How do I balance having Nutrients vs. Clean Tank?

[Phyber]

I'm about two months into my second round of reef tanking. My first run (same equipment as now) lasted about 5 years and was cut short due to a winter storm power outage that killed everything. I was devastated and needed to get away from the hobby for a bit (I have a generator now!!!).

One thing that I've learned about myself is that I'm a fiddler... I will tinker and clean and scrape and troubleshoot everything to get it to my "ideal". One thing that I'm re-discovering is about why nutrients in the aquarium are good. Specifically Nitrate and Phosphate.

I have a 65g tank, about 40lb of live rock, a Reef Octopus Classic 110 and run carbon in a bag (debating on a reactor). My ideal tank is one with zero waste or harmful buildups to inhibit growth, but I'm learning that softies/LPS corals actually need and thrive in water with higher nutrients. However, I'm seeing other posts where it advises weekly/bi-weekly water changes to remove nutrient buildup.

So which way to do I go? Let me filtration do it's thing and do monthly water changes so nutrients build up, or continue water changes along with filtration and keep nutrients low?

 

[Waters]

I think your answer is both.....a balance between filtration/maintenance and letting nutrients accumulate, within reason. You do just enough maintenance.....use just enough media (GFO for example) to keep your numbers where you want them, and adjust everything from there.

 

[ReefGeezer]

...So which way to do I go? Let me filtration do it's thing and do monthly water changes so nutrients build up, or continue water changes along with filtration and keep nutrients low?

Your tank is new. I would continue the weekly water changes and keep the nutrients low. Increased feeding or more fish and the resulting waste can provide what the Softies need.

 

[Coralreefer1]

Your corals will let you know by how good and healthy they look. Yes, nutrient rich water is ideal for soft corals as opposed to the other end of the spectrum for Acropora and the like.
Water changes are ideal and are a very important and essential part of maintaining a thriving and successful marine aquarium.
With fish adsorption, chemical, mechanical and biological filtration and gas exchanges, aquarium water becomes depleted of the trace minerals and other key components of salt water that living animals need to survive rather quickly. Water changes will take care of this problem, or you can dose trace, vitamins and various other supplements, however, performing water changes is the quickest and easiest way to go in my opinion.
Again, it goes back to my opening sentence...your corals will let you know if water changes are needed sooner than later. Remember that lighting, water flow and maintaining stable water parameters are essential in maintaining a beautiful, thriving and successful marine aquarium.

 

[smartwater101]

Water changes are as much (if not more so) about the elements you're putting back into the system, as what you're taking out. Water changes can only go so far in terms of export. The real challenge is the bioload (like the amount of animals in the tank) and your feeding habits. Dialing in a feeding schedule will be a HUGE factor in keeping nutrients at levels you feel are appropriate.

Avoid GFO, Phosphat-E, Vinegar, Nopox, and other types of carbon dosing. Only use these for "emergency" type situations when your parameters get away from you. These things can encourage some bad habits so, I'm always of the mind that, focus should be on the basics FIRST and the carbon dosing as backup.

Skimmer and some chaeto (with proper lighting!!) will do the bulk of the work for you. Combined with a water-change schedule, you'll have a very simple/effective setup thats geared towards long-term success.

I'm a constant tinkerer so I don't have much advise on this front lol. Just bare in mind that large changes will do you no favors as they can be a shock to the system. So outside of keeping your tank walls clean, go slow. GL!

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

I find that a large snail based CUC does the best for me. My N03 is usually around 10 and P04 around .04. I do have algae growth in my ATS as I have to harvest it weekly, however the number of snails in my Display Tank is astronomical (not literally ) due to reproduction. At night they cover my LR and take care of any algae in the DT. I feed heavily and export heavily with the ATS, Siporax, and oversized skimmer. This combo seems to keep everything at a nice balance with very little visible algae in the DT.

 

[Phyber]

Your tank is new. I would continue the weekly water changes and keep the nutrients low. Increased feeding or more fish and the resulting waste can provide what the Softies need.

Thanks! I'll keep the feeding up. I was giving a pinch of flakes 3-4 times a day but had reeled it back to only twice.

Water changes are as much (if not more so) about the elements you're putting back into the system, as what you're taking out. Water changes can only go so far in terms of export. The real challenge is the bioload (amount of animals in the tank) and your feeding habits. Dialing in a feeding schedule will be a HUGE factor in keeping nutrients at levels you feel are appropriate.

Avoid GFO, Phosphat-E, Vinegar, Nopox, and other types of carbon dosing. Only use these for "emergency" type situations when your parameters get away from you. These things can encourage some bad habits so, I'm always of the mind that, focus should be on the basics FIRST and the carbon dosing as backup.

Skimmer and some chaeto (with proper lighting!!) will do the bulk of the work for you. Combined with a water-change schedule, you'll have a very simple/effective setup thats geared towards long-term success.

I'm a constant tinkerer so I don't have much advise on this front lol. Just bare in mind that large changes will do you no favors as they can be a shock to the system. So outside of keeping your tank walls clean, go slow. GL!

Thanks! I currently have 3 clowns, 1 banggai and 1 yellow tang. A couple cleaner shrimp and two dozen nassarius snails are all I have for a CUC... A few zoas and a hammer frag round out my livestock thus far.

I'm diligent with the filter sock changes and skimmer cup clean outs. Every two weeks I do a 20g water change. My wife always tells me I "do too much" for all my hobbies and just wonder if I needed to relax the water changes.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I find the best way to run a high nutrient tank wend you add a lot of biodiversity and unusual CUC. By unusual I mean different culture of bacteria, spaghetti worms, amphipods, mini bristled stars, bristled worms etc.. this scavenger will eat most of the uneaten food in your system and help keep levels stable.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Biodiversity is great. Don't forget that the corals themselves are great for binding/using nutrients.

 

[smartwater101]

I'm diligent with the filter sock changes and skimmer cup clean outs. Every two weeks I do a 20g water change. My wife always tells me I "do too much" for all my hobbies and just wonder if I needed to relax the water changes.

20g is 30% change. You could probably cut it down to 20% (13g) but, more importantly, most of us fall into lazy habits at one time or another so the fact you're maintaining the scheduled is great!

Edit: As for filter socks: Here is a video from brsTV that shows the best filter sock schedule. Spoiler: every 4 days or so.
I don't run socks anymore (haven't for years) except the day before/of water changes when I intentionally kick up some sand and blow detritus off rocks. Just personal preference. I am HARDCORE, about siphoning sand when doing water changes. I don't want that ticking timebomb of detritus blowing up in my face like it has in the past.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Careful with flake food. Some brands contribute a lot of phosphate.

 

[mefisto]

After 15 years of wodka and VSV I have found out that a fleece filter (since 1-2018) appears to be, in my case, a very good way of keeping nutrients at a higher availability while easily having nitrate and phosphate at ‘0’ levels.

Both fish and a wide range of corals (sps, lps, stonies and softies) show what nature provided them with, only Montipora seem to doubt the situation.

 

[smartwater101]

Careful with flake food. Some brands contribute a lot of phosphate.

+1

But def great when you want to increase Phosphate lol

Pellet foods are another thing to keep in mind. They are incredibly nutrient dense. I wanted to increase my phosohates, but I forgot my auto feeded is a mixure of meaty and herbivore pellets. So when i increased the feedings I got the phosphates i wanted, but my nitrates skyrocketed!

Forgetting simple things, like changing the ratio of the food mix, can have a huge impact.