Nitrate dosing a new set-up?

[Mark75]

I have a 50g. cube that is showing signs of starved SPS, I would normally start dosing stump remover but this tank is just 3 months old. I have 5 acro frags that have been in the tank a month and they are not growing and getting very pale. They have good polyp extension but are losing color and not growing at all, they look the exact same as the day I placed them in the tank but much lighter in color.

I have 6 fish in the tank that I feed heavily (seems like a lot to me), yet this tank,like all my others, is a zero nitrate tank. I have considered just turning my Hydra 52 down 50% and waiting to see if the tank will start producing Nitrates on its own but I would much rather blast them with light and dose nitrates.

Would you guys dose this young tank?

O'yea,....let me post some parameters!
Salinity-1.025
Cal.-460
Alk.-10
Phosphate -.004
Nitrate- undetectable,...not a trace using Salifert, crystal clear!

Excellent coralline algae growth, no nuisance algae other than the normal "uglies" in the beginning.

 

[DLuce510]

Dose, best thing I've ever done. Why spend all that money on those lights not to use their potential!

 

[Diesel]

Dosing No3 will work but on a fairly young tank I would set my skimmer first on a timer and turn it off during the night for 4 hours to start.
Dose No3 everyday to keep an eye on a change.
When that isn't enough you can always help to dose it to desired levels.
You running any reactors or refugium?
Btw, stop dosing your ALK or bring it down as that might be a problem too.
High ALK on low nutrient tanks is either burned tips or possible bleached corals.

 

[Mark75]

I over estimated my Alk. consumption and added a bit to much kalk to my top-off water. I have stopped adding kalk and my Alk. is slowly coming down, it was 11! I haven't seen evidence of Alk. burn, I am familiar with high Alk./ULNS damage and I don't think that is my problem?

I have AC in a reactor, was also running GFO for the first month to remove any Phosphates from the new set-up but have stopped GFO.

I have 3lbs. Matrix in my sump, mainly so pods have somewhere to kick it and relax. I intend on keeping a Mandarin. No macro/Mangroves, etc.

I cant bring myself to turn off my skimmer!!! I,,,just,,,,,cant,,,,,do,,,,,,,,it!!!!!! It is not natural, I think it is even in the bible,.."Thou shalt not reef skimmerless."

 

[Diesel]

I over estimated my Alk. consumption and added a bit to much kalk to my top-off water. I have stopped adding kalk and my Alk. is slowly coming down, it was 11! I haven't seen evidence of Alk. burn, I am familiar with high Alk./ULNS damage and I don't think that is my problem?

I have AC in a reactor, was also running GFO for the first month to remove any Phosphates from the new set-up but have stopped GFO.

I have 3lbs. Matrix in my sump, mainly so pods have somewhere to kick it and relax. I intend on keeping a Mandarin. No macro/Mangroves, etc.

I cant bring myself to turn off my skimmer!!! I,,,just,,,,,cant,,,,,do,,,,,,,,it!!!!!! It is not natural, I think it is even in the bible,.."Thou shalt not reef skimmerless."

I've read the bible and it doesn't state that
Thou who won't listen must feel the pain but will never get ignored on thy healing. @revhtree knows all about this.
A skimmer can be the devil if you ask me but with the right direction it can mean heaven on earth or the reef in the ocean

 

[Russ265]

no skimmer here.
did you kill the stuff in the cup after you sucked it up? or was it dead before? life's mysteries.

300 total volume

 

[Mark75]

I have turned my skimmer way down,...but don't we need a skimmer for reasons other than nutrient export? I would think co2 levels would increase and o2 levels would decrease, maybe that would be a good thing?

I have set-up several tanks and understand that the first few months you have to burn up a lot of unwanted elements. I am afraid dosing nitrates and turning off my skimmer this soon may unleash all these bad things at once.

 

[ksc]

I'd turn off your skimmer completely. You can monitor your levels and go from there. If you're worried about 02 levels there are much better and economical ways to aerate your water than a bubble tube. .

 

[DLuce510]

This is what happens to your pro corals rainbow when you have a skimmer:
Feb 28 2016

June 16 2016

Hahaha
I'm sorry I couldn't help my self. I tried having my skimmer turn off and luckily it's a DC controllable skimmer and I had it tuned way down but my live stock and I'm guessing bacteria had way too much appetite. Try what ever makes most sense to you but I like to have my cake and eat it too. I run my skimmer on half strength and dose around 5ml a day of nitrogen flourish, but I do have 2 refugiums on a 120. I'd say from my experience it won't hurt to dose and skim!