How does everyone maintain such low nutrients?

[Mr. Crabs]

Keep the number of fish low. Run a skimmer that is rated for aquariums much bigger than yours. Don't feed reef roids, feed one of the liquid foods. They produce better growth with less waste. Try to keep everything constant such as feeding.

 

[kzitzman1]

I have the API liquid test kit (I don't trust the strips at all). But even that kit can be off or can give bad readings if you don't follow directions well. So, I have a LFS that does the lab quality water tests and I can take my water in to him and he tests for free. Other stores use the same test kit I do and often don't shake the bottles at all or let the test sit for the required time. But the LFS I like does a great job.

 

[Trailermann]

Now I’m using NoPox and added bio media to my sump and my nitrates are holding steady at 8 and phosphates around 0.1-0.2

what do you mean, bio media?

 

[Sm51498]

Carbon dosing, protein skimmer, activated carbon, 15% weekly waterchanges and GFO. I have to feed A LOT to get detectable nutrients. I recommend this strategy because you're able to just toss a ton of food at your fish and corals which is better for their health than the starvation recommended in the past.

 

[92Miata]

High throughout tanks are way easier to keep than low throughput tanks.


Lots of flow, lots of skimming, lots of other export. Lots of consumers (corals, corraline, macro). Tons of fish. Tons of food.

 

[Reef.]

For a long time my nitrates were running around 15-20 and zero phosphates (at least I couldn’t measure them). But I wanted to get the nitrates down and phosphates up so I could start maintaining corals. I ended up doing 30% water changes for three days in a row (cleaning sand bed, blowing stuff off rocks, etc) and was able to get my nitrates down to 10.

Now I’m using NoPox and added bio media to my sump and my nitrates are holding steady at 8 and phosphates around 0.1-0.2

isn’t.1-.2 quite high?

 

[92Miata]

isn’t.1-.2 quite high?

Yes, no, maybe.

Nitrate and phosphate readings are measuring a bunch of things - both "available food" and "latent waste". You can have a tank with high nitrate readings that has high waste and low food, and vice versa. Theyre proxy measurements for food and waste.


This video does a decent job of explaining how high throughout systems work

 

[Waynerock]

Mine stays that low even with the previous tank I had. Both BB with live Rock from the ocean. I do feed the same amount everyday and dose Red Sea AB+ every other day. Tank is loaded with corals. I do have a couple very small patches of gha that I don’t mess with because I believe it helps everything maintain it’s balance. It does scare me sometimes though being so low. Even though I feed all the time a couple SPS are more pastel colored from the nutrients being so low. I would rather try to increase than have to drop though. It is what it is, everything is growing like crazy so I don’t try to rock the boat

 

[mike550]

isn’t.1-.2 quite high?

My bad. Meant 0.01-0.02. I’m using Salifert so I doubt I have exact numbers because of interpreting colors.

 

[Reef.]

My bad. Meant 0.01-0.02. I’m using Salifert so I doubt I have exact numbers because of interpreting colors.

I was thinking it might have been that but was thinking that is amazingly low so couldn’t have be that lol

I have the Salifert too, moved to the Elos high res phosphate test, for the reason you mention.

I did read that the plastic container hinders reading the correct colour, think I’ll try using one of the glass containers that come with the Elos, see if that helps. As it’s a lot cheaper than the Elos.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I dont fret about it But Zeovit is one way to accomplish this

 

[mike550]

I was thinking it might have been that but was thinking that is amazingly low so couldn’t have be that lol

I have the Salifert too, moved to the Elos high res phosphate test, for the reason you mention.

I did read that the plastic container hinders reading the correct colour, think I’ll try using one of the glass containers that come with the Elos, see if that helps. As it’s a lot cheaper than the Elos.

I’ve heard great things about the Hanna ULR phosphorous (?) but I really don’t feel like spending the $ for this one. For phosphates as long as I’m getting some low level that’s pretty consistent then I think I’m good.

 

[X-37B]

How I run my 120g system.
Po4-.02-.04
No3- 1-2 but <5
Alk 7.5
Ca 450
mg 1350
Efficient skimmer
Filter sock
Bare bottom
200 gph through sump with no baffles
4 tunze powerheads pushing around 9k at all times with 2 alternating.
Small carbon reactor running rox 0.8
Carx for ca alk
Dose trace
50% live 50% caribsea rock minimalist scape around 75lbs total.
Lots of snails
6 shrimp
2 brittle stars
2 urchins.
13 fish that I feed 3x a day.
6 blue green chromis
1 lawnmower blenny
1 pajama cardinal
Pair of clowns
1 tomini tang
1 convict tang
1 foxface

I run a very small amount carbon dosing.
Around 2-4ml a day of dsr ez carbon. Its a mix of vinager, sugar, and iron.
This keeps no3 at <5.
I have only done 2 water changes in 15 months.
One 9 gal just because around 2 months ago.
One 12 gallon a couple weeks ago after fluconazole to kill all hair algae.
I did not have enough cleanup crew to keep it in check, now I do.
Pic today with new lighting that replaced 8 T5's 2 weeks ago.
Pretty simple easy to run system.

 

[Reef.]

I’ve heard great things about the Hanna ULR phosphorous (?) but I really don’t feel like spending the $ for this one. For phosphates as long as I’m getting some low level that’s pretty consistent then I think I’m good.

Yeah, my tank is only small so I’m a little ocd when it comes to phosphate, Elos is good but Hanna works out around half the cost per test, so think I’ll move to Hanna.

 

[stanlalee]

Quite easily when I was doing it. Primary large weekly water changes, not overstocking or over feeding. GFO, vodka dosing. Then after 15 years of reefing I looked back and realized my best success and most happy reef tanks were when I DIDN'T do any of that. You do all that to reduce nutrients only to dose nutrients back in. And if you don't put nutrients back in corals go down hill. ULN has only caused me starved corals, dinos, cyno with vodka and a live but dead tank (pods, brittle stars, worms no where to be found). On the other hand just feeding moderately, moderate water changes, running a skimmer and sometimes cheato causes me healthy corals, no algae issues and STILL low nitrates/phosphates. The worse issue it has ever caused me are tube worm proliferation.

 

[Daddy-o]

-Feed a lot
-High flow
-Maximum skimming
-Lots of rocks
-Regular maint
-PhosGuard

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

isn’t.1-.2 quite high?

Seem high to me, but many tanks are OK at that level.

The biggest concern with slightly elevated nutrients is having enough herbivores to keep algae in check.

Edit: I see you corrected the values to 0.01 to 0.02 ppm. Fine, IMO.

 

[Tired]

Phosphate isn't toxic in any reasonable amount. It just encourages algae. If your tank can handle the algae, it's no problem.