Tank is too clean

[dmarott1]

Hi I have a question regarding reef water, can it be too clean? If so what do I need to add?
Nitrates 0, nitrites 0, ammonia 0
Mag 1200,Salinity 1.023,Calcium 350,Alk10.2dkh 3.65mq.,phosphates.30
Frozen food LRS. and Nori.

 

[Idoc]

1. Mixing your salt to 1.026 will increase your alkalinity and calcium... which will help increase your numbers over time with regular water change.

2. You risk letting dinos taking over with low nitrates and phosphates. If you can't raise them slightly with over feeding or less skimming or other reduced export, then dosing Sodium nitrate and phosphorous will help until the system stabilize and maintains its own levels naturally.

 

[brandon429]

I would also add that posted parameters are right about 10% of the time


ensure accuracy before responding. Source: nitrate and po4 test brand comparison threads showing fifty ppm differences between samples


if I was testing for nitrate and po4 I wouldnt make a single reaction until I averaged the readings from three different kits.

ran on a given sample no group of testers is going to report the same numbers, we take lots of new tank direction based on one off, unverified reads. How has that been ruled out here

 

[dmarott1]

1. Mixing your salt to 1.026 will increase your alkalinity and calcium... which will help increase your numbers over time with regular water change.

2. You risk letting dinos taking over with low nitrates and phosphates. If you can't raise them slightly with over feeding or less skimming or other reduced export, then dosing Sodium nitrate and phosphorous will help until the system stabilize and maintains its own levels naturally.

Thank you for responding to my question. I also have a reactor with Rowa and change it once a month.

 

[Uncle99]

Your numbers seem strange, you have three times the phosphate than nitrate?
If your talking about coral colours and growth, we need to maintain trace N (say 1-2ppm) and P (say 0.05-.1)
A P of .3ppm with 0 nitrate will likely bring pest algae.
I’d check your nitrates, virtually impossible to achieve 0

 

[dmarott1]

Your numbers seem strange, you have three times the phosphate than nitrate?
If your talking about coral colours and growth, we need to maintain trace N (say 1-2ppm) and P (say 0.05-.1)
A P of .3ppm with 0 nitrate will likely bring pest algae.
I’d check your nitrates, virtually impossible to achieve 0

I'm a newbie here so please excuse my query how can 3x the Phos than Nitrate? When It's zero Phos is .30
Nitrates 0, nitrites 0, ammonia 0
Mag 1200,Salinity 1.023,Calcium 350,Alk10.2dkh 3.65mq.,phosphates.30

 

[IslandLifeReef]

The first thing that we need to know is what type of tank are you trying to keep. Is it a fish only with live rock(FOWLR) or a reef tank (corals)?

If it is a FOWLR tank, then those parameters should be OK.

If it is a reef tank, then you need a little adjusting. As stated above, your nitrate (NO3) is way to low compared to your phosphates (PO4). Your NO3 is also low for that Alk. If you are going to keep your Alk that high, you need to significantly raise your NO3 and slightly lower your PO4.

Either way, with a reef tank, you should have measurable NO3. What test kits are you using, that would also help with determining whether or not you are OK.

 

[SPR1968]

If your phosphate is 0.30 that’s very high and the tank might look a little ‘dirty’ A good target is ideally less than 0.03. So you may need to look at methods of phosphate removal to bring this down, or you could get algae issues.

Just make sure your using 0 TDS RODI water for the new salt mix and also check the food your using to see if your introducing high levels of phosphate from these.

As already said, get your nitrates raised by either adding fish and feed them, or maybe turn the skimmer off for a while but that could prove difficult with the phosphate being high. A good general nitrate target is around 5-10

If you have corals or are planning to, you need to raise the magnesium at it has a vital role in the chemical interactions in the tank so maybe around 1300-1350 and also bring the calcium up to around 430

 

[dmarott1]

The first thing that we need to know is what type of tank are you trying to keep. Is it a fish only with live rock(FOWLR) or a reef tank (corals)?

If it is a FOWLR tank, then those parameters should be OK.

If it is a reef tank, then you need a little adjusting. As stated above, your nitrate (NO3) is way to low compared to your phosphates (PO4). Your NO3 is also low for that Alk. If you are going to keep your Alk that high, you need to significantly raise your NO3 and slightly lower your PO4.

Either way, with a reef tank, you should have measurable NO3. What test kits are you using, that would also help with determining whether or not you are OK.

This is all my info:
Tank Saltwater 150 gallons Reef -fish qty 6 medium size
Coral- qty 4 small -
Rock- man made
Substrate - none
Water R/O
Water change 50 gallons every other week
Sump 40 gal. tank
Skimmer Nyos, clean cup every day, 2 socks cleaned with water and bleach never soap /changed every other day
Pump ecotech 2 S1's
Power Heads Ecotech 2 MP40's (opposing ends of the tank and 2 Sicce from the back of the tank
Reactor -Rowa change every 30 days
Lights- Ecotech 2 15's and 1 30
I use the parameter guide as follows
Calcium 380-450 Current 330
Alkalinity 8-12 dKH Current 10.2
Salinity-1.023-1.026 Current 1.025
Temp-78-80 F Current 80 F
pH- 7.8-8.5 Current 8.2
Magnesium- 1200-1400 Current 1320
Phosphate- <0.03 ppm Current .25
Nitrate- 0-10 ppm Current 0
Nitrite -0.0 Current 0

 

[dmarott1]

Hi I have a question regarding reef water, can it be too clean? If so what do I need to add?
Nitrates 0, nitrites 0, ammonia 0
Mag 1200,Salinity 1.023,Calcium 350,Alk10.2dkh 3.65mq.,phosphates.30
Frozen food LRS. and Nori.

Tank Saltwater 150 gallons Reef -fish qty 6 medium size
Coral- qty 4 small -
Rock- man made
Substrate - none
Water R/O
Water change 50 gallons every other week
Sump 40 gal. tank
Skimmer Nyos, clean cup every day, 2 socks cleaned with water and bleach never soap /changed every other day
Pump ecotech 2 S1's
Power Heads Ecotech 2 MP40's (opposing ends of the tank and 2 Sicce from the back of the tank
Reactor -Rowa change every 30 days
Lights- Ecotech 2 15's and 1 30
I use the parameter guide as follows
Calcium 380-450 Current 330
Alkalinity 8-12 dKH Current 10.2
Salinity-1.023-1.026 Current 1.025
Temp-78-80 F Current 80 F
pH- 7.8-8.5 Current 8.2
Magnesium- 1200-1400 Current 1320
Phosphate- <0.03 ppm Current .25
Nitrate- 0-10 ppm Current 0
Nitrite -0.0 Current 0

 

[dmarott1]

If your phosphate is 0.30 that’s very high and the tank might look a little ‘dirty’ A good target is ideally less than 0.03. So you may need to look at methods of phosphate removal to bring this down, or you could get algae issues.

Just make sure your using 0 TDS RODI water for the new salt mix and also check the food your using to see if your introducing high levels of phosphate from these.

As already said, get your nitrates raised by either adding fish and feed them, or maybe turn the skimmer off for a while but that could prove difficult with the phosphate being high. A good general nitrate target is around 5-10

If you have corals or are planning to, you need to raise the magnesium at it has a vital role in the chemical interactions in the tank so maybe around 1300-1350 and also bring the calcium up to around 430

Tank Saltwater 150 gallons Reef -fish qty 6 medium size
Coral- qty 4 small -
Rock- man made
Substrate - none
Water R/O
Water change 50 gallons every other week
Sump 40 gal. tank
Skimmer Nyos, clean cup every day, 2 socks cleaned with water and bleach never soap /changed every other day
Pump ecotech 2 S1's
Power Heads Ecotech 2 MP40's (opposing ends of the tank and 2 Sicce from the back of the tank
Reactor -Rowa change every 30 days
Lights- Ecotech 2 15's and 1 30
I use the parameter guide as follows
Calcium 380-450 Current 330
Alkalinity 8-12 dKH Current 10.2
Salinity-1.023-1.026 Current 1.025
Temp-78-80 F Current 80 F
pH- 7.8-8.5 Current 8.2
Magnesium- 1200-1400 Current 1320
Phosphate- <0.03 ppm Current .25
Nitrate- 0-10 ppm Current 0
Nitrite -0.0 Current 0

 

[dmarott1]

If your phosphate is 0.30 that’s very high and the tank might look a little ‘dirty’ A good target is ideally less than 0.03. So you may need to look at methods of phosphate removal to bring this down, or you could get algae issues.

Just make sure your using 0 TDS RODI water for the new salt mix and also check the food your using to see if your introducing high levels of phosphate from these.

As already said, get your nitrates raised by either adding fish and feed them, or maybe turn the skimmer off for a while but that could prove difficult with the phosphate being high. A good general nitrate target is around 5-10

If you have corals or are planning to, you need to raise the magnesium at it has a vital role in the chemical interactions in the tank so maybe around 1300-1350 and also bring the calcium up to around 430

Tank Saltwater 150 gallons Reef -fish qty 6 medium size
Coral- qty 4 small -
Rock- man made
Substrate - none
Water R/O
Water change 50 gallons every other week
Sump 40 gal. tank
Skimmer Nyos, clean cup every day, 2 socks cleaned with water and bleach never soap /changed every other day
Pump ecotech 2 S1's
Power Heads Ecotech 2 MP40's (opposing ends of the tank and 2 Sicce from the back of the tank
Reactor -Rowa change every 30 days
Lights- Ecotech 2 15's and 1 30
I use the parameter guide as follows
Calcium 380-450 Current 330
Alkalinity 8-12 dKH Current 10.2
Salinity-1.023-1.026 Current 1.025
Temp-78-80 F Current 80 F
pH- 7.8-8.5 Current 8.2
Magnesium- 1200-1400 Current 1320
Phosphate- <0.03 ppm Current .25
Nitrate- 0-10 ppm Current 0
Nitrite -0.0 Current 0

 

[dmarott1]

Your numbers seem strange, you have three times the phosphate than nitrate?
If your talking about coral colours and growth, we need to maintain trace N (say 1-2ppm) and P (say 0.05-.1)
A P of .3ppm with 0 nitrate will likely bring pest algae.
I’d check your nitrates, virtually impossible to achieve 0

Tank Saltwater 150 gallons Reef -fish qty 6 medium size
Coral- qty 4 small -
Rock- man made
Substrate - none
Water R/O
Water change 50 gallons every other week
Sump 40 gal. tank
Skimmer Nyos, clean cup every day, 2 socks cleaned with water and bleach never soap /changed every other day
Pump ecotech 2 S1's
Power Heads Ecotech 2 MP40's (opposing ends of the tank and 2 Sicce from the back of the tank
Reactor -Rowa change every 30 days
Lights- Ecotech 2 15's and 1 30
I use the parameter guide as follows
Calcium 380-450 Current 330
Alkalinity 8-12 dKH Current 10.2
Salinity-1.023-1.026 Current 1.025
Temp-78-80 F Current 80 F
pH- 7.8-8.5 Current 8.2
Magnesium- 1200-1400 Current 1320
Phosphate- <0.03 ppm Current .25
Nitrate- 0-10 ppm Current 0
Nitrite -0.0 Current 0

 

[IslandLifeReef]

With the very large and frequent water changes, it’s no surprise that your NO3 is so low. What I wonder about is where the PO4 is coming from. What test kits are you using to test your water?

 

[dmarott1]

With the very large and frequent water changes, it’s no surprise that your NO3 is so low. What I wonder about is where the PO4 is coming from. What test kits are you using to test your water?

N03 Nitrate API
N04 Phosphate Hanna

 

[Gravity]

How old is the tank? You may want try another nitrate test kit. Is your Hanna checker phosphate ppm or phosphorus ppb?

I would start by reducing the water change volume to 10% weekly. Then you can extend your filter replacement time to 3 or 4 days.

 

[lapin]

As Brandon says, before moving forward take a sample to your LFS for testing.

 

[Thaxxx]

Phosphates could be coming from your rocks leaching.
You do water changes they go down, then come right back up as your rocks leach phosphates.

 

[dmarott1]

How old is the tank? You may want try another nitrate test kit. Is your Hanna checker phosphate ppm or phosphorus ppb?

I would start by reducing the water change volume to 10% weekly. Then you can extend your filter replacement time to 3 or 4 days.

The tank has been up since 2012 taken down and started over again 2018 bare bottom
I've heard that many people feel that API is not the best testing kit for a reef tank. I'll look into a different brand
My Hanna checker phosphate is ppm
I'll cut back the water change to 25 gallons and check the readings

 

[Gravity]

The tank has been up since 2012 taken down and started over again 2018 bare bottom
I've heard that many people feel that API is not the best testing kit for a reef tank. I'll look into a different brand
My Hanna checker phosphate is ppm
I'll cut back the water change to 25 gallons and check the readings

Just wanted to confirm the tank wasn’t new and phosphate was correct if converted.

I have used API nitrate for a while but just got the Nyos test kit and I can be much more confident with my readings. You may also need to increase your ROWA change interval or media volume to get the phosphate down but not too much that it drops to zero.