Can't keep my nitrate and phos where it needs to be so need your thoughts PLEASE!!

[BanZI29]

I Have a trifecta kind of going on here. I can NOT get my nitrate or Phos where it needs to be. as of now it is very close, and sometimes is 0. I am also fighting what I THINK is cyno.
I have tried the over feeding, including reefroids, I have turned off my skimmer, I do not have Chaeto and my filtration is a reactor with Chemipure ( have always used that) Matrix rocks, and filter floss.
I also had a water contamination issue. I think I found it but I've had to change my water 4 times in the last two week. You can see in the pix that everyone is ticked off. Yes I did an ICP and that didnt show much.
Anyway I had put in a new, second main pump and that is when my contamination problems started, that is now out. hopefully that was it as I have eliminated everything else that it could have been.
Anyway to my point. I was having the 0 nitrate and phos issue before the contamination issue. nothing I have done that is not adding additives has work SO,
What are your thoughts on using Brightwell's neo nitro and neo phos to get the levels where they need to be till they are stable?
Thankyou!!

 

[Dan_P]

I Have a trifecta kind of going on here. I can NOT get my nitrate or Phos where it needs to be. as of now it is very close, and sometimes is 0. I am also fighting what I THINK is cyno.
I have tried the over feeding, including reefroids, I have turned off my skimmer, I do not have Chaeto and my filtration is a reactor with Chemipure ( have always used that) Matrix rocks, and filter floss.
I also had a water contamination issue. I think I found it but I've had to change my water 4 times in the last two week. You can see in the pix that everyone is ticked off. Yes I did an ICP and that didnt show much.
Anyway I had put in a new, second main pump and that is when my contamination problems started, that is now out. hopefully that was it as I have eliminated everything else that it could have been.
anyway to my point. I was having the 0 nitrate and phos issue before the contamination issue. nothing I have done that is not adding additives has work SO,
What are your thoughts on using Brightwell's neo nitro and neo phos to get the levels where they need to be till they are stable?
Thankyou!!

Something is consuming the nitrate and phosphate in your system. In new systems, the new aragonite surfaces might be the big phosphate consumers. The simple solution is to dose phosphate until the concentration in the water meets your goal. Commercial phosphate additives might be both dilute and expensive. Buying solid sodium phosphate and making your own additive might be the way to go.

Nitrate is being consumed by living stuff. The solution is simple. Add nitrate until the desired concentration is achieved. Making your own additive with food grade sodium nitrate might be the economical way to go.

 

[BanZI29]

Something is consuming the nitrate and phosphate in your system. In new systems, the new aragonite surfaces might be the big phosphate consumers. The simple solution is to dose phosphate until the concentration in the water meets your goal. Commercial phosphate additives might be both dilute and expensive. Buying solid sodium phosphate and making your own additive might be the way to go.

Nitrate is being consumed by living stuff. The solution is simple. Add nitrate until the desired concentration is achieved. Making your own additive with food grade sodium nitrate might be the economical way to go.

I didn't know you could do that. Where to I get that kinds stuff?
Also for got to add that my tank is 3 yrs old,

 

[Dan_P]

I didn't know you could do that. Where to I get that kinds stuff?
Also for got to add that my tank is 3 yrs old,

3 years old? I would also wonder about the need for trace elements additions.

I usually buy chemicals on the internet. Google food grade sodium nitrate for possibilities. I have bought sodium phosphate from Loudwolf.

 

[BanZI29]

3 years old? I would also wonder about the need for trace elements additions.

I usually buy chemicals on the internet. Google food grade sodium nitrate for possibilities. I have bought sodium phosphate from Loudwolf.

I do dose All for reef and Calcium.

 

[BanZI29]

BTW what is the stuff on my sand? dinos or Cyno?

 

[blecki]

Running a refugium? Nitrate is only ever 0 because something is eating it. Usually this is algae. If you're running a refugium, stop cleaning it and stop doing water changes. The algae needs to use up the other things it needs so it will stop consuming all the nitrate. Let the algae build up to the point where older algae starts to decay and release nutrients back into the water - at that point you'll still read 0, but only because the coral will be consuming it as well.

 

[blecki]

BTW what is the stuff on my sand? dinos or Cyno?

Diatoms maybe. Doesn't look slimey enough for the other two.

 

[BanZI29]

Running a refugium? Nitrate is only ever 0 because something is eating it. Usually this is algae. If you're running a refugium, stop cleaning it and stop doing water changes. The algae needs to use up the other things it needs so it will stop consuming all the nitrate. Let the algae build up to the point where older algae starts to decay and release nutrients back into the water - at that point you'll still read 0, but only because the coral will be consuming it as well.

I do not have a refugium.

 

[ReefEco]

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If you are going to dose, start very slowly, and be ready to add additional clean up crew in equal slow measure to balance out the algae that will start to grow with added nutrients (I'd just add a few extra snails at a time). Right now all the organisms are taking up all available nutrients, so adding nutrients will knock the tank out of equilibrium unless you make other changes to compensate. Go Slow, and test often. Your tank honestly doesn't look bad, so resist trying to raise nutrients too quickly or you'll have likely a whole other range of issues.

 

[jda]

Unless you have a good tool like Hannah Ultra Low to check phosphates, then don't dose anything. Your tank looks good, which is more important than numbers on a test kit. If you have a hannah ultra low, what is the number in parts per billion?

Nitrate can be really low in established tanks. There is anaerobic bacteria that turns no3 into nitrogen gas, which is the last step of the nitrogen cycle. This is normal and good. This always seems to leave a trace of nitrate, which is enough. If you do have these bacteria, then adding nitrate will cause the population to grow and they will mow the no3 down once they do. Besides, nitrate is no good way to get nitrogen to your corals... just keep feeding your fish and don't worry about nitrate.

Unless you want to add enough phosphates and nitrates to growth-limit dinos and diatoms, they will just add building blocks for them to grow.

 

[BanZI29]

Unless you have a good tool like Hannah Ultra Low to check phosphates, then don't dose anything. Your tank looks good, which is more important than numbers on a test kit. If you have a hannah ultra low, what is the number in parts per billion?

Nitrate can be really low in established tanks. There is anaerobic bacteria that turns no3 into nitrogen gas, which is the last step of the nitrogen cycle. This is normal and good. This always seems to leave a trace of nitrate, which is enough. If you do have these bacteria, then adding nitrate will cause the population to grow and they will mow the no3 down once they do. Besides, nitrate is no good way to get nitrogen to your corals... just keep feeding your fish and don't worry about nitrate.

Unless you want to add enough phosphates and nitrates to growth-limit dinos and diatoms, they will just add building blocks for them to grow.

I do have the Hanna ULR checker. according to that, my Phos is 7 (=.0021) so uber low. I also have the Hanna nitrate HR tester and that is reading 2, again uber low.

As for the tank looking good, My corals are usually completely open, the majority of them are completely closed in the pic. the pic was taken at 1pm.

My usual levels are :
nitrate - 15-25
Phos - .150 - .225

That is what they are used to and were always big, happy and growing. everything you see in there, I got as a single head frag.

 

[jda]

Those numbers are totally fine. I would not do anything with them. My no3 and po4 numbers are lower than that.

 

[ReefEco]

Hey @BanZI29, note that the Hanna ULR conversion of a reading of 7, is 0.021 not .0021. A reading of 7-15 is actually what I shoot for in my tank on my Hanna, and I wouldn't consider that too low. Nitrate of 2 on the Hanna is a tad low (I shoot for 5-10) - but you are reading non-zero levels for both, which is good - so again, if you are going to dose, take it very slow...

 

[BanZI29]

Hey @BanZI29, note that the Hanna ULR conversion of a reading of 7, is 0.021 not .0021. A reading of 7-15 is actually what I shoot for in my tank on my Hanna, and I wouldn't consider that too low. Nitrate of 2 on the Hanna is a tad low (I shoot for 5-10) - but you are reading non-zero levels for both, which is good - so again, if you are going to dose, take it very slow...

I actually just tested 5 min ago and phos is 90 = .276 which is around where my corals last happy. And my nitrate is now at 7.4 BUT my pH is 7.8....uuhhhgggg anyway. No dosing yet. Wanna see what happens.