How can I get some nutrients in my tank?

[cracker]

Evening, So I setup a 75 last November. I have about 20 various corals ,softies, lps and 2 sps.Also one Copperband with a bunch of snails & hermits. I have a very large skimmer in the sump. My problem everybody looks all bleached out ,no color just getting by. Water parameters are all good( I can give You details if needed) I'm "pretty" sure lighting is Ok. except there are no NO3 or Po4's zero! Verified by my trusted LFS. So I have several options I know of and sure there are others I don't know of. I strongly suspect with the low bioload , the oversized skimmer is stripping everything out of the water.
I can add some more fish,but haven't found exactly what I want. I can overfeed, I can unplug the skimmer for a certain amount of time. Last night, I unplugged the skimmer for the night and turned it on this morning.Should I turn it off during the day or night? I already removed the sock,and stopped rinsing food in RO. Can I feed the red juice from the rinsed food ? There's got to be some nutrients in that! I have a bunch of questions and don't know yet what they are ! LOL Also my prob could be unrelated.
Any insight on how to solve this would be appreciated .

 

[Salty1962]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/potassium-nitrate-spectracide-stump-remover-dosing-steps.215730/

 

[twilliard]

You will get Po4 from the unthawed food (the liquid) or from flake food's
No3 as stated above
No3 remember is the byproduct of ammonia (fish and uneaten food)

 

[cracker]

Thanks Salty , However I'm Old School and very shy about adding chemicals to my tanks. Any more traditional methods? I just unplugged the skimmer for the night.

 

[twilliard]

Thanks Salty , However I'm Old School and very shy about adding chemicals to my tanks. Any more traditional methods? I just unplugged the skimmer for the night.

You would have to leave it unplugged for quite a while
This will increase the DOC's in the water which will eventually return No3-Po4

 

[cracker]

Thanks twiliard, I could just remove the beast/skimmer for a while.

 

[twilliard]

Thanks twiliard, I could just remove the beast/skimmer for a while.

Sure can!

 

[Frop]

Overfeed pellets? Idk the BRS videos say those are very nutrient dense.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Start feeding heavily without rinsing the food. Put the skimmer on a timer and only run it for a few hours a day.

 

[cracker]

Thank You Thank You, those are ideas sound good to me 1 I need more fish in this tank but haven't found one that looks good to me. I only buy from the LFS and study the fish for a while.
I was very careful with this setup not to overfeed and keep nutrients low. I think I over did it. I always had issues with algae takeover in the past. No I take that back. Once upon a time there were no corals in marine tanks, only fish .A couple of 50/50 fluorescent lamps worked just fine. No algae issues then !

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Salty , However I'm Old School and very shy about adding chemicals to my tanks. Any more traditional methods? I just unplugged the skimmer for the night.

lol

You'd be adding the exact chemicals you say you are missing.

That said, I'm not sure your problem is low nutrients.

If it is, or you just want to experiment just feed more, whether fish eat it or not doesn't matter. All the nutrients eventually end up in the water.

 

[john.m.cole3]

my technique is a bit off beat but to raise NO3 I feed more frozen (Rods or PE mysis) and to raise phosphates I have NLS pellets, brine flakes, reef bugs, and hikari veggie pellets mixed together in an auto feeder. I keep the feeder off the tank and prerss the button to make it drop a dose while I hold it over the tank. I haven't found an auto pilot method yet. I test and react.

 

[jsker]

Feed, Feed, Feed,

I slack my food in the refrigerator, I use LRF, PE mysis, my homemade, and reef nutritions oyster feast, Roti feast, and R.O.E. and feed twice a day about a 1/2 table spoon with 4 to 5 fish. My I run GFO and some carbon. My No3's are 12 and my Po4's are around .02.

 

[cracker]

Thanks everybody, I really don't know if this is my problem. The only recent change was I started dosing pickling lime . Finally got my alk to stop dropping .. My tank is really no more than an experiment after all.

I'm open to any suggestions on trouble shooting Thanks

 

[wkscott]

This is probably clear to everyone else, but did you start this tank in November 2015 or November 2016? If it was 2015, don't know if I could have only added one fish in a year.

 

[cracker]

Ok gents, I started the tank November 2015. I planed to use this tank to improve my coral keeping skills. I admit to not doing very well at this. Anyway about the time this 75 had cycled ,the 220 started leaking so it quickly turned into a refugee tank. I had about 5 larger fish in it,( too big for a 75) . I gave away a couple and a wrasse took the leap of fate .So now I have just the CopperBand in there. I'll get Ya a current pic soon.

 

[AdamNC]

Feed more, do less water changes.

 

[cracker]

Thanks, I skipped my last scheduled water change and feeding the 1 fish heavy. She is very happy to help out !

 

[cracker]

Ok I have a pic for whoever is interested. It's not pretty and was meant to be an experiment only. A 75 gallon with sump total gallons ? 90 maybe. 90% of corals are refugees from the 220 .

 

[cracker]

Today I purchased a Red Sea Po4 kit. I had been using the Pro kit. I had probs seeing any differing colors between the 2 vials. . This kit uses just one vial and a card. it's a lot easier for me to see . So I have zero No3( never have) and barely any Po4 in this tank. I need to get " some " nutrients in there. I went thru the Stump remover sight and willing to give it a try but would prefer to do it naturally 1st.
I have learned that Po4 will feed the algae. The No3 will help feed the corals. ( Low Po4 and higher No3 ratio ) ?I like John Cole's idea to over filtration for a tank to a point it can strip all nutrients from it then feed to a point where a balance is reached. Do I have this somewhat right? So I keep the fish count down and feed as needed. then dose Potassium Nitrate to the point I want. I feed more coral food as well to raise Po4. Something along those lines. I'm done rambling now. I can answer pretty much any questions about the tank You want.If not, I'll find out. Any OP"s would be appreciated !