Zero Nitrates - Is this bad?

[Chris Wells]

Hello,
I am into week 10 of new tank 90g / 150g total volume -75g sump

I just got through the first diatom bloom and ugly phase and noticing CUC catching up and water looking ultra clear. I am cleaning algae regularly from glass. Lots of pods on glass.

Stock:
15000 pods,etc.
5 - Nerrites
5 - Turbos
10 - Nassarius
20 - Cerith
1 - Strawberry Conch
1 - Frogspawn 2.5 weeks
1 - Hammer 2.5 weeks

I am reverse cycling fuge lights 12 hours from DT.

I am feeding algae pucks, Mysis pellets, scraped frozen red snapper from vacation for Nassarius, Coral Frenzy, and Marine snow to keep CUC alive.

First,
Params:
Last Week
Temp: 77.9-78.6 degree swing
PH: 7.9
Salinity: 35.5 Apex / 1.026 Refractometer
NO3 : 2
PO4 : .03
Alkalinity: 8.3 dkH
Ca : 435
Mg : 1400

This week I noticed Hammer not extending all day like usual, but Frogspawn still pretty happy.
So I wondered if the clear water was causing Hammer to deal with extra PAR. Then I checked NO3 and PO4 and it apears that filtration is stripping NO3 to 0, while PO4 is still .03 from last week.

I have a feeling that I have not enough bio-load to keep up with the denitrifying filtration in sump.

So I loaded up autofeeder to start adding pellets in everyday in the morning to have a measurable addition each day.

Should I be doing something else or step back and watch. I thought about pulling a marine pure block.

I was planning on next to add mud, gunk, or something else to refugium and continue to grow the bottom food chain up to increase "bio-diversity" before the next corals. Now, I am at a pause tho. I wasn't planning on adding fish until the tank looks alive with micro-organisms, inverts, corals and even corraline.

Being so new at this, I really don't want to add NO3 or PO4 chemically this early in the new tank.

Any experienced advise would be greatly appreciated.

Pics below
Corals ,
then sump components, then tank.

2-Marine Pure Blocks 8x8
1- Bag of Siporax ( going to use to seed QT observation tank)
1- Box of Marine Pure Spheres in tray
2 - Bags of Pond matrix in tray
2# of refugium seed sand from Liveplants.com
misc macro algae with red and chaeto

Thanks,

Chris

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Whatever you do, do it slow.

Yea you could have a bit too much of a filter in there and it's eating too much.
So feed more or remove on.
Or feed a little more now, then make the addions of mud etc , and see how it goes.

 

[Chris Wells]

Whatever you do, do it slow.

Yea you could have a bit too much of a filter in there and it's eating too much.
So feed more or remove on.
Or feed a little more now, then make the addions of mud etc , and see how it goes.

Thanks,

I will start feeding more at a predictable rate to see if they come up.
I am right tho, that you don't want them at 0?

Am I silly to think I would like to see a heathy, "bio-diverse" reef prior to putting fish in? I kind of think they are the hood ornaments and the rest of the ecosystem is the fascinating part.

 

[Legal Reefer]

Wow...that's a big temp swing...mine only varies by less than 1°

 

[Legal Reefer]

I know there can be fairly big temp swings in some shallow ocean reefs and tide pools, but I try to keep mine fairly consistent.

 

[Chris Wells]

Wow...that's a big temp swing...mine only varies by less than 1°

Sorry, mistype, 77.9-78.6, I only have a .7 degree swing. Fixed I run Eheim heaters as backup with Apex as main control.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks,

I will start feeding more at a predictable rate to see if they come up.
I am right tho, that you don't want them at 0?

Am I silly to think I would like to see a heathy, "bio-diverse" reef prior to putting fish in? I kind of think they are the hood ornaments and the rest of the ecosystem is the fascinating part.

Correct , nutrient limitation can be a problem. Some organisms like low no3 some like low Po4. It leads to that organism becoming dominant. Dino's are a big one for that , cyanos second. I could go on with the list
There are two gigantic threads on it right now.

I'm the guy in those who keeps saying (and has for a While ) use food and add bio diversity on the microscopic level to encourage competition to avoid a single organisim to become dominant.
Turns out , scientificly, I'm correct.

Wow...that's a big temp swing...mine only varies by less than 1°

Mine is like 5. 76-83 sometimes. I don't like it to get above that , it lowers the amount of oxygen in the system

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh, I'm a Fiji mud fan btw. It grows all kinds of stuff.

 

[Legal Reefer]

Sorry, mistype, 77.9-78.6, I only have a .7 degree swing. Fixed I run Eheim heaters as backup with Apex as main control.

Lol...was thinking that's what you meant

 

[Chris Wells]

There are two gigantic threads on it right now.

I am trying to keep up and read all of them.

 

[Chris Wells]

Oh, I'm a Fiji mud fan btw. It grows all kinds of stuff.

Who sells that?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I am trying to keep up and read all of them.

Yea those guys are deep.
It's the N/p balance thing that irked me.
It's not imbalance , it's limitation.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Who sells that?

Walt Smith Fiji mud.
Most like brs n fosters and smith sell it.
Like $20.

You can also go nuts and buy GArf Grunge from GArf.org.

 

[Chris Wells]

Walt Smith Fiji mud.
Most like brs n fosters and smith sell it.
Like $20.

You can also go nuts and buy GArf Grunge from GArf.org.

I was looking at both, didn't realize it was what BRS had, as well as ipsf SurfZone Live Sand Activator Plus

I will take it slow though, I will add each one before it is over with, maybe one per month.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I was looking at both, didn't realize it was what BRS had, as well as ipsf SurfZone Live Sand Activator Plus

I will take it slow though, I will add each one before it is over with, maybe one per month.

Yea probably about the same thing.

 

[Chris Wells]

@saltyfilmfolks
Do you think this was why the Hammer quit extending full? I also thought it was possible it is trying to grow another head, kind of looks like it, and wondering if they stay retracted while growing.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Mine seems to get moody from time to time too.

I really don't jump on stuff till it's a problem for a few days. Or it's extreme.

 

[Chris Wells]

Mine seems to get moody from time to time too.

I really don't jump on stuff till it's a problem for a few days. Or it's extreme.

Thanks for all of the feedback, I can't imagine doing this on your own without this forum and people willing to help you learn. (ie. 20 years ago.)

I will stay the course.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks for all of the feedback, I can't imagine doing this on your own without this forum and people willing to help you learn. (ie. 20 years ago.)

I will stay the course.

Lol. You're welcome. They called them books and magazines and reef clubs.


I stuck to articles only when I started. But feedback sure is nice.