How do i make a balance?

[Notsolostfish]

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.

I can do weekly water c

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.

Uh cant do weekly my nitrate is 5... it will drop more.

 

[Lavey29]

I can do weekly water c

Uh cant do weekly my nitrate is 5... it will drop more.

You do understand that water changes do more then just nitrate export right? It maintains your trace elements along with your major elements alk, cal and magnesium. It insures your correct salinity to. If your nitrates are 5 and you do 10% water change then nitrates are now 4.5. This is easily controlled with feeding more or simply dosing neonitro until your bioload increases.

 

[ReefGeezer]

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

Phosphate binds on calcium carbonate surfaces like dry rock and sand in a new tank. That slows as the rock ages and gets some biofilms on it. I would not add a lot of phosphate yet or turn off the skimmer. If nitrate is measureable and you are feeding normally, I would not worry about low phosphate yet.