what is my best option to raise nutrients?

[zheka757]

500 gallon total water volume. my nitrates and phosphates are at 0. corals look happy and growing (I assume based on polys extension) my sump is overloaded with bio-media, media amount good for 8000galon system. reason bio-media is so big because couple months ago I completely re-scaped my tank with new sand and new dry rock while my tank was running.
what should be a best approach.
1. leave it alone
2 take a lot of the media out
3 dose food for corals.
4 what else?

 

[xCry0x]

Running a skimmer? Turn it off.
Feed more.
More fish.

WWC did a video with brs recently and they said they only run their skimmer on their display tanks a few days a week in order to maintain nutrients.

 

[The Reef Monster]

I recently had hit the 0/0 mark and hadn't noticed until the Cyano and Dyno started coming around and mixed in with a tad bit of algae bloom. When I decided to DosePhosphates & Nitrates and I also mixed Microbacter 7 in between. I turned off the Skimmer and run it 3x a week now. I also stoped the GFO and use it for emergency only. A few days later, the Dino and cyano went away. I'm keeping phos at 0.03 and nitrates at around 10 for sake of coloration for my acro frags. I just added today a new set of clean up crew to handle the Algae that bloomed a bit.

 

[nkyreef]

@xCry0x hit the top three things I would try.

 

[zheka757]

Running a skimmer? Turn it off.
Feed more.
More fish.

WWC did a video with brs recently and they said they only run their skimmer on their display tanks a few days a week in order to maintain nutrients.

all of the above is done, except i still run my skimmer but collection cup hose goes back into the tank,

 

[benmed]

If you have a refugium, keep the lights on for less time

 

[Lavey29]

Running a skimmer? Turn it off.
Feed more.
More fish.

WWC did a video with brs recently and they said they only run their skimmer on their display tanks a few days a week in order to maintain nutrients.

Or dry skim so you're not pulling everything out. Skimmers do more then just export for your tanks well being

 

[The Reef Monster]

Or dry skim so you're not pulling everything out. Skimmers do more then just export for your tanks well being

Ooh, this is interesting. I would like to learn more about this. Perhaps I should be dry skimming as well.

 

[xCry0x]

Ooh, this is interesting. I would like to learn more about this. Perhaps I should be dry skimming as well.

Can raise your cup (or remove your cup)/adjust water levels so that you skim dry and/or don't skim at all - just leave it on bubbling.

It is a super important point -- skimmers help with oxygenation. I also pull air from outside so it has a huge impact on my tank's PH.

 

[Treefer32]

I'll exchange you aquarium water? I'll give you 50 gallons of my water for 50 gallons of your water!

My nitrates are consistently between 18 and 25 and phosphates between .02 and .1. So, be happy to exchange water!

I don't think you have enough fish if your nutrients are that low. I have 20 fish and most of them 8" or larger! I have to feed around 4-5 oz of frozen food with 1 sheet of nori a day to keep agression down. They're all fat fish too!

I run an oversized skimmer, red sea reefmat 1200 (go through a roll of paper every 2.5 to 3 weeks), I run an algae turf scrubber, a pellet reactor to denitrify the water, and a 25 micron cannister filter to help polish the water. I run 4 gyres and 2 MP40s to keep in display water movement circulating aiding in filtration, and top off with 0 TDS water.

I'm dosing Calcium Carbonate twice a week to get rid of organics in the display (Which has helped to clean the rocks and keep the water column cleaner). I have around 25k gph turnover in the display with the gyres , powerheads, and return pump. I'm also dosing 40 ml per day of vodka to keep nitrates down to 25. With reduced or no vodka dosing nitrates were well above 40-50 on a regular basis and phosphates hit .4-.6 ppm.

 

[The Reef Monster]

Oh didn't take the oxygenation of the Skimmer into mind. Ty!

 

[Treefer32]

I think the oxygenation of the water is far more important than the nutrient export of the skimmer.

 

[czoolander]

I am having great success with dosing phosphates right now . And heavy feeding of frozen foods.

You can dose both phosphate and nitrates if you want higher numbers

 

[xCry0x]

This BRStv episode where they talk to Josh from WWC was interesting and relevant to your questions -
Specifically about how they maintain their 900g tank. That part of the video is where they talk about nutrients and feeding (they feed every hour on the hour throughout the day to keep nutrients up - not something the average person could do!).

Not sure if its in that video, but in another one, they mention how they only run the skimmer a few days a week to also keep nutrients up.

 

[Niels V]

Input = export. It depends on your tank. If you have well established biodiversity: bacteria, coralline, visible algae then lessen filtration (turn off / reduce runtime skimmer or remove filter sock / remove bio-media) will result in more nutrients in the water, or just increase your food input. If you do not have the biodiversity just yet you end up feeding the bacteria / algae that is dominant and is stripping the tank of nutrients. When in doubt leave it alone for a little while longer and don't change multiple things at the same time. Hope this helps

 

[zheka757]

Changing subject, (a little) my calcium reactor shutoff solenoid acted up and my ph inside calcium reactor was at 6.0, in result increased alkalinity output way higher, my tank alk increased from 8.5 to 10.5 and one of my high end actors start dieing in result.
I'm thinking if I did had nutrient in the tank. I wouldn't have coral die off from that, right? Because 10.5 alk is still ok range, but with nutrients in a tank, correct?

 

[Dav2996]

500 gallon total water volume. my nitrates and phosphates are at 0. corals look happy and growing (I assume based on polys extension) my sump is overloaded with bio-media, media amount good for 8000galon system. reason bio-media is so big because couple months ago I completely re-scaped my tank with new sand and new dry rock while my tank was running.
what should be a best approach.
1. leave it alone
2 take a lot of the media out
3 dose food for corals.
4 what else?

Use reef roids and Red Sea AB+ daily you shall see your nitrates spike hahaha

 

[xCry0x]

Changing subject, (a little) my calcium reactor shutoff solenoid acted up and my ph inside calcium reactor was at 6.0, in result increased alkalinity output way higher, my tank alk increased from 8.5 to 10.5 and one of my high end actors start dieing in result.
I'm thinking if I did had nutrient in the tank. I wouldn't have coral die off from that, right? Because 10.5 alk is still ok range, but with nutrients in a tank, correct?

You would see burnt (excessive white with no tissue) growth tips as the coral Skelton growth outpaces it's ability to put on skin.

If what you are seeing was a cause/effect and not something in progress already, I'd assume it was a reaction to the rapid increase.

That said, that isn't that dramatic of a change.

 

[Rmckoy]

More food , more fish , less filtration . But pick one at a time and let it run for awhile to see if anything changes .
Adding or changing too much too fast is never good

 

[zheka757]

You would see burnt (excessive white with no tissue) growth tips as the coral Skelton growth outpaces it's ability to put on skin.

If what you are seeing was a cause/effect and not something in progress already, I'd assume it was a reaction to the rapid increase.

That said, that isn't that dramatic of a change.

It was only one coral that was dying, good Size coral too. Tissue was coming off the skeletal, broke that coral in 4 frags, lets see what will happen. Buy definently can't run high alk on low nutrient tank