high nitrates low phosphate question

[Groovyg]

tank specs
100 gallon dt
cw100 24/7
120dc skimmer 24/7
refugium with turf algae 24/7
ppt 35
temp 78
po4 .03
no3 20-30
alk 8.5
cal 450
mag 1250

ok so i not totally sure how to proceed
obviously my phosphates being .03 there pretty low i want to lower my nitrates but very concerned i could bottom out my phosphates and create other issues . should i dose phosphates and keep my normal export procedures and see if i can get down these nitrates or is everything ok and just continue with things as usual corals seem to be fine my sps getting discolored abit believe the nitrates are

causing this any insight would be helpful

 

[homer1475]

Hows everything look?

Don't get hung up on a number, if everthing looks healthy, colorful, and growing, I wouldn't sweat it.

My tank runs between 15 and 20 ppm of nitrate, and 0.1 to 0.2 phosphates and I have 0 issues.

The ATS should be dropping the nitrate number, unless your adding more then it can absorb? You could try harvesting it a bit more often to see if that helps any.

 

[SPR1968]

I wouldn’t do anything if the tank is fine and I would keep phosphate below 0.03 and you’ll avoid many of the problems we constantly read about.

Id probably raise the magnesium to around 1300-1350 but that’s my personal preference

 

[Groovyg]

Hows everything look?

Don't get hung up on a number, if everthing looks healthy, colorful, and growing, I wouldn't sweat it.

My tank runs between 15 and 20 ppm of nitrate, and 0.1 to 0.2 phosphates and I have 0 issues.

The ATS should be dropping the nitrate number, unless your adding more then it can absorb? You could try harvesting it a bit more often to see if that helps any.

sps a bit of discoloration but not all of them

 

[homer1475]

Nutrients as well as lighting plays a major factor to SPS color.

If you like that dry pastel look(close to death), then by all means lower your nutrients. If you like your coral to be healthy, then they need nutrients. Ever read stories where peoples coral never looked better a day or 2 before it all went to heck in handbasket?

Poll the SPS section, and I think you'll find most of who we consider "guru's" keep their parameter somewhere close to mine(I'll admit my phosphates are a bit high, but they are of no concern to me or my coral, and this is where my tank likes to run).

Like I said, don't get hung up on a number, stability in those numbers is way more important then an actual number.

 

[Groovyg]

Nutrients as well as lighting plays a major factor to SPS color.

If you like that dry pastel look(close to death), then by all means lower your nutrients. If you like your coral to be healthy, then they need nutrients. Ever read stories where peoples coral never looked better a day or 2 before it all went to heck in handbasket?

Poll the SPS section, and I think you'll find most of who we consider "guru's" keep their parameter somewhere close to mine(I'll admit my phosphates are a bit high, but they are of no concern to me or my coral, and this is where my tank likes to run).

Like I said, don't get hung up on a number, stability in those numbers is way more important then an actual number.

ok sounds like possibly lighting and flow maybe my issue over nutrient export

 

[homer1475]

Flow, specially for SPS, I would almost put in front of lighting when talking SPS parameters.

I think you'll find WWC agrees with me, as they did a video recently about the importance of flow for SPS.