I messed up...

[JosephM]

So my phosphates rose ever so slightly and I immediately threw in a bag of chemi pure elite. Phosphates went from 0.03 to 0.13 before I put it in. After 15 hrs they were 0.05 and I still left it after 24 hrs it was at 0.03 I took it out. Well I should’ve just taken it out after 12 hrs or never put it in as I already have a bunch of export methods and the tank was probably just adjusting to my new fish and first feedings. I have a 40 gal system (29gal tank with 20 gal sump). Runs through filter sock (changed every 4 days), large bag of matrix, skimmer rated for 37gal, good sized fuge with chaeto that has quadrupled+ in size over the past 2 weeks (run light 12 hrs a night) and a reactor running activated carbon. Well today I tested and I’m running 0.02 phosphates (Hanna ULR) and 0-5 ppm nitrates (API). I do have a salifert nitrate test coming in as API is horribly inaccurate. But I currently have no fish as an isopod took out my only fish. I’ve upped my dosing of Live phyto to 20ml a day and reef roids twice a week for corals. I have a few small softies and one lps. What can I do to get these levels just a little higher and prevent me from bottoming out and risking dinos. Thank you!

 

[HuduVudu]

Be patient.

Throwing spaghetti at the wall though satisfying and comforting is rarely helpful.

 

[HB AL]

Get some fish and feed them as much as they will eat once a day.

 

[JosephM]

Be patient.

Throwing spaghetti at the wall though satisfying and comforting is rarely helpful.

So I should just let my system run and it should balance back out? How often should I test nitrates and phosphates?

 

[JosephM]

Get some fish and feed them as much as they will eat once a day.

Planning on picking up a pair of clowns in a week. Just trapping at night to make sure I don’t have any nasty isopods left before I get another fish.

 

[HB AL]

25 years ago I had a snowflake eel and the same thing happened to it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You can add fish food even if you do not have fish.

 

[HuduVudu]

So I should just let my system run and it should balance back out? How often should I test nitrates and phosphates?

You have a plan stick to the plan and watch the tank. You can test as often as you would like, especially if it keeps you busy and out of the tank. Don't get crazy with the numbers, observe what is happening in the tank and match the numbers up with what you are seeing. See if you see correlations. Think about what you are seeing. Theorize about what it might mean.

Salt water aquariums don't like it when you move things around and your husbandry goal is to ensure that what you are doing both helps and doesn't move things quickly. This is an incredibly difficult thing to do contrary to what most people assume.

Stay on target Luke ... stay on target.