But for real, should I dose Nitrate and Phosphate

MoshJosh · May 10, 2023

I have tested water 3 weeks in a row and Nitrate and Phosphate have been less than or equal to 1 and 0.025 respectively. I decreased the amount of water changes I was doing by 50% and there was no change (was changing about 15% went down to about 7% weekly). . .

I do have nutrient exports in form of refugium and skimmer (one of my tanks has skimmer, the other does not, but does not seem to be making a difference between the 2 tanks. . . but it does make skimate???). I am somewhat afraid (probably irrationally) to get rid of those things, especially the fuge. . .

that takes me to my question. . . get rid of my nutrient export or increase my nutrient import???

ReefBoost · May 10, 2023

Depends on what problem you are trying to solve here.....Many reefers have success at all kinds of nutrient levels. Do you have issues with anything? Algae? Dinos? Diatoms? Are some corals not happy currently, or are you trying to get more growth? What size and type of tank is this?

I like the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mantra for the most part, but you must have some goal you are trying to achieve right?

Lost in the Sauce · May 10, 2023

MoshJosh said:
. . .

that takes me to my question. . . get rid of my nutrient export or increase my nutrient import???

This isn't a "need to get rid of" situation.

You can dial in your export by lowering the number of hours your fuge is lit as well as putting your skimmer on a timer. Some people run it for 1 hour, 3 times a day. Some at a 6 hour block.

I do both of these, for tuning export as I feed heavily and won't be stopping that.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 10, 2023

Can you just try feeding a bit more each day?

MoshJosh · May 10, 2023

Problems I want to solve:

I have a number of corals that are growing/thriving, but a number of my corals that range from stagnant to unhappy.
I have what I assume are dino's in my SPS tank, they are not at epidemic levels, but are unsightly and I imagine irritating my corals.

MoshJosh · May 10, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
This isn't a "need to get rid of" situation.

You can dial in your export by lowering the number of hours your fuge is lit as well as putting your skimmer on a timer. Some people run it for 1 hour, 3 times a day. Some at a 6 hour block.

I do both of these, for tuning export as I feed heavily and won't be stopping that.

I know that the algae should be the least of my concern haha, but will the macro's still grown and a sparse lighting schedule?

Also, during what hours would the extra oxygenation/gas exchange stuff of the skimmer be most beneficial?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 10, 2023

MoshJosh said:
Also, during what hours would the extra oxygenation/gas exchange stuff of the skimmer be most beneficial?

For O2, night.

FWIW, I would never turn off a skimmer over of nutrient issues.

MoshJosh · May 10, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Can you just try feeding a bit more each day?

Possibly could switch to twice a day feeding instead of the once a day I am doing now, though I leave though house before the lights come on so not sure the fish would actually be eating if I did a morning feed (though I guess rotting food is a nutrient source hahaha)

MoshJosh · May 10, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
For O2, night.

FWIW, I would never turn off a skimmer over of nutrient issues.

Is the skimmer removing organics that we don't measure, is that why?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 10, 2023

MoshJosh said:
Is the skimmer removing organics that we don't measure, is that why?

Aeration and organic removal, yes, and the fact that it likely doesn't impact the nutrient balance very substantially.

Lost in the Sauce · May 10, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Aeration and organic removal, yes, and the fact that it likely doesn't impact the nutrient balance very substantially.

How can that be when it is removing organics that (many) will break down into no3/po4?

Leaving my skimmer off for 2 weeks equates to a 10 point rise in nitrates. That's substantial for me with a target of 15.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 10, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
How can that be when it is removing organics that (many) will break down into no3/po4?

Leaving my skimmer off for 2 weeks equates to a 10 point rise in nitrates. That's substantial for me with a target of 15.

It's not a no effect, I'm saying its a small effect.

Most of the fish food fed to fish ends up as excreted ammonia and phosphate, not as organics.

A 10 ppm rise in nitrate over 2 weeks is a small effect compared to the big daily turnover in N and P.

In my case, though I wasn't measuring nitrate, the only thing i noticed turnign off my skimmer for a couple of months was the pH got too high (I dosed limewater/kalkwasser).

MoshJosh · May 10, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
It's not a no effect, I'm saying its a small effect.

Most of the fish food fed to fish ends up as excreted ammonia and phosphate, not as organics.

A 10 ppm rise in nitrate over 2 weeks is a small effect compared to the big daily turnover in N and P.

In my case, though I wasn't measuring nitrate, the only thing i noticed turnign off my skimmer for a couple of months was the pH got too high (I dosed limewater/kalkwasser).

I also "dose" kalk (in my ATO. . . having struggles balancing kalk in RO vs evaporation. . . but that's for another thread).

Any reason not to up my feeding if that means feeding after lights out (or before lights on)? minimum time between feeds? 4 hours?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 10, 2023

MoshJosh said:
I also "dose" kalk (in my ATO. . . having struggles balancing kalk in RO vs evaporation. . . but that's for another thread).

Any reason not to up my feeding if that means feeding after lights out (or before lights on)? minimum time between feeds? 4 hours?

It's doesn't really matter when you feed, but feeding more is a food plan. Can you feed a second time in the PM?