Low nutrients, new tank - Phosphate and nitrate

[Hudsonfo]

WATER PARAMETERS/FEEDING/DOSING

Hi;

I have a 525xl, only a few weeks old, I set up chaeto in refugium sump to try and limit nuisance algae.

I have 2 tomato clownfish and added a hammer coral 3 days ago.

The fish are eating well and I’m feeding once/twice a day depending on when I’m home - pellets and frozen food

Coral looks happy so far.

I’m finding that my phosphates are super low, and today my nitrates are the same. Phosphate was 0; except for the day after my skimmer cup overflowed which it went up to 0.02. (Hanna checker). So after reading that too low phosphates are an issue and having no nuisance algae I dosed Phosphate yesterday evening and just tested and still at 0 but nitrates went from 7.4 to 0.3 today!

I’m at a loss as to whether I should feed more, dose more phosphate and feed more, or let it be. Or pull the Macro out or turn of the skimmer.

Alkalinity 8.1, calcium 400, ph 8.3. Ammonia 0, nitrite 0.

Help!!

 

[Waters]

I would definitely either feed more or dose to keep some phosphates and nitrates in the system....especially in a new tank. Any of the other options you mentioned (turning off skimmer or removing macros) would help also. I would just do one thing at a time and keep testing.

 

[Lavey29]

Why run cheato in a new system? It's using up the nutrients in your tank. The ugly phase will still happen. You can still minimize nuisance algae with good parameters, proper lighting, water changes, manual clean up etc... I didn't even turn my lights on for first 2.5 months and had no algae problems. Since adding corals and lights algae has been minimal with no cheato. I run rock rubble in the sump though. Refugiums are good at certain points if your system needs it for balance.