Looking for some help raising nitrates and phosphates. For the last few months they have been stuck at 0. I have around a 100g system, skimmer, filter roller, ATS, I do auto water changes (around 2g a day), I tried taking out the filter roller, turning off the ATS, less and even no water changes but still just stuck at 0. I feed 4 times a day with a Avast plank auto feeder, feeding a mix of pellet and powdered foods. I also dose Aquaforest power amino acids. Any tips would be great! Looking for a way to raise both nitrate and phos to a good number and hold it. TIA!
Zero phosphate and nitrate
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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IMO, feeding more is easiest, even if you feel you already feed a lot.
If you don't want to do that, dosing N and P is not a problem.
If you don't want to do that, dosing N and P is not a problem.
The tank is almost 4 years old, sand bottom, it started with dry rock. Fish are: yellow tang, tomini tang, one spot foxface, starry blenny, flame hawk fish, possum wrasse, mandarin goby, maroon clown (I think that is all of them) it's pretty well established with coral, lps, mushrooms, stick, Monti's I will try and attach a photo.
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
Reef roids will nasty your water right up and feed your corals also… it sounds like you got way to much filtration on your tank also.. I run nothing but a skimmer and that’s always worked best for me.. I got tired of feeding my tank for a fuge to grow and compete with my corals for nutrients and I think filter rolls just strip everything before the tank can process it..
twentyleagues
2500 Club Member
if you are not having algae issues and other corals look good I wouldnt change your parameters to try to keep 1 type of coral. I know people that can grow all kinds of stuff but have issues with zoas, and its not low nutrients for them either.
Its possible that your tank is mature enough that your current corals and bacteria are just that efficient at using them up. Feed heavier, dose but I wouldnt do it for 1 type of coral.
Its possible that your tank is mature enough that your current corals and bacteria are just that efficient at using them up. Feed heavier, dose but I wouldnt do it for 1 type of coral.
Dburr1014
10K Club member
Many good suggestions here. Especially using reef roids.
My only added comment is to get a reading on po4 first before no3 if that is your intentions. And reef roids would accommodate that perfectly.
My only added comment is to get a reading on po4 first before no3 if that is your intentions. And reef roids would accommodate that perfectly.
If you have a 4 year old tank with sand, there is likely nothing that you can do to get no3 to rise. Even if you dose no3, the bacteria in the sandbed will adjust, multiply and use it all again. This is no problem. There are other ways for your corals to get nitrogen. You likely have some no3 in the .1 to .5 range, which is OK.
The Hannah ULR says 0 ppb of phosphate? This is very rare in tanks with lots of aragonite, IMO. The aragonite acts like a buffer and never really lets it get that low.
The Hannah ULR says 0 ppb of phosphate? This is very rare in tanks with lots of aragonite, IMO. The aragonite acts like a buffer and never really lets it get that low.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Sand matters much less than rocks when it comes to nitrifying bacteria. In the scheme of things, could remove all sand without much of an impact. As someone with lots of rock and using crushed coral substrate, you can absolutely end up with rising nitrate despite environmental make up.
I don't think that anybody is talking about nitrifying bacteria or crushed coral. Sand and denitrifying bacteria are completely different.
