Nutrients , Continuing Dosage ?

[Smiler1875]

Question on Nutrients, My 270L Tank is 3 months old, very stable ( at the minute), various corals in Zoas/GSP/ 1 Hammer/1 Torch, 2 clowns/3 Chromis/CUC, all doing really well. when I bought the tank, the LFS told me to dose Gophos, NP Elim, All for Reef, weekly , and BioClean Capsules every 3 weeks. I have followed this religioulsy and know the old saying if it aint broke don't fix it, but just want to check would I need to do all above for the forseeable future ?

 

[SPR1968]

You don’t say what your nitrate and phosphate levels are, but the general advice is don’t add anything to the system unless you’ve tested and it’s needed.

I don’t add anything to either of my tanks other than trace elements once a week, foundation elements as needed, and coral food every 2-4 weeks and these are both mature systems with high uptakes of the various elements. The ‘big tank‘ never had anything added like the ones you suggest.

I would research in detail what each addition is for, and then research wether that is needed to maintain the correct and stable water parameters, and that will help you decide.

If the tank is doing well following their advice, as you say, ‘if it ain’t broke’....

Think of yourself as a ‘water keeper’ that’s all there is to it.

 

[ScottR]

I wouldn’t dose anything without testing. Do you test NO3 and po4? And alk, calcium and magnesium?

 

[Smiler1875]

I test my parameters religiously every week, and as I have a LFS that I'm in almost every week , I get them to test and haven't had any issues, last tests were below and pretty much the same give or take each week, I do a 10% water change every 2 weeks, its just a question if Its necessary to continue with above long term,

Carbohydrates 7.8

Magnesium 1350

Calcium 438

Phosphate 0.03

Amonia 0.0

Nitrite 0.0

Nitrate 3

PH 8.2

 

[Smiler1875]

You don’t say what your nitrate and phosphate levels are, but the general advice is don’t add anything to the system unless you’ve tested and it’s needed.

I don’t add anything to either of my tanks other than trace elements once a week, foundation elements as needed, and coral food every 2-4 weeks and these are both mature systems with high uptakes of the various elements. The ‘big tank‘ never had anything added like the ones you suggest.

I would research in detail what each addition is for, and then research wether that is needed to maintain the correct and stable water parameters, and that will help you decide.

If the tank is doing well following their advice, as you say, ‘if it ain’t broke’....

Think of yourself as a ‘water keeper’ that’s all there is to it

Understand about the water, parameters here

 

[SPR1968]

I test my parameters religiously every week, and as I have a LFS that I'm in almost every week , I get them to test and haven't had any issues, last tests were below and pretty much the same give or take each week, I do a 10% water change every 2 weeks, its just a question if Its necessary to continue with above long term,

Carbohydrates 7.8

Magnesium 1350

Calcium 438

Phosphate 0.03

Amonia 0.0

Nitrite 0.0

Nitrate 3

PH 8.2

They look pretty much perfect so maybe keep doing what your doing it’s working

Again, just research the additions to understand what each one does, and then as the system matures make a judgement if it’s still needed or the dosage needs adjusting

I’d not heard of GoPhos, it’s not cheap though is it especially the 5 litre! I’m guessing it’s some form of lanthanum chloride, but that is a guess, it should say somewhere on the label

PS carbohydrates, don’t you eat those! I assume you mean alkalinity/carbonates