Phosphate and nitrate levels

[ChadmRoman]

today I did my weekly testing using API, here are the results:
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
Ph 8
Phosphates .25
Alk 10
Calcium 480
Weekly 10% water Change every Sunday for a 40 gallon tank.

How low of readings should I try to get phosphates down too? What can I do about the about nitrates reading 0? I know both can’t stay at 0 to avoid the dreaded Dino breakout.

Tank now cycled for 5 weeks, with have a couple fish and some snail And hermits for a cuc. I would like to add some corals but want to get this under control first. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Was looking to start running gfo after the water change tomorrow and upon completion of another phosphate test.

 

[scurvy dawg]

Nitrates 10
Phosphates .1
Ease up on the water changes.
I am dealing with Dino’s, and wish I would have known then what I know now.

 

[OhDumb]

Me too! Keep nutrients measurable.

 

[ChadmRoman]

Nitrates 10
Phosphates .1
Ease up on the water changes.
I am dealing with Dino’s, and wish I would have known then what I know now.

How did the Dino outbreak happen? Keeping everything as close to zero?

 

[scurvy dawg]

How did the Dino outbreak happen? Keeping everything as close to zero?

Have no clue how they got there. I have heard they can come in on frags or macro algae.

I always suspected I had some in the tank as they would show up off and on after water changes in small patches. One day I decided to stir up my sand bed and boom! Major bloom! Read thru the mega Dino thread and decided to check my nitrogen and phosphate levels. Both where at zero.

Been dosing now for a few weeks and seem to have them under control. They are still there, but not as noticeable. Been blasting off rocks and siphoning sand bed a few times a week and the tank looks better.

 

[ChadmRoman]

I’ve read if both phosphates and nitrates at zero, dinos would appear. Well I had four snails all die today which spike my ammonia to 1ppm. Removing the snails and tanks already down to .25ppm in an hour. Now hopefully this gets my nitrates up so I can start dealing with the phosphate issue.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

I'd invest in a better test kit for nitrates and phosphates if your going to actually measure them a
lot to get the tank going.

 

[ChadmRoman]

I'd invest in a better test kit for nitrates and phosphates if your going to actually measure them a
lot to get the tank going.

That’s next on the list, any recommendation? I was thinking abt getting the Hanna digital ones.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Chances are when you raise your nitrate your phosphate will start to fall once your system is stable. Ime anyway.

 

[ChadmRoman]

Chances are when you raise your nitrate your phosphate will start to fall once your system is stable. Ime anyway.

I’ve read your experience a lot researching this topic. That’s why I upped feedings and added a couple more fish. However, I have one concern and not sure of the answer. Since I upped feedings and had some snails die today (I think they were dead now for a couple days), ammonia shot up to 1ppm. Tanks cycled for over a month and this is the first time I have an ammonia reading above 0. Does the bacteria created through the cycling process die off or go dormant if there’s not enough ammonia present in the system?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Your bacteria population will grow or shrink depending on the food source on hand. Ie add a fish will grow to accommodate, dont add too many fish at once as will take longer to grow to that level. Hope that answers, its late here and just got home lol.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

That’s next on the list, any recommendation? I was thinking abt getting the Hanna digital ones.

Hanna ULR no question

Nyos or red sea are my two picks for nitrate

 

[Finnaddict]

In my experience to raise Nitrate i usually feed more food or feed more than once a day. If you have a fuge keep it trimmed up. For Phos just use some GFO in a reactor. As for test kits I use Hannah for Phos and Alk. Salifert for all the rest.