High Phosphates/Nitrates Assistance

[baillleeeyyy]

I’m struggling with my tank and need some advice. Last year, my tank was neglected and I had a lot of loss. I also discovered I was leaching minerals into the water with the use of a putty instead of reef safe epoxy for a plug and was overdosing on calcium and magnesium. Within the past few months, I’ve gotten it back to happy and we’ve been rebuilding.

Tank is an Infinia peninsula tank. 160 gallons total with sump, 106.9 viewing. (2) Radion XR15 G6 pros, Reef Octopus Classic 200 protein skimmer, and (2) Nero wave makers.

That brings me to current where I’m struggling.

September 30th, I had readings of phos: .09 nitrates: 12 alk: 9.2 mag: 1440 calc: 410 salinity: 1.025 ammonia: 0

I’ve done 2 water swaps, the 16th and the 24th. 30 gallons each. I’ve always used Red Sea Coral Pro Salt. I haven’t dosed any calcium, magnesium, or alkalinity lately because they have consistently been at the same levels. Using Hanna checkers for alkalinity, ULR phosphates, and nitrates. Red Sea test kits for calcium and magnesium. API for ammonia.

Nitrates and phosphates have been gradually rising to where testing today, October 29th, I got readings of phos: .3 nitrates: 23.7 alk: 9.2 calc: 410 mag: 1400 salinity: 1.025 ammonia: 0

I recently lost a gramma fish (I think due to bullying, she was suffering with her tail eaten off.) and a fox face rabbit fish (potentially due to bullying as well as it just seemed to give up on living). A mushroom disconnected from its home and I lost it. I have a montipora that also is struggling. Everything else appears to be doing okay right now.

I feed my fish twice a day with frozen reef frenzy. I’ve held back on feeding corals for fear of nitrates and phosphates and feed them like once a week. I was using just Benereef, but got a recommendation from my local store to use reef roids as well. I fed coral yesterday and have cloudy water still, about 24 hours later.

Stock:
Desjardini Sailfin Tang
Vlamingi Tang
A clown pair
Blotchy Anthias
(3) green chromis
Cardinal fish
Blueside fairy wrasse
Goby/tiger shrimp pair

Any ideas on what I have going wrong here? Not running carbon, or any additional additives/cleaners beyond the protein skimmer? Should I be considering chaeto?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I personally would not do anything about those current values, at least not yet.

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

4. What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

 

[allof fish]

Are you spot feeding corals or broadcast feeding? Reed roids tends to increase phosphates while benereef doesn’t as much. Definitely decrease feeding as corals are probably not use to that much nutrients in the water. That vlamingi tang will get massive so keep an eye out for that and cut back on feeding a bit. You can try to run a fuge that will help. How often were you feeding corals. If over feeding then that can be the problem. Try spot feeding if not already and pull back on it a bit until nutrients come down. Nitrates are okay but phos definitely a bit high. Can try phosphate E by bright well to lower a bit but stability more important. Corals will love with those nutrients but they need to adjust. To lower them do it slowly