Should I be dosing Nitrate and Phosphate?

[Velcro]

Long story short... I have a 90 gallon frag system that I have recently moved all of my SPS into. It's 48x30x13 and basically full end to end with frags and mini-colonies. I'm running the sump triton style with a 120W mars hydro LED running 12 hours at night.

This tank is not light on fish load... it has a kole tang, a yellow tang, three antias, melanarus wrasse, 2x leopard wrasses, three clownfish, springers damsel, filefish, hawkfish. \

I have no algae in the tank other than in the refugium. I do not use any nutrient export other than skimmer and refugium. Not even socks. I have minimal live rock (maybe 20 pounds) and a single marinepure ceramic brick.

I cannot get nutrients to show up despite some pretty heavy feedings. I'm using red sea nitrate kit and there is no color at all in the test vial. I'm using the hannah ULR phosphorous test and it reads 0.

I've been feeding 2-3 cubes a day of mysis and 1 cube a day of rotifers. I'm also using aquavitro fuel 21mL three times a week.

I have some nitrate and phosphate stock solutions that I have made up and have been dosing about every other day, the equivalent of bring the tank up to .25 ppm nitrate and 0.03ppm phosphate. It still doesn't show up on the kits.

I'm assuming that the very strong refugium and large load of corals is just eating up nutrients faster than I can supply them. Some things are certainly pale and some things look amazing. I'd say for the most part everything looks really really good.

 

[Brew12]

Long story short... I have a 90 gallon frag system that I have recently moved all of my SPS into. It's 48x30x13 and basically full end to end with frags and mini-colonies. I'm running the sump triton style with a 120W mars hydro LED running 12 hours at night.

This tank is not light on fish load... it has a kole tang, a yellow tang, three antias, melanarus wrasse, 2x leopard wrasses, three clownfish, springers damsel, filefish, hawkfish. \

I have no algae in the tank other than in the refugium. I do not use any nutrient export other than skimmer and refugium. Not even socks. I have minimal live rock (maybe 20 pounds) and a single marinepure ceramic brick.

I cannot get nutrients to show up despite some pretty heavy feedings. I'm using red sea nitrate kit and there is no color at all in the test vial. I'm using the hannah ULR phosphorous test and it reads 0.

I've been feeding 2-3 cubes a day of mysis and 1 cube a day of rotifers. I'm also using aquavitro fuel 21mL three times a week.

I have some nitrate and phosphate stock solutions that I have made up and have been dosing about every other day, the equivalent of bring the tank up to .25 ppm nitrate and 0.03ppm phosphate. It still doesn't show up on the kits.

I'm assuming that the very strong refugium and large load of corals is just eating up nutrients faster than I can supply them. Some things are certainly pale and some things look amazing. I'd say for the most part everything looks really really good.

If things look good, don't worry about it. I would only consider dosing either or them in response to something in the tank being off. For instance, if you start seeing dino's I might consider adding PO4. If you start seeing cyanobacteria I might consider dosing NO3. Otherwise, stick with what works!

 

[Velcro]

If things look good, don't worry about it. I would only consider dosing either or them in response to something in the tank being off. For instance, if you start seeing dino's I might consider adding PO4. If you start seeing cyanobacteria I might consider dosing NO3. Otherwise, stick with what works!

Appreciate the advice.

 

[mtraylor]

I wouldn't change a thing. What I would do however would be to get a hana digital phosphate test kit and a new nitrate test kit and come back and let us know what they read.

 

[SDReefer]

All good advice. Don't change anything if you're satisfied with your tank.

 

[bubbaque]

You said a few of the sps are pale. Why not just back the light timer down some on the refugium? I'd definitely do that before you dose nutrients.

 

[Velcro]

You said a few of the sps are pale. Why not just back the light timer down some on the refugium? I'd definitely do that before you dose nutrients.

I'm relying on the refugium to offset the pH drop from my calcium reactor. It's a balancing act haha.

 

[mtraylor]

Just noticed that you are running the Hannah test kit. the ultra low one. I would just hang tight for a while to see how tank matures. How long has setup been in the new aquarium?

 

[Velcro]

Just noticed that you are running the Hannah test kit. the ultra low one. I would just hang tight for a while to see how tank matures. How long has setup been in the new aquarium?

It's been up a couple months. Started it with some really established live rock (the 20lbs). I added the marine pure block because of the lack of rock. The tank did go through a minicycle where nitrates shot up to 20ish in the very beginning and it was gone within a week! I would say that most of the coral looks amazing. Now that I think about it, the coral that is pale was actually paling out a bit in the previous tank.

I think at this point I'm just running a high import high export system and I need to just watch it for a while and make sure I'm feeding enough

 

[Denisk]

I agree with everyone above. Why fix what isn’t broken?

If you were trying to achieve better sps color by adding some nutrients, then I would start extremely slow. Start by not running your refugium light as much. Let nutrients build up naturally. The dosing of No3 and po4 is really a headache in my opinion. I rely on working with your equipment to achieve certain nutrients. Either way, best of luck!

 

[jda]

Everybody has a few brownies... don't change anything for that. Chasing numbers rarely works out well.

If you are only use natural means to remove the N and P, then you are fine. The fuge will not take you to zero.

If you want an overall boost, then I would replace your Mars with some T5 or MH before I would mess with the water... there is more to be gained from this, IMO.

 

[Velcro]

Everybody has a few brownies... don't change anything for that. Chasing numbers rarely works out well.

If you are only use natural means to remove the N and P, then you are fine. The fuge will not take you to zero.

If you want an overall boost, then I would replace your Mars with some T5 or MH before I would mess with the water... there is more to be gained from this, IMO.

The only mars I run on this tank is my refugium light. I run an 8 bulb ATI t5 fixture for the main light. And I don't really have anthing brown, just light pastel.

 

[jda]

Sheeeeeeeeeet, you are good then... everybody has a few light pastel ones. Try moving them up or down.

 

[Velcro]

Sheeeeeeeeeet, you are good then... everybody has a few light pastel ones. Try moving them up or down.

Here's an example of something that is somewhat lighter than before. This is ORA joe the coral.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'd say for the most part everything looks really really good

I’d say no. Why would ya ?

IMO , if it all seems pretty good, experiment with some foods and coral foods or aminos.

 

[Velcro]

I’d say no. Why would ya ?

???

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

???

Answer to original question in title

No.

 

[Velcro]

Answer to original question in title

No.

Sorry I forgot what I originally asked LOL

 

[bellasdad0911]

It’s really not all that bad, but I too have been battling low nutrients and starving sps. I been dosing stump grinder for 2 months now and my nitrates are around 10ppm and I can say the colors have been amazing. However now it’s battling phosphates which is my current issue. I would say if it gets any paper then I would add SLOWLY.