Don't have Dinos - have a couple of questions

[ScottR]

Red Sea kits for everything except phosphate. Phosphate I am using Salifert.

Tank got wet on January 15th, but has had livestock in it for about 7 weeks when the ammonia cycle finished. I have stopped adding livestock and will not for awhile.

The thing that confuses me is the nutrients bottoming out. If it wasn’t for that , I would leave my skimmer and on and proceed with water changes. I don’t know why they are stuck at 0 with heavy feeding, no skimmer, and water changes.

I don’t know how to proceed forward with the need for dosing neophos/neonitro, when to turn my skimmer back on, and when to start doing water changes again (its been almost a month of no waterchanges).

When I test phosphates with Salifert, it won’t even turn blue. So it reads as zero. When I use my Hanna ULR phosphate checker, it can read higher than .15. So I wouldn’t trust that zero. Since you only have fish (?) let the tank run its course and it will go through many changes within the first months. That ugly stage can last 1 month or 6 months. Each tank is different. Would I pull the skimmer? No. I would at least feed more since you have the fish. How often and what are you feeding?

 

[sanzz18]

When I test phosphates with Salifert, it won’t even turn blue. So it reads as zero. When I use my Hanna ULR phosphate checker, it can read higher than .15. So I wouldn’t trust that zero. Since you only have fish (?) let the tank run its course and it will go through many changes within the first months. That ugly stage can last 1 month or 6 months. Each tank is different. Would I pull the skimmer? No. I would at least feed more since you have the fish. How often and what are you feeding?

Okay, I am waiting for my Hanna ULR phosphate checker to come in. There is only fish and inverts in the tank right now, no corals. Everyday, I feed nori, PE pellets, LRS reef frenzy, and frozen mysis on some days. So 3-4 times a day. Cannot get those levels to register in the tests I have.

 

[ScottR]

Okay, I am waiting for my Hanna ULR phosphate checker to come in. There is only fish and inverts in the tank right now, no corals. Everyday, I feed nori, PE pellets, LRS reef frenzy, and frozen mysis on some days. So 3-4 times a day. Cannot get those levels to register in the tests I have.

Wait until the checker comes in. Follow the instructions to the T. Hopefully you get a nice reading. I just tested with salifert. The sample didn’t even change color at all. Hanna gave me this which is a nice range.

 

[sanzz18]

Wait until the checker comes in. Follow the instructions to the T. Hopefully you get a nice reading. I just tested with salifert. The sample didn’t even change color at all. Hanna gave me this which is a nice range.

Rechecked the algae under microscope again, video below.



I just don't understand how no water changes in over a month, no skimming in over a month, heavy feeding, and my nutrients are not noticeable detectable (at least nitrates).