Can't Raise Nutrients - Feel Like I'm Overfeeding

[Brice|F4llen]

Hey guys,

Really weird situation on my Reefer 170. It's been up for around 7-8 months and is currently running fallow/invert only (had a disease outbreak). Eventually I'm planning on keeping a mandarin so I'm trying to raise the nutrients to establish a refugium with. Currently the tank is unlit. Wanted to see a little nutrient before adding a round of tester coral and lighting.

Anyways, my current stock list:

1 Halloween Hermit
1 Emerald Crab
1 Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp
1 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Fire Shrimp
1 Peppermint Shrimp (sump)

Filtration:
1 filter sock

Surface Area:
About 35 lbs of marco dry rock that I cycled with the tank
2.5 packs of marine pure gems
20lbs special grade

Parameters:
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrate 0.0
Phosphate 0.0

For the life of me, I can't seem to raise the nutrients in this tank. I've never seen any nitrate/phosphate in this tank since starting. Currently I'm feeding about 25% of a cube of PE Mysis (frozen mini - Canadian) every evening. Also 15-20 of the small seaweed extreme pellets in the mornings and usually 2 or 3 of the large TDO pellets during my lunch hour. The tank currently isn't lit. There isn't any algae yet that I would assume was consuming all the nutrients. I do have a fair amount of pods for a newish unlit tank. There's some diatoms here and there in the rockwork, but nothing major.

I stopped doing water changes probably 2-3 months ago and increased feeding. I let my filter sock run until it overflows before changing. I feel like I'm feeding more than plenty considering there aren't any fish and I picked up all my inverts as small as I could find them. I'm at a loss. It's not like I have a huge amount of water volume, it's only a 34g tank with a 9g sump. I also use Hanna checkers and am confident they're working. I'm actually combatting a nutrient problem in my qt tank right now, lol.

Any ideas? I'm planning on upping feedings some more, but that's my only thought. This is frustrating because my fish are approaching the end of their qt protocol. Would really love to add some coral or start a refugium, but I bet this water would starve any macro.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I dose a mixture of trisodium phosphates and sodium nitrates periodically through out the day. I couldnt get nutrients up enough via feeding and it was giving me a detritus problem. But with my dosing..i always have levels in my tank and the tank is happy.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I dose a mixture of trisodium phosphates and sodium nitrates periodically through out the day. I couldnt get nutrients up enough via feeding and it was giving me a detritus problem. But with my dosing..i always have levels in my tank and the tank is happy.

+1

 

[damsels are not mean]

Eventually I'm planning on keeping a mandarin so I'm trying to raise the nutrients to establish a refugium with.

You don't need nutrients for a pod refugium.

 

[Brice|F4llen]

You don't need nutrients for a pod refugium.

I guess that's true. But I'll absolutely need some for growing coral

 

[damsels are not mean]

I think you could create a fuge for pods and start feeding more to boost them. If you then get those numbers up you'd have a space ready for some macroalgae.

 

[Spare time]

That really isn't too much food. It might be easier just to dose it.

 

[Spare time]

What test kit do you use?

 

[Brice|F4llen]

Hanna Nitrate HR
Hanna Phosphate LR

It seems the general consensus is to just dose it. Any recommendations?

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Hanna Nitrate HR
Hanna Phosphate LR

It seems the general consensus is to just dose it. Any recommendations?

Yup..those are the right ones. Dosing is easier to control and more predicatable than food. I have a solution of 140g sodium nitrate and 2g of trisidium phosphate in 1,500ML of RODI. I dose about 18ML of solution in 12 equal doses throughout the day. I honestly dont recommend a combined solution as you cannot make minor tweaks but I was too cheap to buy another pump (which would have required another outlet that I dont have so I make due) If you go the dosing route..start low and bump up. The fact that you will have a constant stream will generally allow you to avoid the dinos while you get dialed in.

 

[Leadfooted]

Yup..those are the right ones. Dosing is easier to control and more predicatable than food. I have a solution of 140g sodium nitrate and 2g of trisidium phosphate in 1,500ML of RODI. I dose about 18ML of solution in 12 equal doses throughout the day. I honestly dont recommend a combined solution as you cannot make minor tweaks but I was too cheap to buy another pump (which would have required another outlet that I dont have so I make due) If you go the dosing route..start low and bump up. The fact that you will have a constant stream will generally allow you to avoid the dinos while you get dialed in.

What’s your total water volume?

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

What’s your total water volume?

approximately 90 gallons by actual volume. 80 gallon tank and 30 gallon sump.

 

[GarrettT]

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James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator

 

[Spare time]

Hanna Nitrate HR
Hanna Phosphate LR

It seems the general consensus is to just dose it. Any recommendations?

Keep in mind that hanna phosphate checker has an error range of ±0.04 ppm

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

My wife has an error range of +/- 1 husband

 

[Leadfooted]

approximately 90 gallons by actual volume. 80 gallon tank and 30 gallon sump.

Thank you

 

[Lavey29]

So if the simple way of feeding is not producing the result try dosing neophos and neonitro. I had to double dose both for weeks before I saw any numbers rise. 0 phosphate and nitrate is a recipe for disaster. Once you get your fish back in things may balance out.

 

[damsels are not mean]

You could dose but it seems kind of counterproductive if the goal is to grow algae to then remove those nutrients... Nutrients in food form can be utilized by the pods you want to grow in your fuge so why not feed more instead?

 

[Jekyl]

Is there any algae in your tank? 7-8 months is right in the ugly phase. Asking because that's where your nutrients could be going.

 

[Placenta89]

I had this exact problem for a long time! But in a small 32 gallon. I tested every day and it was 0 all round and was so worried about dinos. I was feeding the hell out of my tank and removed all chemical media as well as stopped water changes. Just ran filter floss and couldn't seem to get it past 0. So I started a dosing regimen of nitrate and phosphate. I would test shortly after getting a reading of 12ppm nitrate and 0.3 phosphate. Within 8 hours of be back to 0. So what I did was just start dosing every day the same amount for months. Now it's only been a couple weeks and I am getting nitrate readings without dosing and cutting back feeding to once a day as well as a bi weekly 10% water change. I'm still getting 0 phosphates so I'm continuing to dose every 2 days as it disappears but not nearly as fast as before. but I'm assuming whatever was eating up all the nitrate was finally full and had enough. I'm hoping phosphate will be the same soon. I started feeding more flake food as it apparently leeches more phosphate than frozen. I'm at a steady 5.8 ppm for nitrate the past week and a half after 5 months of getting a 0.0 every day. Best of luck!