Extremely low Phosphate stalling cycle?

[XLOR8T]

i have a 5 week old tank that I cycled with Red Sea Reef mature and went according to plan. By the end I was at 0 Ammoni 0 Nitrite and 40 Nitrate. Did a large water change and mistakenly syphoned and cleaned sand bed (started with dry sand) and added my first 2 fish. Ammonia came up to 0.2 and nitrate 0.2 by midnight. Added seachem stability and by morning ammonia was gone and nitrate started to slowly creep up to 1ppm.

Long story short. Did a 30% waterchenge and added Dr Tim’s one and only and have been stuck at 0 ammonia and 0.1-0.2 nitrite.

Reading lots and heard about phosphate block and did a test with my Hanna phosphorus ULR and got 1ppb so 0.003 phosphate. Could this be my issue? Do I follow procedures such as Fritz PH Lower or Phosphous supplement to get a slight rise and break through block?

I’ve been dosing nopox and the only deviations from Red Sea plan were CaribSea life rock (seeded man made dry rock)
Didn’t add fish till 10 days after instructions to wait for Nitrite to 0 and I added chaeto to my fuge and added large population of copepods.

What do I do next?

Fish are happy inverts are working on light coating of diatom on rock and sand but I haven’t been feeding the fish for the last 4-5 days to drop nitrite to 0.

Thank you!!

 

[TomW]

Start feeding the fish - that will push the cycle along. Stop measuring phosphate. Stop dosing nopox until your tank is cycled (and you know if you need it), and adding Dr Tim's, and whatever the SeaChem stuff is. You're 4 weeks into something that takes 12; the diatoms are normal and healthy.

Feed the fish, skim hard, hide and watch for a while. Nothing good happens in a reef tank in a hurry. Resist the urge to fiddle with additives until your system is on its feet.

 

[TomW]

Start feeding the fish - that will push the cycle along. Stop measuring nitrate and phosphate for a while. Stop dosing nopox until your tank is cycled (and you know if you need it), and adding Dr Tim's, and whatever the SeaChem stuff is. You're 4 weeks into something that takes 12; the diatoms are normal and healthy. The parameters will bounce around - a lot - for a while until it settles in; you'll make yourself crazy chasing that sort of chemistry this early. Everything will be in transition for a while.

Feed the fish, skim hard, hide and watch for a while. Nothing good happens in a reef tank in a hurry. Resist the urge to fiddle with additives until your system is on its feet.

 

[XLOR8T]

Start feeding the fish - that will push the cycle along. Stop measuring phosphate. Stop dosing nopox until your tank is cycled (and you know if you need it), and adding Dr Tim's, and whatever the SeaChem stuff is. You're 4 weeks into something that takes 12; the diatoms are normal and healthy.

Feed the fish, skim hard, hide and watch for a while. Nothing good happens in a reef tank in a hurry. Resist the urge to fiddle with additives until your system is on its feet.

I wasn’t in a hurry. I just followed the cycle from ammonia spike to nitrite spike to nitrate spike. I was told once ammonia and nitrite hit 0 and you have nitrate left the cycle is complete but tank is new and should have load added slowly.

I didn’t start nopox on my own. It’s a part of the Red Sea cycle program and what they put together with bacteria culture and bacteria food and a regiment of when and how to add them. The only additives I’ve put in were more bacteria. At this point I’m not trying to hurry anything along, just trying to make sure the tank stays happy and healthy moving forward.

 

[TomW]

I wasn’t in a hurry. I just followed the cycle from ammonia spike to nitrite spike to nitrate spike. I was told once ammonia and nitrite hit 0 and you have nitrate left the cycle is complete but tank is new and should have load added slowly.

I didn’t start nopox on my own. It’s a part of the Red Sea cycle program and what they put together with bacteria culture and bacteria food and a regiment of when and how to add them. The only additives I’ve put in were more bacteria. At this point I’m not trying to hurry anything along, just trying to make sure the tank stays happy and healthy moving forward.

You've clearly done a lot of reading. At this point, you're hurrying everything. No matter what it says on all those bottles, some things just take time.

 

[XLOR8T]

Forgot to mention nitrate is at 12, salinity is 35, PH 7.7-7.8, alk 8.2 temp 78

Not sure if those have any bearing but wanted to add the info.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The nitrite is totally unimportant and I’d stop even measuring it unless it is just for fun. [emoji3]

 

[XLOR8T]

The nitrite is totally unimportant and I’d stop even measuring it unless it is just for fun. [emoji3]

Really appreciate your response. I’ve been reading as much of your writings and posts. You put mind at ease that nitrite isn’t toxic to marine fish.

Should I resume regular feeding of fish or stay on the minimal side.

I’ve purchased a Seneye and will be installed tonight to monitor ammonia.

Thanks again