0 nitrate and phosphate

[Daniel???]

I realise it's already discussed but every tank is different.
I have an 800l aquarium running clarisea gen 2 reef roller and bubblemagus curve 9 skimmer which i am pretty sure should be under sized for the tank, with cheato compartment (recently added) I have been adding at least 4 cubes of food with pellet food too and around 4 to 5 strips of the dried seaweed daily, do I need to add more food to up the no3 and po4? And how much would people recommend? I have 3 bangai cardinals
1 flame angel
5 royal gramma
1 high fin banded goby
1orange spot go y
1 silver belly wrasse
1 sailfin tang
2 occelaris clowns
1 pistol shrimp
1 boxer shrimp
2 cleaner shrimp
various hermits/snails
I have a cyano problem I believe which is slowly going after adding another gyre style pump and replacing some of my blue leds that had deteriorated. I will be replacing them all when they arrive. My preference would be natural over dosing chemicals.
Any advice would be welcomed.
I would like to get more coral but reluctant to buy any with such low readings. I only have a Kenya tree a hammer that has just started coming back out a little more after flow and lights changed and some zoas that wend very dull and seem to be colouring back up after light change. And a carpet anemone.

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

#WelcometoR2R

What are you using to test nitrate and phosphate? I would make sure your testing is accurate before making any changes.

It looks to me like you have a lot of mechanical filtration (your roller) and a cheato 'fuge. Maybe taking one or both of these off line would help?

Feeding more is one strategy, but if you're already adding 4 cubes of food each day, then maybe dosing nitrate and phosphate would be more appropriate for your system.

I'm sure others will have further advise shortly

Good luck!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Rapid growth of anything, including cyano, can consume the nutrients. Unless the problem is dinos, I’d personally try to deal with the cyano before trying to raise nutrients.

 

[slingfox]

How long has your system been running? If less than 12-18 months then it is likely still going through the various stages of maturation.

If you have zero phosphates and nitrates you likely do not want to run light in your refugium.

If I was in your situation I would probably just does phosphates and nitrates. Could also just feed more provided the fish consume everything with zero to very minimal wastage.

 

[kevgib67]

Good advice already given, I’d just like to add take the collection cup off your skimmer and leave it running to put the skimmate back in the water. Good luck.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Despite what those 2 tests say, what do your eyes and gut feeling tell you? Are your corals looking hungry or stressed? Or are they growing? Anything in the tank telling you it needs more nutrients?

 

[allof fish]

I would first say how old is your tank and what rock did you use? In my old tank I started with dry rock and really struggled with low nutrients for a few months. Just started a new tank and started with dry live rock but still basically dry so no established rock but very established bio media. Within 2 weeks my numbers have all stabled out. If your tank if brand new with no old media I would expect it to take awhile. Reduce filtration and test regularly

 

[Daniel???]

Tank is 10 months old, I started it with mainly dry "live" rock I know it's dead with the live sand fiji stuff. I had a few pieces of live rock in there but was probably an 8th total.
Using the nt labs test kit and salifert test kits. Corals look like they need something but like i say starting to look beeltter after light alterations, just started adding live phyto plancton. Been adding live copepods from the beginning.
Kenya tree is confusing bcos there are 3 which 2 have been out looking healthy while the larger 1 has been shriveled up but again has started to come back out same as the hammer started to come back out. Perimeters not changed much other than light and flow

 

[allof fish]

Tank is 10 months old, I started it with mainly dry "live" rock I know it's dead with the live sand fiji stuff. I had a few pieces of live rock in there but was probably an 8th total.
Using the nt labs test kit and salifert test kits. Corals look like they need something but like i say starting to look beeltter after light alterations, just started adding live phyto plancton. Been adding live copepods from the beginning.
Kenya tree is confusing bcos there are 3 which 2 have been out looking healthy while the larger 1 has been shriveled up but again has started to come back out same as the hammer started to come back out. Perimeters not changed much other than light and flow

If you can invest in the Hanna checkers for phos and nitrate. Before I got mine long time ago I tried using the salifert ones and it’s just impossible. Looks like 0 could be .1 could be .15 you never know extremely hard to guess. I thought my phos was 0 for awhile using those then got a Hanna check and it was not zero. I wouldn’t be shocked if you have a decent amount of nutrients.