is 10am to 9pm including 1 hour ramp up and 1 hour ramp down. Suggestion for a time to test for alk drop would be helpful maybee...

 

[SeaDweller]

So are you having an issue with algae now? Do you have fish that can consume the algae? If you don't have issues, just leave things alone. I'd just feed more IF YOU WANT higher NO3 levels. If all your stuff looks good, then don't worry about what your tests read. If you're having an algae issue, it could be giving you false lows, and in that case, you need to export as heavily as you do, maybe even more.

 

[King Turkey]

So are you having an issue with algae now? Do you have fish that can consume the algae? If you don't have issues, just leave things alone. I'd just feed more IF YOU WANT higher NO3 levels. If all your stuff looks good, then don't worry about what your tests read. If you're having an algae issue, it could be giving you false lows, and in that case, you need to export as heavily as you do, maybe even more.

no algae issues at the moment. I do have a lawn mower blenny. and a pretty good clean up crew. maybe they are just keeping it in check and I can not tell. thanks for the advice I will slowly feed more and more to see how it goes.

 

[King Turkey]

sorry for the delay. let me know if you see anything that could be doing better.

 

[SeaDweller]

Man, leave everything alone. What test kits are you using?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Your tank looks great. I would make changes slowly. Start reducing waste away, and slowly increase feeding, frozen mostly. Pellet and flake will add po4. Keep up the good work.

 

[King Turkey]

Man, leave everything alone. What test kits are you using?

I am using red sea pro for ca mg alk nitrate and phosphate. Topic marin for ph.

 

[King Turkey]

Your tank looks great. I would make changes slowly. Start reducing waste away, and slowly increase feeding, frozen mostly. Pellet and flake will add po4. Keep up the good work.

When I increase i suspect phosphate will also raise and hinder growth. I will try to keep it in check and take it slow.