How Can I Lower My Levels?

[Shy519]

I use the API tube test kits for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, pH, calcium, phosphates, and alkalinity. I use Salifert to test magnesium. Some of my levels have elevated after being perfect for so long. This morning I did remove a sun coral I unboxed Friday if that may explain the levels. It was officially dead. I also tossed out a lot of rock due to a palythoa invasion so they were replaced with bleached rock. They are currently covered in a thin sheet of brownish-orange algae that produces a lot of bubbles. Livestock list includes an electric blue damsel, scooter blenny, orange spot goby, bicolor blenny, 2 peppermint shrimp, tiger pistol shrimp, several hermit crabs, 5 sexy shrimp, sand sifting star, and two turbo snails I rarely ever see. My levels are as follows:

Ammonia 0.00
Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0.5
pH 8.0
Calcium 360
Phosphate 2.0
Magnesium 1410


I am also curious as to if you need trace element testers to grow optimal corals? Will testing for trace elements, and dosing accordingly for them, be worth it?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I use the API tube test kits for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, pH, calcium, phosphates, and alkalinity. I use Salifert to test magnesium. Some of my levels have elevated after being perfect for so long. This morning I did remove a sun coral I unboxed Friday if that may explain the levels. It was officially dead. I also tossed out a lot of rock due to a palythoa invasion so they were replaced with bleached rock. They are currently covered in a thin sheet of brownish-orange algae that produces a lot of bubbles. Livestock list includes an electric blue damsel, scooter blenny, orange spot goby, bicolor blenny, 2 peppermint shrimp, tiger pistol shrimp, several hermit crabs, 5 sexy shrimp, sand sifting star, and two turbo snails I rarely ever see. My levels are as follows:

Ammonia 0.00
Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0.5
pH 8.0
Calcium 360
Phosphate 2.0
Magnesium 1410


I am also curious as to if you need trace element testers to grow optimal corals? Will testing for trace elements, and dosing accordingly for them, be worth it?

What levels do you want to bring down? Nitrite will go down on it's own. You can reduce the nitrate levels any number of ways, like water changes, macro algae... well, maybe this is a better idea, read this:
https://blog.marinedepot.com/2014/09/nitrate-removal-reef-aquarium.html

A trace element tester? Have you ever heard of such a thing? I admit I'm a bit old school and I haven't ever heard of one, but maybe it's something new?

If you are doing water changes, and with any tank that is less than 1 year old (minimum) you should be doing them IMHO. Then trace elements are not an issue. Many people, including me, have older tanks, do less water changes and still don't worry about trace elements. Some reefs do try to dose 'stuff' and some manufacturers do sell 'stuff' to raise trace elements. But I really don't like adding 'stuff' to my tank unless I REALLY know what it is.

 

[Shy519]

What levels do you want to bring down? Nitrite will go down on it's own. You can reduce the nitrate levels any number of ways, like water changes, macro algae... well, maybe this is a better idea, read this:
https://blog.marinedepot.com/2014/09/nitrate-removal-reef-aquarium.html

A trace element tester? Have you ever heard of such a thing? I admit I'm a bit old school and I haven't ever heard of one, but maybe it's something new?

If you are doing water changes, and with any tank that is less than 1 year old (minimum) you should be doing them IMHO. Then trace elements are not an issue. Many people, including me, have older tanks, do less water changes and still don't worry about trace elements. Some reefs do try to dose 'stuff' and some manufacturers do sell 'stuff' to raise trace elements. But I really don't like adding 'stuff' to my tank unless I REALLY know what it is.

I've been sitting at a zero for phosphates for so long but now those are up as well. Should I be worried?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Both nitrates and phosphates going up is something to think about, and given you saw what you think is algae starting to develop, yes, it's time to act.

How big is your tank? How long has it been running? Do you have a sump? Skimmer? Refugium? And reactors with carbon or GFO?

The question you need to answer is: why are they going up? Are you feeding anything different to the tank, or even just more?

 

[dwest]

I use the API tube test kits for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, pH, calcium, phosphates, and alkalinity. I use Salifert to test magnesium. Some of my levels have elevated after being perfect for so long. This morning I did remove a sun coral I unboxed Friday if that may explain the levels. It was officially dead. I also tossed out a lot of rock due to a palythoa invasion so they were replaced with bleached rock. They are currently covered in a thin sheet of brownish-orange algae that produces a lot of bubbles. Livestock list includes an electric blue damsel, scooter blenny, orange spot goby, bicolor blenny, 2 peppermint shrimp, tiger pistol shrimp, several hermit crabs, 5 sexy shrimp, sand sifting star, and two turbo snails I rarely ever see. My levels are as follows:

Ammonia 0.00
Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0.5
pH 8.0
Calcium 360
Phosphate 2.0
Magnesium 1410


I am also curious as to if you need trace element testers to grow optimal corals? Will testing for trace elements, and dosing accordingly for them, be worth it?

Before you try to change levels of anything, I highly recommend you invest in some better test kits. I thing your mg test is good. I would also get Salifert calcium, and Hanna checkers for alkalinity and phosphates (I use ulr phosphate checker). I use salifert for nitrates, but there are likely better kits like Nyos. I also wouldn’t worry about 20 ppm nitrates, if that is what it ends up being. Good luck.