Nitrate never budges yet high while phosphate is low and volatile (I need help with them)

[Katze]

Hello everyone !

I have an issue with those nitrates since I set up my aquarium here's everything you have to know, feel free to ask questions !

System volume: 180l (not considering the amount that the rock replaces)
Parameters:
Salinity: 1025-1026
PO4: (at the moment, Hanna ULR) 0,01-0,00 it is very volatile though the last 1-2 weeks it just rapidly decreased
NO3: 50-100 (always between those two but never decreases, salifert)
-> having a cyano outbreak
Routine:
-Daily: feeding half a cube of mysis + flakes for the phosphates started it 1-2 days ago when I got a reading of 0,03 for PO4, cleaning the skimmer (It has more impact on po4 than on no3)
-weekly: 10% waterchange
Livestock:
(1x from each)
scopas
fire goby
damselfish
ocellaris clown
dragonet
anthias

CUC: copepods, turbo snails, limpets, and bristtle worms

Filtration:
bubblemagus NAC5 skimmer
filter sock
sponge (placed in about 2 months ago from the start of the tank
ceramic filter media (about 9 months old)
-no I don't run PO4 adsorbants
Tank's cycle:
1 year and 2 months old

about 12kgs of rock: 70% dry, 15% live 15% live from ocean
a year ago to start the cycle I dosed: prodibio biodigest for about a month 1 ampulle/week, prodibio bioptim 2x in the 1 month period

 

[aaron7]

Nope. Bacteria encysts onto the sand grains and will not be washed away with a quick tap water rinse.
It’s best to do another bath in RODI if you want to negate any tap water contamination into your tank.

Ah ok, thanks for the info

 

[Katze]

I don't really want to mess with this if not necessary, I have a spare DC wavemaker. I could apply it as a secondary. However the spread on that is a lot larger.

 

[Katze]

What would be your favourite supplement for increasing phosphate?

 

[aaron7]

I target feed reef roids which is known to be high in phosphate. I don’t really use it if I test and see my phosphate is good.

 

[aaron7]

I don't really want to mess with this if not necessary, I have a spare DC wavemaker. I could apply it as a secondary. However the spread on that is a lot larger.

Just my opinion but I think adjusting flow may help a bit. You may have to fiddle with it for a while to figure out what works best for your tank and corals.

I have not had a significant cyano outbreak (yet) but everything I’ve researched on the topic states to suck as much of it as you can outa there. Between that and adjusting flow it could help the situation a lot.

Again not an expert, just sharing what I’ve researched so far.

Brs has a video on fighting cyano btw.

 

[Katze]

Okay so I'm removing the cyano each day + blow them off with a pipette. The question left is that we measure inorganic phosphate, but what about organic phosphate ? I don't see any discolouration in my corals yet phosphate is 0,00 on hanna ULR.

 

[Saltyreef]

Okay so I'm removing the cyano each day + blow them off with a pipette. The question left is that we measure inorganic phosphate, but what about organic phosphate ? I don't see any discolouration in my corals yet phosphate is 0,00 on hanna ULR.

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[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What would be your favourite supplement for increasing phosphate?

Food grade sodium phosphate from Amazon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Okay so I'm removing the cyano each day + blow them off with a pipette. The question left is that we measure inorganic phosphate, but what about organic phosphate ? I don't see any discolouration in my corals yet phosphate is 0,00 on hanna ULR.

It’s best to not have undetectable N or P.