When to dose for nutrients

[mossanimal]

My 90 gallon tank is around 5 and a half months and is lightly stocked with 2 clownfish, some mushrooms, zoas, a BTA, some GSP, and Cyphastrea. All are basically just frags at this point. I have a sump with protein skimmer and macro algae fuge (Gracilaria). My nutrients are bottomed out to zero and haven’t seen much for coral growth yet. At what point should I consider something like Reef Roids or a similar product? I do dose phyto every day.

 

[Red_Beard]

Now is a good time if you are bottomed out. 0 is rough on corals.

 

[mossanimal]

Now is a good time if you are bottomed out. 0 is rough on corals.

Any suggestions for a product? I’m trying to overfeed my clowns but that isn’t working. My filtration sure works!

 

[jimk60]

It would probably be easiest to just take your skimmer off line for awhile and see what happens. You answered your own question when you said your filtration sure works!

 

[Reefering1]

Add more fish and feed enough for them all? 2 clowns seem very light food a 90g. Maybe cut back on fuge light cycle

 

[mossanimal]

It would probably be easiest to just take your skimmer off line for awhile and see what happens. You answered your own question when you said your filtration sure works!

Haha I know. I did turn off the skimmer for the weekend.

Is it worth feeding the coral with something like Reef Roids?

 

[Red_Beard]

I am in the same boat, but I like to leave the skimmer on. Helps with oxygenation and ph. Good quality pellet foods and roids can help with po4. I use neophos from brightwell if that doesn’t cut it. For an N source I have started dosing ammonium bicarbonate from Randy’s diy recipe with success. Before that I was using neonitro, but I get better color with ammonia.

Link to Randy’s recipe:https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

 

[jimk60]

Haha I know. I did turn off the skimmer for the weekend.

Is it worth feeding the coral with something like Reef Roids?

You can feed reef roids if you want just go slow as it will raise phosphates. You should feed your bta once a week or so. I would use pellets or something meaty like mysis.

 

[jimk60]

Neonitrate and neophosphate and good products I've used both. They can get expensive if needed constently

 

[mossanimal]

I am in the same boat, but I like to leave the skimmer on. Helps with oxygenation and ph. Good quality pellet foods and roids can help with po4. I use neophos from brightwell if that doesn’t cut it. For an N source I have started dosing ammonium bicarbonate from Randy’s diy recipe with success. Before that I was using neonitro, but I get better color with ammonia.

Link to Randy’s recipe:https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

I think I'm going to try the 'baking ammonia' recipe. What has your dosing schedule/method been?

 

[Red_Beard]

For my tank (80 gallon total volume) ive been dosing 5ml in the am and another 5 in the pm mixed up as per Randy's recipe. So far though i am still hovering ~0 -.2 as per salifert kit. I may start adding more to see if i can keep it in the 3-5 range. Randy's suggestion of .1ppm nh3 is a really good starting point and dial it up or back from there.

 

[dschuffert]

I am a fan of leaving the skimmer on 24X7. I dose nutrients in my 900L tank. I do monthly ICP tests to measure all the elements I am dosing and then adjust from there. I test for Iron weekly and micro-adjust when needed. I don't like chasing numbers for exactness. I try to stay in a range and slowly adjust within that range. I have found stability works well in my system.

 

[Red_Beard]

I think I'm going to try the 'baking ammonia' recipe. What has your dosing schedule/method been?

Forgot to add the method bit. I just use a syringe and manually squirt it slowly in front of a powerhead.