Nitrates and algae

[discostew]

Hey all,

Had a quick question. My nitrates were 3-4 for a few months in my 45 gallon. Now are zero but there have been some small patches of gha and bubble algae. Just 3 or 4 patches of quarter sized GHA spots. Phosphates 0.1. How do i know my nitrates are zero vs being consumed by the GHA? There’s no algae on glass. Sand is a bit dirty.

I have doses neonitrate in past. Just not sure what my actual nitrate is if i have a little gha (not a lot)

 

[Jekyl]

Zero is not good algae or not. You could end up with dinos. (Which could be the dirty sand)

 

[Dburr1014]

Hey all,

Had a quick question. My nitrates were 3-4 for a few months in my 45 gallon. Now are zero but there have been some small patches of gha and bubble algae. Just 3 or 4 patches of quarter sized GHA spots. Phosphates 0.1. How do i know my nitrates are zero vs being consumed by the GHA? There’s no algae on glass. Sand is a bit dirty.

I have doses neonitrate in past. Just not sure what my actual nitrate is if i have a little gha (not a lot)

Do you feed your fish?
Coral and algae take up N.
You may dose if you feel like it, but, I'm at zero with my hanna since may of last year. I fed heavy. No algae on the glass.

Dinos popping up is more to zero N AND P.

OP, you have P so don't worry to much about dinos. I would feed heavy and/or dose N and see how things go.

Edit: it's better to have P and zero N than it is to have N and zero P.

 

[discostew]

Ya no Dino’s. The dirty sand is just poop/detritus that i could probably vacuum better. I had Dino’s when i first started the tank a few years ago. Thanks. Yes i feed my fish flakes and rods food. I’m pretty stingy bc i don’t want my phosphates any hire. 2 clowns and a wrasse. Used to have a blenny. Soft and lps corals. Can’t add any more fish bc the wrasse