How to raise nutrients “naturally”?

PSU4ME

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Messages
445
Reaction score
308
Location
Boston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a new tank 3-4 months old started with dead rock. Bacteria cycle, IPSF addition of life but things are going super slow and I’ve had a consistent brown algae problem. I’m pretty convinced it’s because my tank is low on nutrients. Oversized BBK skimmer, gfo, Cabon and I was doing weekly water changes with only 10 fish, 9 small!

So I’ve been feeding the tank heavy, took gfo and carbon offline for the past week and haven’t done a WC in 2 weeks.

Nitrate still shows 0.

Should I stop running the skimmer (pulls some junk)?

Other thoughts on raising the nutrients?

Thanks
 

Victor_C3

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 27, 2020
Messages
411
Reaction score
667
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Maybe try running your skimmer for 12-16 hours instead of 24. Run it during the night hours, like from 6 pm to 10 am. PH tends to drop when the lights turn off due to CO2 build because plants (algae) aren’t performing photosynthesis.

From there, slowly ween yourself to running the skimmer for fewer hours if you don’t see an increase in any phosphate and nitrates.

I’ve never kept track of those parameters in any of my systems and I’ve never had any long term issues or growing SPS, once the tank matured around 9-12 months.

I think your brown algae problem might just be your system going through some of the early phases all reef tanks go through during a cycle.

Lastly and despite what all I wrote above, if it were my system, I’d leave everything alone (still keep out GFO) and see if the algae works itself out in 2-4 weeks.
 
OP
OP
PSU4ME

PSU4ME

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Messages
445
Reaction score
308
Location
Boston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks! I am seeing some progress but still no nitrate on the tests. I might leave the skimmer running but lower the level so that it aerates but doesn’t remove, that could help.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,553
Reaction score
62,861
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would not stop skimming to keep aeration. feeding more is a fine way to boost nutrients, as is dosing nitrate and phosphate.

If by carbon you mean GAC, i’d restart that as it doesn’t export much N and P but prevents yellowing of the water.
 

visuvius

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
11
Reaction score
5
Location
Laguna
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi Randy, is there anything specifically you can recommend for nitrate and phosphate dosing?

In another thread I read that Trisodium Phosphate is good source for phosphate.
 

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,364
Reaction score
63,260
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Right. I think boost feeding or dose NO3 and PO4.
 

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,364
Reaction score
63,260
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0

ChrisQ0904

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
1,195
Reaction score
663
Location
Florida
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
You can make your own nitrate/phosphate dosing solution with sodium nitrate/trisodium phosphate/potassium nitrate/potassium phosphate. If you use the potassium XXXX option then just keep track of your potassium levels. Just make sure you buy high quality, I personally use the brand loud wolf. Then just use this calculator.... http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm and you should be set.
 

Haun 804

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Brightwell products are the simplest to use. Neo nitro for nitrate and neo phos for phosphate. Follow instructions on label and you will have good results. There are many options cheaper that you can use but are not as well documented and harder to find accurate dosing instruction for.
 

GregOyeah

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
586
Reaction score
685
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
A 3-4 month old tank could still be going through the uglies. A lot of the algae outbreaks you get during the uglies go away on their own once the tank gets really established and stable. Screwing around with water chemistry this early can do more damage than good IMO
 

reeksreef

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
79
Reaction score
19
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had the same problem and I made I own BRS diy reef chilli fish food now I've been able to raise them where I need them and can adjust feeding to keep them from going too high.
 

Trueblue17

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
79
Reaction score
52
Location
Thunder Bay Ontario Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks! I am seeing some progress but still no nitrate on the tests. I might leave the skimmer running but lower the level so that it aerates but doesn’t remove, that could help.
ya I had the exact same problem , my nutrients were too low and I got dinos , so I stopped all water changes and cleaning ,turned skimmer off for couple weeks , stopped dosing bacteria and carbon dosing , and fed the tank heavy with all kinds of fish foods and reefroids every night , it took a long time for nutrients to register on tests , it took about 2 weeks or more of heavy feeding and leaving the tank alone , I still now only run my skimmer for an hour or so after I clean my glass as my skimmer is abit oversized. but after feeding heavy for couple weeks it all of a sudden the dinos started going away really fast and cleared up in about 2-3 days , after 3 days my tank was spotless the rocks were super clean and all the brown mess was gone, tank looked amazing , I also use filter floss where I can to help remove all the brown mess as it starts to clear up
 

Brandy R

New Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks to all of your information! I have a dino outbreak, and have done nothing but over feed, and dose oceanmagik from algae barn, and using purple tech from kent marine. I have not notice any spreading and seems to be getting better. Still showing nitrates at 0. I have not completed any water changes. Hope to see the same results as Trueblue17.
 

BrandonS

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2018
Messages
944
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Watsonville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Maybe false negative on test. If there is an algae problem it can suck up the nutrients and show zero. But there can still be a source. Personally I discovered my rock was leaching phosphate even months after cycling. Had a hair algae issue but readings were almost always zero.
 

Kelman70

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
A 3-4 month old tank could still be going through the uglies. A lot of the algae outbreaks you get during the uglies go away on their own once the tank gets really established and stable. Screwing around with water chemistry this early can do more damage than good IMO

My tank is just turning 6 months old and has only just cleared of brown algae, however I have been dosing aqua forest pro bio s and np pro to raise bacteria levels and reduce nitrate and phosphate,highest nitrate previous to dosing was 10-15ppm and phosphates were 0.12, had to dose nitrophos minus for a while to make a dent in the phosphate but now sitting at nitrate 5ppm and phosphate 0.04.

it’s strange that your tank is showing zero nitrate with such excessive feeding etc. Could it be a dodgy test kit?

as stated previously may be worth dosing nitrate and phosphate

how bad is your algae issue as I’d expect there to be nitrate there for the algae to feed on if not it should die off
 

MJ in Boise

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 30, 2020
Messages
183
Reaction score
201
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a new tank 3-4 months old started with dead rock. Bacteria cycle, IPSF addition of life but things are going super slow and I’ve had a consistent brown algae problem. I’m pretty convinced it’s because my tank is low on nutrients. Oversized BBK skimmer, gfo, Cabon and I was doing weekly water changes with only 10 fish, 9 small!

So I’ve been feeding the tank heavy, took gfo and carbon offline for the past week and haven’t done a WC in 2 weeks.

Nitrate still shows 0.

Should I stop running the skimmer (pulls some junk)?

Other thoughts on raising the nutrients?

Thanks
Feed more, and a varied diet. Feed the tank and not just the fish. I had 0 nitrate for 7 months with dry rock, and still have 0 phos after a year. Feed, feed, feed.
 

Big E

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
2,250
Reaction score
3,624
Location
Willoughby, OH
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I have a new tank 3-4 months old started with dead rock. Bacteria cycle, IPSF addition of life but things are going super slow and I’ve had a consistent brown algae problem. I’m pretty convinced it’s because my tank is low on nutrients. Oversized BBK skimmer, gfo, Cabon and I was doing weekly water changes with only 10 fish, 9 small!

So I’ve been feeding the tank heavy, took gfo and carbon offline for the past week and haven’t done a WC in 2 weeks.

Nitrate still shows 0.

Should I stop running the skimmer (pulls some junk)?

Other thoughts on raising the nutrients?

Thanks


What species of fish?

What's your total water volume?
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 68 52.3%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 67 51.5%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 33 25.4%
  • None.

    Votes: 29 22.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.9%
Back
Top