No more zero NO3/PO4

[Reefer911]

Been battling zero/near zero nutrients for a while, which has been causing some problems of course.
I finally got around to removing about 50% of my rock scape last weekend, and at that time programmed my skimmer to run 12 hrs as opposed to 24/7. I let it go for a week and checked nutrients this morning.

NO3: 11.4
PO4: .08

I’m happy with that and my display looks a lot cleaner in terms of the aquascape. More room on the sand and of course more room for the fish to swim about.

 

[Lavey29]

So you removed 50% of your beneficial bacteria to. Do you have before and after pictures? I have a ton of rock scape and have no problem sustaining elevated nutrients levels. How old is your tank? What is your stock and feeding schedule?

 

[Reefer911]

So you removed 50% of your beneficial bacteria to. Do you have before and after pictures? I have a ton of rock scape and have no problem sustaining elevated nutrients levels. How old is your tank? What is your stock and feeding schedule?

Yes I realize that. That’s why I’m able to now maintain higher nutrients.

 

[Reefer911]

I’ll check again next weekend and if they’re higher, I’ll have to tweak a couple of things

 

[Reefer911]

I have 11 fish in a 47” CADE 1200 Peninsula. Plank feeder that runs 3 times daily. And I’ll feed frozen on most days.
However, for a while I wasn’t feeding frozen regularly and only the plank was feeding daily. And yes I know this could have contributed to low nutrients.

Also, maybe a year ago I added two genesis rocks to my then about 18 month old tank. So that probably added to the issue as well. But I’m happy to see the results I expected to see by removing the large rock

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I personally do not recommend reduced skimming due to the loss of aeration. If nutrients are low, there are better options such as feeding more or dosing N and P.

 

[CHSUB]

Don’t see the need to run inorganic nutrients, especially no3, above zero purposely bases on hobby test kits that are both not accurate at lower levels and inconsistent. Hobby has gotten very diluted with results based on dude on internet with 10 ppm nitrates and corals look fine vs years of research in books….very sad, imo.

 

[Reefer911]

I personally do not recommend reduced skimming due to the loss of aeration. If nutrients are low, there are better options such as feeding more or dosing N and P.

Good point Randy. Thanks

 

[Reefer911]

Don’t see the need to run inorganic nutrients, especially no3, above zero purposely bases on hobby test kits that are both not accurate at lower levels and inconsistent. Hobby has gotten very diluted with results based on dude on internet with 10 ppm nitrates and corals look fine vs years of research in books….very sad, imo.

What would be your recommendation based on your knowledge or experience?

 

[VintageReefer]

Simply add neonitro and neophos as needed. They will safely and easily raise both to desired levels

 

[Reefer911]

Simply add neonitro and neophos as needed. They will safely and easily raise both to desired levels

Right but if you read the post, I don’t need to do that because I’m already at .08/11.4

 

[VintageReefer]

Right but if you read the post, I don’t need to do that because I’m already at .08/11.4

By the means of removing the rock and reducing your skimming by 50%, when the better option would have been to add a few supplements to achieve the desired numbers

Edit: or increase feedings / resume adding the frozen to the fishes diet

 

[HomebroodExotics]

If you are happy with nutrient levels maybe just make sure that you have wave makers disturbing your water surface so you get enough aeration. Everyone should do this anyway.

 

[Reefer911]

By the means of removing the rock and reducing your skimming by 50%, when the better option would have been to add a few supplements to achieve the desired numbers

Edit: or increase feedings / resume adding the frozen to the fishes diet

True but I needed to remove that large plateau anyway for better flow and a cleaner look in the tank. I’ll see what happens with nutrients, and if I need more filtration, I will add a couple more genesis rocks.

And yes, I’m currently feeding frozen most days of the week

 

[CHSUB]

What would be your recommendation based on your knowledge or experience?

Removing rock and opening up flow is good, imo, both visually and functionally. Would never run a skimmer part time and regarding no3 imo, more fish more feeding corals and fish. Any no3 readings are leftovers and every effort should be removal. Corals get food all along the biological cycle no need to focus on the last step, no3. Po4, maybe a little different, but prefer organic sources vs inorganic so anything above 0.0 on a Hanna checker is ok. With that, eye test over test kits always! Being published over 20 years ago, still believe J Sprung reef series books are still the “go to” and RHF is also a great resource. Running higher inorganic nutrients might have success , but it’s despite those excess nutrients and not because.

 

[Reefer911]

Interesting but you know there are some who run their systems without skimmers altogether.

Also I have a goni that’s been retracted for months so me raising my nutrients is also in effort to try to get the Goni back. I’ve tried lower light and lower flow areas, not really sure what’s going on. I’ve wondered if it’s due to low manganese but I dose AFR daily. I’m baffled to say the least

 

[CHSUB]

Interesting but you know there are some who run their systems without skimmers altogether.

Also I have a goni that’s been retracted for months so me raising my nutrients is also in effort to try to get the Goni back. I’ve tried lower light and lower flow areas, not really sure what’s going on. I’ve wondered if it’s due to low manganese but I dose AFR daily. I’m baffled to say the least

Here is my tank from 1998 to 2005, my skimmer was run with an air pump and did nothing. So yes, don't need a skimmer. This tank ran 0 no3 and po4 at 1 ppm iirc.
I have a goni now, looks great at .01 po4 and 0 no3, but feed 3 times a week and was a captive grown piece. However, who knows with gonis because not to long ago they always dead at the 1 year mark. I follow my principles and don't deviate, however in the past few years have started feeding corals directly which seems like a great addition.

 

[Reefer911]

Very interesting. Have you ever had any trouble with Cyanobacteria?

 

[VintageReefer]

I don’t run a skimmer, I probably have 20 Goni in the tank. I do dose manganese daily

Phosphate history, tank pics, and Goni examples attached

 

[CHSUB]

Very interesting. Have you ever had any trouble with Cyanobacteria?

Never had a tank that didn’t regardless of nutrients high, low or other… haha! Early on 1990s, I treated with Chemclean and it went away, but I learned that quick fixes in the hobby just caused something else. Green hair algae, in this case, almost caused me to give up, until if met Julian Sprungeand learn the importance of manual removal. Now I build rock and glue my corals to withstand all measures of manual removal. I use a stainless steel wire brush, toothbrush, turkeybaster and WC to remove anything I don’t like and after a year corals cover most surfaces; no real estate left for algae. Harder on my 300 gal, but now I how a 33 gal and it’s easy.