Is my water too clean?

[Shawn_epicurious]

You guys will recognize the corals in my tank prolly faster than I can name them : ) my water is super clean. My NO3 and my PO4 are both basically zero. My new system is working very well.

My tank is of course filled with newbie stuff. I get that : ) a few of my corals actually like the water a little dirty. It seems like I can be doing more in my tank than I am right now (there are a lot of living things in my tank)

Should I feed more? Add a few more fish? I have actually wanted to slow down on adding new livestock if for no other reason than to just the tank develop and just settle in. (I know, not a bad problem to have)

 

[Flippers4pups]

There are some ways to increase levels, one is to feed more often, but not necessarily more at one feeding.

Another would be to cut back on water changes. Once every two weeks, once a month....etc.

Some may say run your protein skimmer only at night, while others may say dose NO3 and P04. I use to think this way, but over time I believe it's best to allow a system to naturally get there on its own.

If in a month or two you can't see any uptick in those, you may consider dosing.

 

[piranhaman00]

I personally dose NO3 and PO4, I would be very cautious about letting them hit 0, especially in a new tank, dinos will hit and they are not fun.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

There are some ways to increase levels, one is to feed more often, but not necessarily more at one feeding.

Another would be to cut back on water changes. Once every two weeks, once a month....etc.

Some may say run your protein skimmer only at night, while others may say dose NO3 and P04. I use to think this way, but over time I believe it's best to allow a system to naturally get there on its own.

If in a month or two you can't see any uptick in those, you may consider dosing.

So if I followed this... you are advising a wait and see approach since it’s a new system? Feed a little more often... and maybe skip a water change? Right?

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I personally dose NO3 and PO4, I would be very cautious about letting them hit 0, especially in a new tank, dinos will hit and they are not fun.

Brb... gonna read up on dosing : )

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I personally dose NO3 and PO4, I would be very cautious about letting them hit 0, especially in a new tank, dinos will hit and they are not fun.

I think I am going to try and get them up without dosing at first... if I can’t get it up a little by the end of next week.... I might consider dosing.

 

[piranhaman00]

I think I am going to try and get them up without dosing at first... if I can’t get it up a little by the end of next week.... I might consider dosing.

Dosing is much easier and accurate. You can raise exactly how much you need.
Dumping more food into the tank will raise nutrients yes but at unknown rate.

 

[andywe]

Dosing is much easier and accurate. You can raise exactly how much you need.
Dumping more food into the tank will raise nutrients yes but at unknown rate.

I would factor what you want your bioload to be. I have a super clean tank, but measured very accurately. .004 NH3, .006 Po4. But since my wife can't say no too much bioload so I feed. and it does well. Before you dose, or do water changes, plan your long term goal IMO.

 

[W1ngz]

Look at it this way. Stuff goes in from topoff water, food and additives.

Stuff comes out from water changes, skimmer, refugium (plant growth) or chemical absorbtion (filter media like GFO, chemi-pure and the like).

Add more, remove less. Find the balance.

 

[andywe]

Look at it this way. Stuff goes in from topoff water, food and additives.

Stuff comes out from water changes, skimmer, refugium (plant growth) or chemical absorbtion (filter media like GFO, chemi-pure and the like).

Add more, remove less. Find the balance.

Sage advice. Each tank is different and it takes a year to balance as you add things and what they need to survive. This is a chemistry set and Biology lab all in 1.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I would factor what you want your bioload to be. I have a super clean tank, but measured very accurately. .004 NH3, .006 Po4. But since my wife can't say no too much bioload so I feed. and it does well. Before you dose, or do water changes, plan your long term goal IMO.

Bioload goal... I get hat is what I need to do. I don’t mind admitting I am not certain what the proper stopping point is. This tank is way bigger than my last one and I already have way more in it than I ever had in the last one (pound for pound) I know right now I wanna slow down on new corals. Because I wanna get some... harder ones... the ones they keep telling me I’m not ready for : ) I guess I am saying I wanna leave room for now... until I am ready.

my goal is at least one more fish... bigger than the rest and then stop there... again... until I am ready for some more advanced fishes. and more importantl... I don’t want to make my tank dirty on purpose. That’s just feels...... wrong.

I think I just talked myself into dosing: )

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I would factor what you want your bioload to be. I have a super clean tank, but measured very accurately. .004 NH3, .006 Po4. But since my wife can't say no too much bioload so I feed. and it does well. Before you dose, or do water changes, plan your long term goal IMO.

I haven’t started testing at that level yet

 

[W1ngz]

Bioload goal... I get hat is what I need to do

Don't overthink it. Just take it slow, and adjust your export methods as you go.
It's about balance, not limits (to a point).

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Look at it this way. Stuff goes in from topoff water, food and additives.

Stuff comes out from water changes, skimmer, refugium (plant growth) or chemical absorbtion (filter media like GFO, chemi-pure and the like).

Add more, remove less. Find the balance.

My last tank... 15 years ago... yeah I failed, walked away from the hobby. Maybe I am over compensating this time. It’s hard for me to imagine I am taking too “much” out. I think I need to let that lil nugget sink in : ) thank you

 

[Seadoc]

@Shawn_epicurious : I was in the same situation, and to some degree, I am still in it. I started worrying about having 0 NO3 and PO4 in my DT when I saw dinos in my QT. Took a long time to get rid of them. I initially started dosing NaNO3 and KH2PO4, I changed my socks for ones with not so small pores, set the skimmer for a drier skimate, increased the bioload and fed more liberally. Eventually I did not need to dose for my levels to stay relatively stable at 3ppm NO3 and 0.02 ppm PO4. I am still not where I want to be and will continue to change things around to obtain the right balance. Hope this helps.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

@Shawn_epicurious : I was in the same situation, and to some degree, I am still in it. I started worrying about having 0 NO3 and PO4 in my DT when I saw dinos in my QT. Took a long time to get rid of them. I initially started dosing NaNO3 and KH2PO4, I changed my socks for ones with not so small pores, set the skimmer for a drier skimate, increased the bioload and fed more liberally. Eventually I did not need to dose for my levels to stay relatively stable at 3ppm NO3 and 0.02 ppm PO4. I am still not where I want to be and will continue to change things around to obtain the right balance. Hope this helps.

It does help, thank you!

 

[PatW]

What zero ppm means is that your test kit cannot measure the level. I use Red Sea Pro for nitrates, Salifert is good also. I can measure down to about .25 ppm. I run nutrients low For my SPS dominant tank. I like nitrates between 1 and 2 ppm.

I test phosphates with the Hanna ULR phosphorous detector which I believe is the most sensitive test kit on the market. I find that my corals don’t like 0 measurable phosphates. I like keeping phosphates at .03 ppm or a bit above.

I think some people keep corals and feed the fish figuring that fish poop will save the day. Interesting idea.

I run chaeto in my refugium and dose nitrates and phospphates to keep levels stable. Works for me. A half cup of food grade sodium nitrate crystals into a gallon of RODI for a stock solution. For phosphates, I use 2 tablespoons of reagent grade trisodium phosphate into a gallon of RODI.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

What zero ppm means is that your test kit cannot measure the level. I use Red Sea Pro for nitrates, Salifert is good also. I can measure down to about .25 ppm. I run nutrients low For my SPS dominant tank. I like nitrates between 1 and 2 ppm.

I test phosphates with the Hanna ULR phosphorous detector which I believe is the most sensitive test kit on the market. I find that my corals don’t like 0 measurable phosphates. I like keeping phosphates at .03 ppm or a bit above.

I think some people keep corals and feed the fish figuring that fish poop will save the day. Interesting idea.

I run chaeto in my refugium and dose nitrates and phospphates to keep levels stable. Works for me. A half cup of food grade sodium nitrate crystals into a gallon of RODI for a stock solution. For phosphates, I use 2 tablespoons of reagent grade trisodium phosphate into a gallon of RODI.

The LFS guys keep telling me i “don’t need to test at the level” for the things in my tank... the accountant in me is not living with that idea very well. I was going to get a QT going next, but I’ve decided to slow down on adding new livestock. I think I’ll get a refugium going next instead.

I am using RODI water for auto top offs. Your method seems quite simple. I think I am going to try this.