LRS Reef Frenzy

[kadamik]

90 Gallon system

tested yesterday
Phos .3
Nitrates 31

Feeding Reef Frenzy twice a day (heavy feed)

I have been trying to find out the reason that my Nitrates and Phosphates are on the high side.
I thought that I was feeding LRS Fish Frenzy but it turns out that I am feeding them Reef Frenzy.

I believe Reef Frenzy has coral specific micro-foods that like Zooplankton and Rotifers.
It looks like Rotifers and contribute to high Phosphates, but not sure about the Nitrates.

Do you think that could be one of the reasons why I am running high nutrients?

If this is one of the causes how long will it take after switching food to see a difference?
I do a water change every week around 20 percent. I have done a test before and after and my nitrates do drop the same percentage as my water change, measured by SpinTouch (waterlink) FF with saltwater disk.

 

[Cell]

Feeding heavy twice a day can lead to high nutrients regardless of food. Is all the food being eaten in a few minutes when feeding?

 

[Mark Novack]

How many fish are there? What kind of mechanical filtration is there?

 

[kadamik]

How many fish are there? What kind of mechanical filtration is there?

I have 9 fish all of them are pretty small 2 - 3 inches

baby yellow tang
2 clown fish
baby coral beauty
2 inch trigger (will re-home when he gets to 3 inches)
3.5 inch Valentine puffer
3 inch copperband
Midas blenny
bi-color blenny

I am using filter socks and a reef octopus regal 150 skimmer
All of the chunks of food are eaten up almost instantly, but I do see very small particles in the water column.

The reef frenzy is about .25 inches thick and I I use a piece that is 3/4 x 3/4 inches to feed. I do that twice a day

 

[Bucs20fan]

Whats your cuc looking like? That is what those creatures are designed for, aka nassarius snails, hermits, shrimp and the list goes on. They will eat these small particles that the fish show no interest in, and a skimmer will remove the even smaller ones. I think that is your issue here.

 

[vetteguy53081]

90 Gallon system

tested yesterday
Phos .3
Nitrates 31

Feeding Reef Frenzy twice a day (heavy feed)

I have been trying to find out the reason that my Nitrates and Phosphates are on the high side.
I thought that I was feeding LRS Fish Frenzy but it turns out that I am feeding them Reef Frenzy.

I believe Reef Frenzy has coral specific micro-foods that like Zooplankton and Rotifers.
It looks like Rotifers and contribute to high Phosphates, but not sure about the Nitrates.

Do you think that could be one of the reasons why I am running high nutrients?

If this is one of the causes how long will it take after switching food to see a difference?
I do a water change every week around 20 percent. I have done a test before and after and my nitrates do drop the same percentage as my water change, measured by SpinTouch (waterlink) FF with saltwater disk.

Reef frenzyis much finer but as was mentioned, fed what they can consume in 2-3 minutes. Easier to add food than to remove it
This type of food as well as planktonic foods like reef roids will quickly raise phos and nitrate especially if overfed

 

[kadamik]

Whats your cuc looking like? That is what those creatures are designed for, aka nassarius snails, hermits, shrimp and the list goes on. They will eat these small particles that the fish show no interest in, and a skimmer will remove the even smaller ones. I think that is your issue here.

I have

2 tiger conches
20 nassarius
20 asteria
10 hermit
and 50 zigzag for the trigger, but he does not go after them yet

 

[Bucs20fan]

What species of trigger btw.

So your nitrates are no big deal honestly. LPS and softies ( for the most part) love dirty water anyway. Phos at .3 is high so to speak as for sps and some harder lps corals, but main concern is just algae growth at .3. I have a very similar cuc in my tank, almost exactly actually, except I have 3 huge turbos. If you have no algae issues, and everything is doing fine, you just dont like the number so to speak, you can always run chemi pure in your filter or sump. It wont bottom out your phos. I use it all the time and love it.

 

[d2mini]

Probably just overfeeding period.

 

[minus9]

I feed 6 times a day, (2 with reef frenzy) and I'm dosing a half ppm of NO3 every night to keep it around 2-3ppm. Feeding heavy doesn't mean you have to feed all at once. Break those two feedings up over the course of the day and you'll be fine. Small portions throughout the day (if you can) is always best. My PO4 sits around 0.08ppm, this is with no water changes and only running a skimmer (which turns off for 6hrs a day) and a chaeto bucket reactor (which only runs 8hrs a night).

 

[Lavey29]

Try rods reef frenzy frozen food instead.

 

[kadamik]

I feed 6 times a day, (2 with reef frenzy) and I'm dosing a half ppm of NO3 every night to keep it around 2-3ppm. Feeding heavy doesn't mean you have to feed all at once. Break those two feedings up over the course of the day and you'll be fine. Small portions throughout the day (if you can) is always best. My PO4 sits around 0.08ppm, this is with no water changes and only running a skimmer (which turns off for 6hrs a day) and a chaeto bucket reactor (which only runs 8hrs a night).

@minus9

I just installed a PHYTOTANK MACROALGAE CHAETO REACTOR about 10 days ago. I am waiting for it to start growing for some export.

Here is my plan going forward

1. Switching to Herbivore Frenzy
2. Use a milligram scale to get precise weight on the amount I am feeding
3. Go from 2 feedings to 3 (smaller portions)
4. Wait for 2 weeks and see what NO3 and PO4 is

I do have 3 corals and 1 BTA.
Xenia (doing great)
Green Cabage (doing great)
Trumpet (not doing good very little extension)
BTA (not doing good tenacles have shrunk)

I am thinking the PO4 is what is causing the problem. I really don't think I need reef frenzy for what I have in the tank, and I think it will just cause more nutrient import.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[spsick]

Turn up your skimmer to run a little wetter maybe.

I have a similar fish load on my 75 and feed that same size piece of reef frenzy once daily plus pellets twice on an auto feeder and my nutrients are quite a bit lower. No other filtration but I have a bigger skimmer.

 

[kadamik]

Turn up your skimmer to run a little wetter maybe.

I have a similar fish load on my 75 and feed that same size piece of reef frenzy once daily plus pellets twice on an auto feeder and my nutrients are quite a bit lower. No other filtration but I have a bigger skimmer.

Do you have any coral?

 

[spsick]

Do you have any coral?

Fair point, yes I have a tank full of SPS Coral that probably consume a decent amount of nutrients

 

[minus9]

@minus9

I just installed a PHYTOTANK MACROALGAE CHAETO REACTOR about 10 days ago. I am waiting for it to start growing for some export.

Here is my plan going forward

1. Switching to Herbivore Frenzy
2. Use a milligram scale to get precise weight on the amount I am feeding
3. Go from 2 feedings to 3 (smaller portions)
4. Wait for 2 weeks and see what NO3 and PO4 is

I do have 3 corals and 1 BTA.
Xenia (doing great)
Green Cabage (doing great)
Trumpet (not doing good very little extension)
BTA (not doing good tenacles have shrunk)

I am thinking the PO4 is what is causing the problem. I really don't think I need reef frenzy for what I have in the tank, and I think it will just cause more nutrient import.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Don't be afraid of pellets and flakes as well. I'm not a fan of using just one food, but that's me. I don't think it's necessary to weigh the food, but that's completely up to you. Adding in NLS and TDO pellets helps, plus I really like Cool Green and Cool Mysis flakes from Brine Shrimp Direct. To me variety is the key, plus smaller multiple feedings throughout the day (if you can) always works best. Auto feeders can help here. Also remember that growing macro algae will consume trace elements as well, so have a plan of replenishing those, either through water changes or dosing the necessary elements.
LRS and Rods are probably really similar foods, so switching doesn't seem necessary here, it's more of how much you're feeding at once. Less is more.

 

[merkmerk73]

Try rods reef frenzy frozen food instead.

Rods is messier, chunkier, and sloppier than LRS.

Would be surprised if this helped.

 

[Lavey29]

Rods is messier, chunkier, and sloppier than LRS.

Would be surprised if this helped.

My fish eat it like sharks

 

[merkmerk73]

My fish eat it like sharks

What kind of fish?

I think my issue with rods is mostly based on the fact that it's all geared towards bigger fish.

Putting rods in my tank is a good way to get a bunch of krill and giant clam chunks floating around in my tank

 

[Roatan Reef]

Ask this dude
.

@ReefFrenzy