N03 & P04 and Feeding

[ss30]

My N03 was 25ppm and my P04 was 0.1ppm and I was feeding 1 cube of mysis a day and about half a sheet of nori each week, some of my LPS corals well Candy Cane mainly looked crap heads were receded and they had lost their plumpness.

So I cut feeding down to half a cube of mysis a day and about half a sheet of nori each week as before, now my N03 is still 25ppm and my P04 is down to 0.06ppm.

Is it normal to drop the feeding down and the N03 to stay the same or should it drop as well?

Thanks

 

[BaysEndReef]

Nitrate could definitely stay the same even if you decrease feeding. Some other factors that could affect nitrate are fish bioload, nutrient export, a build-up of detritus, sandbed, water change schedule, and even the amount of water changed during a water change. Post pics of your system and give us a little more information about your routine and other specifics such as nutrient export (refugium, skimmer, reactors, etc.).

 

[trout]

In my opinion, cutting the feeding will have impact on PO4 rather than NO3. To drop NO3, you may consider the following options:

• frequent water changes
• organic carbon dosing
• using macro algae refugium
• algae scrubber
• algae reactor.

 

[ss30]

Thanks, Ill put some cheato in the sump.

 

[Deep]

My N03 was 25ppm and my P04 was 0.1ppm and I was feeding 1 cube of mysis a day and about half a sheet of nori each week, some of my LPS corals well Candy Cane mainly looked crap heads were receded and they had lost their plumpness.

So I cut feeding down to half a cube of mysis a day and about half a sheet of nori each week as before, now my N03 is still 25ppm and my P04 is down to 0.06ppm.

Is it normal to drop the feeding down and the N03 to stay the same or should it drop as well?

Thanks

I dont think LPS corals will have a problem with the initial levels you have noted. There must be some other issue.

 

[ss30]

I dont think LPS corals will have a problem with the initial levels you have noted. There must be some other issue.

All other corals are doing great, Torch, Hammer, Zoas, Mushrooms and even plating monti but Candy Cane look crap.

Tank is a Red Sea 425

The Candy Cane started to die off middle of last year in our summer the tank temp got up to high 20's and the Candy Cane stated to look bad and lost a lot of heads. N03 had got to 25ppm and P04 0.1 ppm.

End of last year I did 5x50 ltr water changes, one a day for 5 days N03 came down to 10ppm P04 to 0.04-0.06ppm but soon rose again.

The Candy Cane has never looked the same as it did before last summer.

 

[Deep]

All other corals are doing great, Torch, Hammer, Zoas, Mushrooms and even plating monti but Candy Cane look crap.

Tank is a Red Sea 425

The Candy Cane started to die off middle of last year in our summer the tank temp got up to high 20's and the Candy Cane stated to look bad and lost a lot of heads. N03 had got to 25ppm and P04 0.1 ppm.

End of last year I did 5x50 ltr water changes, one a day for 5 days N03 came down to 10ppm P04 to 0.04-0.06ppm but soon rose again.

The Candy Cane has never looked the same as it did before last summer.

Yeah I wouldnt change levels because of just one coral. You cannot please them all sometimes.

 

[amazongb]

Where do you have them in the tank? Too much light maybe?

 

[ss30]

Where do you have them in the tank? Too much light maybe?

When I upgraded to the tank I have now they have been kept in the same place and they have been there for about 11 months until last summer when they went down hill.