30 gallon setting it up for a sps tank. I run zeomix,life biofil, phosphate minus,carbon, probiotic salt, pro bio s, np pro, pair of clowns and I've had for over a year in tank, I rotate in a foxface( buy it small use it till its about 4-5 in trade it) two conchs, 5 Nass, 1 trochus, 5 hermits, run small skimmer filter fleece changed every 2 days( any longer phosphates rise). Feed frozen daily amount varies I feed every time I walk by tank and fish come to front corner and feed till they don't eat anymore, dose brightwells for the few LPS in tank 3x a week
I would stop carbon dosing. My carbon dosing brought my nitrates to almost 0. I have a 20 gallon with oversize skimmer and UV thats it. Aquamax 1.5 hobb works amazing. Dropped my nitrates from 25 to 5 in a week and stayed at 5ppm where I want. Also carbon dosing lowers PH. 8.4 PH is where corals grow fastest and High alkalinity aroun 10-11 increases growth rate and also feeding on top can increase growth by 25%. Carbon dosing brought my PH to 7.6.
As others mentioned, couple more fish, skim dry, maybe biweekly water changes. If you dose heterotrophic bacteria that lowers nitrates. I had to double dose neophos and neonitro for months before I got measurable numbers and the tank matured.
This is good and bad. 0 is bad of course but at least you know your ecosystem is operating with extreme efficiency and your filtration export. It took my tank about a year to really stabilize nitrates and phosphate at predictable levels. Heavy in heavy out is a common method used though.
Feed = Not Overfeed. If you feed 2 feedings- increase t three
Dosing neonitro or neophos is easy if you need to do it till your tank balances out with maturity.
Phosphates coming from the protein in the food id bet, really the skimmer should be on top of phosphates and nitrtes should be coming from ammonia production within the tank (fish poop)
