Controlling Nutrients

liam31 · Jan 5, 2022

Hello,
I have a 35g tank with a sump (total volume)
Currently have a bubble Magnus skimmer which I run 24/7.

The current stock is 2 cleaner shrimp and a clownfish and strawberry basslet.

I was dosing vibrant to help with some algae issues (bubble algae ) but stopped a few weeks ago.

Currently have 0.05 ppm phosphate (Hanna ULR) and 35ppm nitrate. (salifert) The phosphate is down from 0.2ppm a few months ago.
Currently, feed half a cube of frozen every 2 days.

Currently have a small red cyano outbreak on the sand and slightly on the rocks after stopping the vibrant.

So I was wondering should I try to reduce my nitrates and how should I do this? Carbon dosing? Water changes?
Corals seem happy enough but 0 growth at all.

Thanks

Rmckoy · Jan 5, 2022

Water changes would be the safest
But small percentage water changes have little effect on lowering nitrates

for example : if you have 35ppm nitrates .
even if you do 50% water change with your water source having tested 0 nitrates you will only lower nitrates to 17.5 for a short period of time after water change until it jumps back up

finding the source and correcting it along with water changes is ideal .
I would advise against carbon dosing or adding anything to your system . I haven’t read much good about systems after dosing vibrant