How do i make a balance?

[Notsolostfish]

My phsophate is 0, and my nitrate is 5. And i feed frozen everyday, and i have 5 fish in a 36 gallons with 18 gallon sump. I do biweekly water changes, and i was wondering how do i keep my phosphate from bottoming out to 0? I turned my skimmer off yesterday at night and fed AB+ for for the first time. And turned the skinmer back on in the morning. And my phosphate got back to 0.04 from 0. But isnt turning off and on the skimmer gives me PH swings? My ph is 7.97 in the morning and 7.76 at night...

 

[Idech]

Like many people, I use Neophos and Neonitro. So simple and easy.

 

[Gtinnel]

Why not dose phosphate or feed a food that is higher in phosphate like reef roids.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Reed roida i have reef roids? Do i feed that once a week?

 

[Notsolostfish]

Why not dose phosphate or feed a food that is higher in phosphate like reef roids.

I have that do dose that once a week?

 

[erdrick80]

Seriously... how the is this possible that people get this issue and i dont. I got a g200 45gal tank. Reefmat 500, essence protein skimmers, refugium, live rock almost filling the tank and my phosphates and nitrates are to the roof! I only feed 1cube of frozen mysis shrimp to 2 clowns, flame angel, cardinal, pistol shrimp and goby. That's the only reason I haven't gotten any corals. Is it cause I added my old tank water? And some sand? It's only a month old.

Really wish I had your problem. No matter how many water changes I do and everytime I test nitrates it's 100 on my salifert test kit. My apologies,I know I'm ranting but seriously this hobby sometimes

 

[vetteguy53081]

My phsophate is 0, and my nitrate is 5. And i feed frozen everyday, and i have 5 fish in a 36 gallons with 18 gallon sump. I do biweekly water changes, and i was wondering how do i keep my phosphate from bottoming out to 0? I turned my skimmer off yesterday at night and fed AB+ for for the first time. And turned the skinmer back on in the morning. And my phosphate got back to 0.04 from 0. But isnt turning off and on the skimmer gives me PH swings? My ph is 7.97 in the morning and 7.76 at night...

Your phos is now in good range (.04 - .06) and ph acceptable as long as not going lower at night. Keeping it stable is more important than targeting a certain number
AB+ can and may elevate phos

 

[Notsolostfish]

Your phos is now in good range (.04 - .06) and ph acceptable as long as not going lower at night. Keeping it stable is more important than targeting a certain number
AB+ can and may elevate phos

My phosphate is back to 0. Because i forgot to turn my skimmer off yesterday what do i do?

 

[Notsolostfish]

Why not dose phosphate or feed a food that is higher in phosphate like reef roids.

I have reef roids. But do i turn off the skimmer while feeding reef roids? Thats the part im struggling with. Forgot to turn off my skimmer yesterday at night and my phosphate is back at 0. I truly confused how do i make a balance. If i can avoid turning off the skimmer and do smth else for my phosphate that would be awesome.

 

[Gtinnel]

I have reef roids. But do i turn off the skimmer while feeding reef roids? Thats the part im struggling with. Forgot to turn off my skimmer yesterday at night and my phosphate is back at 0. I truly confused how do i make a balance. If i can avoid turning off the skimmer and do smth else for my phosphate that would be awesome.

When I was feeding reef roids I was spot feeding it so I would turn off all flow in my tank, which means I would turn my skimmer off because of the my return pump being off. If broadcast feeding them I’m honestly not sure if the skimmer needs to be off or not.
I’m not sure from your previous posts if you already are but if not why not consider dosing phosphates? It will be the easiest way to increase it. I’ve never had to dose phosphates but when I used to dose nitrates I would manually do it a couple of times a week, if I still needed to dose now I’d probably just setup a cheap dosing pump to do it.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

What test kit are you using for phosphates?

 

[Notsolostfish]

What test kit are you using for phosphates?

Hanna ulr

 

[TokenReefer]

That's the only reason I haven't gotten any corals.

he has corals consuming phosphate...maybe throw some in . sorry to side-track this thread. carry on

 

[killer2001]

Really wish I had your problem. No matter how many water changes I do and everytime I test nitrates it's 100 on my salifert test kit. My apologies,I know I'm ranting but seriously this hobby sometimes

Try another test kit just in case. Keep doing water changes, you'll get there eventually.

 

[ReefGeezer]

How long has the tank been running? How big? What kind of rack & sand is in it?

 

[Notsolostfish]

How long has the tank been running? How big? What kind of rack & sand is in it?

Caribsea. Over a month. Caribsea rocks, and sand. 37 gallon dp. And 18 gallon sump

 

[Lavey29]

My phosphate is back to 0. Because i forgot to turn my skimmer off yesterday what do i do?

Your skimmer does not remove phosphate from your tank. If it was .04 and then went to 0 that means something like corals used your phosphate not the skimmer taking it out. Feeding corals roids or AB plus will bump up phosphate. Feeding fish pellets will bump up phosphate. Dosing neophos is very easy also.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Your skimmer does not remove phosphate from your tank. If it was .04 and then went to 0 that means something like corals used your phosphate not the skimmer taking it out. Feeding corals roids or AB plus will bump up phosphate. Feeding fish pellets will bump up phosphate. Dosing neophos is very easy also.

But isnt dosing AB + i have to turn off my skimmer overnight?

 

[Lavey29]

But isnt dosing AB + i have to turn off my skimmer overnight?

No, they recommend 30 minutes off when dosing AB plus so the corals can use it before the skimmer removes excess.

 

[Lavey29]

But isnt dosing AB + i have to turn off my skimmer overnight?

And leaving a skimmer off can help increase nutrient levels in the tank because organic waste is not being removed but you lose other benefits like the aeration your skimmer provides. Almost all of us had to take steps to increase nutrients early on with our tanks. It's not difficult to feed more. Feed the corals more or dose neophos or neonitro. New tanks need weekly water changes also not biweekly.