Advice on Nitrate & Phosphate

[thedon986]

I started with TBS rock and sand. I am two months in and with 9 fish I am still dosing nitrate and phosphate to keep them where I want them at 10-15 and .1-.15. I would dose. I am even considering setting up automated dosing for these since it doesn't seem to be holding even feeding frozen twice a day to 9 fish.

 

[EricR]

One VERY TAINTED opinion here -- since getting rid of dinos after letting phosphates bottom out caused me the most effort so far:
-- extra feeding never worked for me so I'd vote start dosing nitrate
-- NeoNitro is fine/easy but expensive
-- my choice is Calcium Nitrate direct from Loudwolf site (with free shipping) but there are other options
-- if you do start dosing nitrate, keep an eye on phos as well since any process that's currently nitrate-limited could potentially kick into gear and (maybe) cause phos to plummet (((just something to keep an eye on,,, not necessarily going to happen)))

***if you already have plans to increase bio-load soon, though, that might change my thoughts

 

[Sdot]

Thanks, yes not so much worried about it coral-wise since I don’t have any yet like you said. My concern is getting a dino outbreak. Happened in my last tank because I ran it too clean and was an absolute nightmare. Trying to avoid that this time around.

Good thought... but let me ease your mind... you can only get dino's if you've introduced them to your aquarium. Dino's generally come on/with frags added to your tank. I think you should be fine...

 

[Spare time]

Just feed more. Run the skimmer on a timer and have it on only at night.

 

[Spare time]

Good thought... but let me ease your mind... you can only get dino's if you've introduced them to your aquarium. Dino's generally come on/with frags added to your tank. I think you should be fine...

I'd be fairly confident to say dinos are in all tanks, but they only become a problem when they get out of control, similar to cyano.

 

[MVsea1]

Good thought... but let me ease your mind... you can only get dino's if you've introduced them to your aquarium. Dino's generally come on/with frags added to your tank. I think you should be fine...

Ah ok, didn't know that. Thought that dinos were present in pretty much every tank but could get out of control if nitrate on phos bottomed out for too long.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'd be fairly confident to say dinos are in all tanks, but they only become a problem when they get out of control, similar to cyano.

Not true. They need to be introduced.

 

[Spare time]

Not true. They need to be introduced.

How do you know that? It is a single celled algae that is common. No one can quarentine for them, and almost no one checks the surface of everything and drop of water that enters their tank to see if they are there. So when someone adds anything from an LFS, a coral vendor, etc., there is a good chance that they could get a cell in just like every other common microalgae in the hobby.

 

[Sdot]

I'd be fairly confident to say dinos are in all tanks, but they only become a problem when they get out of control, similar to cyano.

This is false...remember our tanks are sterile until we add things to it. Case in point, ive never heard of anyone getting dinos in water mixing vats...sometimes they sit for months.

 

[Sdot]

Not true. They need to be introduced.

This is a fact

 

[jda]

In the same vein that everything in a saltwater tanks needs to be introduced, I guess that dinos need to also be introduced. In the same vein that you cannot keep them out, they really do not need to be introduced.

Dinos in new tanks are mostly a by product of having sterile places to attach and grow. Since your live rock should be covered in other things, you might get some on the sand for a bit like tanks from the olden days before people started with sterile dry/dead rock.

Just feed your fish well. You are likely fine.

 

[KStatefan]

This is false...remember our tanks are sterile until we add things to it. Case in point, ive never heard of anyone getting dinos in water mixing vats...sometimes they sit for months.

How do you prevent them from getting in your tank?

 

[Spare time]

This is false...remember our tanks are sterile until we add things to it. Case in point, ive never heard of anyone getting dinos in water mixing vats...sometimes they sit for months.

Mixing vats don't have lights, so of course algae won't be in there. And of course they are not spontaneously appearing, but rather they are impossible to keep out and no one screens for dinos.

 

[jda]

You can certainly get dinos in mixing vats if you light them. This is one of the issues with the semi-clear containers if you have lights too close. Ask me how I know? I have the semi-clear square water tanks for RO and saltwater. Just a little bit of light is enough. I have to keep tank lights away from the mixing tanks and I also let them sit empty when I am not mixing fresh saltwater.

 

[Sdot]

Mixing vats don't have lights, so of course algae won't be in there. And of course they are not spontaneously appearing, but rather they are impossible to keep out and no one screens for dinos.

Fun fact ive never had dinos until i had corals, Ive never had dinos in any quarantine tank either... it has lights fish and filtration.... you know what it doesn't have.... live rock or corals.

 

[MVsea1]

The dinos issue/possibility aside, I will probably need to dose anyway once I start adding corals...as they will need some nitrate and phos. Unless of course the added bioload and heavier feeling solves the problem. **Fingers crossed** Sounds like the camp is split on whether or not a should start dosing now...but I'm not seeing a clear negative and why I shouldn't.

 

[Pod_01]

Sounds like the camp is split on whether or not a should start dosing now...but I'm not seeing a clear negative and why I shouldn't.

Just my opinion, adding NO3/PO4 is like adding fertilizer. Since you have nice clean rock, I see no coral mass and nice bright lights you will likely end up with nice algae garden (Dino, cyano, GHA etc…). Maybe the live rock will reduce some of it.

My suggestion is feed bit more, reduce the light intensity (light promotes Dino on exposed surfaces especially with fertilizer). Once you start to add corals you can increase light intensity. Since you have live rock there is high likelihood you have Dino.

Good luck,

 

[MVsea1]

I started with TBS rock and sand. I am two months in and with 9 fish I am still dosing nitrate and phosphate to keep them where I want them at 10-15 and .1-.15. I would dose. I am even considering setting up automated dosing for these since it doesn't seem to be holding even feeding frozen twice a day to 9 fish.

Did you run into any algae issues with the TBS rock and dosing nitrate/phosphate?

 

[thedon986]

Did you run into any algae issues with the TBS rock and dosing nitrate/phosphate?

Yes I have some nuisance algae growth but also have more macros growing. I am not worried about it because I will have 2-3 herbivorous fish to take care of it. I have a foxface so far and about 1 week in, it is making a dent in the algae already. I'll take algae growth over dino growth any day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is a fact

I’m confused. Every reef tank gets creatures from somewhere, and every introduction might bring in some dinos. So might foods. I don't see focussing on a source being a useful activity.