Did I miss something?

[zchauvin]

Alright. My new sps additions weren't doing what I thought they should be and came looking for help. My tank had 0.00 p04 using Hannah LR, and I had 0 nitrates using red sea test. My parameters were stable and are still stable with Alk, Calcium, and SG all at correct levels. I was told to raise my nitrates and phosphates. I removed my chemipure, starting dumping tons of extra food into my tank, and have more algae now than before (very minimal compared to none). My nitrates are still at 2ppm. My sps don't seem to be any different than when I was at 0. I was told that no nitrates or phosphates and high light was the worst position my tank could be in.

I found an old build thread that I had been looking for due to the type of coral the tank had. Needless to say, while reading it the guy was happy about having 0.00 phosphates after taking many measures to do so as well as 0 nitrates. His tank is 100% sun lit with par of 1200-500 using an apogee meter yet his tank was absolutely flourishing with acropora sp.

My question is how can this be possible.

This particular system was exactly how I was told to not to run mine.

 

[JustAnt]

Alright. My new sps additions weren't doing what I thought they should be and came looking for help. My tank had 0.00 p04 using Hannah LR, and I had 0 nitrates using red sea test. My parameters were stable and are still stable with Alk, Calcium, and SG all at correct levels. I was told to raise my nitrates and phosphates. I removed my chemipure, starting dumping tons of extra food into my tank, and have more algae now than before (very minimal compared to none). My nitrates are still at 2ppm. My sps don't seem to be any different than when I was at 0. I was told that no nitrates or phosphates and high light was the worst position my tank could be in.

I found an old build thread that I had been looking for due to the type of coral the tank had. Needless to say, while reading it the guy was happy about having 0.00 phosphates after taking many measures to do so as well as 0 nitrates. His tank is 100% sun lit with par of 1200-500 using an apogee meter yet his tank was absolutely flourishing with acropora sp.

My question is how can this be possible.

This particular system was exactly how I was told to not to run mine.

My system also has 0 nitrates and phosphates and I was told my lps are not flourishing bc of this. The suggestion I received was to begin dosing amino acids instead of making the tank so called "dirty".

Mine related to lps though not sps so it may b different for acropora

 

[zchauvin]

My system also has 0 nitrates and phosphates and I was told my lps are not flourishing bc of this. The suggestion I received was to begin dosing amino acids instead of making the tank so called "dirty".

Mine related to lps though not sps so it may b different for acropora

I have a trachyphyllia that has been suffering since I purchased it but it already had receding issues. My other lps as well as soft corals have done good since day 1. FWIW there was a bubble coral that spawned in the tank I am talking about.

I'm just trying to understand why it was suggested to purposely increased my nutrients, which contributed only to algae. Trying to figure out if there is a variable I missed or something I misunderstood.