NeoNitro & NeoPhos-needing a second opinion before I dose.

[Rooles]

Currently I have a hammer coral thats dying. Seems my nutrients are too low and i wanted to dose to up the levels before it died.

Info:
4 month old tank
32.5 gallon aio
1.0251 salinity
.025 nitrate
5.0 nitrate
8.0 Ph
.08 phosphate
6.7 KH
450 Calcium

I was planning on dosing neonitrate at a rate of .5ppm and neophosphate at a rate of .02ppm daily. Testing every day before i redose. With an ultimate goal of 15 ppm nitrate and .1 phosphate.

What do you all think?

 

[dloberry]

You could bring your number up, but don’t think that is your problem. Phosphates look good, are your nitrates .25 or 5? You have it listed twice. Your alkalinity is low, i would start there before the others. Bring alkalinity up slow bo more than 1 per day. Where is you hammer placed high in column or low?

 

[slingfox]

You numbers look fine. I would not dose with those parameters. It’s just going to take some time for the tank to stabilize. What tests kits are you using?

 

[Rooles]

You numbers look fine. I would not dose with those parameters. It’s just going to take some time for the tank to stabilize. What tests kits are you using?

Salifert for everything except for hannah ulr phosphate

 

[Idech]

Just increase your alk to what your salt has. The rest is fine.

 

[Rooles]

You could bring your number up, but don’t think that is your problem. Phosphates look good, are your nitrates .25 or 5? You have it listed twice. Your alkalinity is low, i would start there before the others. Bring alkalinity up slow bo more than 1 per day. Where is you hammer placed high in column or low?

Woops messed that up. It was .025 nitrite and 5 nitrate.

Ill work on getting alk up, any recomended methods?

The hammer is lower in the water column. It was mid low but i moved it lower when it started deteriorating

 

[Rooles]

Just increase your alk to what your salt has. The rest is fine.

Thank you will do, any recommended methods for raising alk?

 

[dloberry]

Woops messed that up. It was .025 nitrite and 5 nitrate.

Ill work on getting alk up, any recomended methods?

The hammer is lower in the water column. It was mid low but i moved it lower when it

You can use soda ash and it does not mess with PH, or you can use baking soda, but it may lower PH a little. BRS has a calculator you can use to figure out how to mix it, gets mixed with RODI and then added a few ML a day until it is up to where you want it. I keep mine at 9.3

 

[Rooles]

You can use soda ash and it does not mess with PH, or you can use baking soda, but it may lower PH a little. BRS has a calculator you can use to figure out how to mix it, gets mixed with RODI and then added a few ML a day until it is up to where you want it. I keep mine at 9.3

Sweet thanks!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

IMO tweeking parameters will make corals doing well do even better, But tweeking a parameters by 1%-2% won't turn around a dying a coral.

Can you share what you have for lighting and flow?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree with others that those levels are definitely not causing coral deaths.

This has more:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randy’s-thoughts-on-nutrient-target-ranges.1087/
from it:

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.

 

[gmavrom]

I dosed both because there were zero readings and some hair algae. Tank is 1 year old. and is a WB 110. I have the nitrate at around 40 after a couple of doses, but I still can't raise the phosphate after adding 150ml over 2 weeks. Corals are looking pretty good. My rocks and algae must be soaking up the phosphate. Just take it slow and test. Just my opinion.

 

[Idech]

Thank you will do, any recommended methods for raising alk?

I use baking soda but go slowly, less than the recommended dose and test before adding more.

 

[Rooles]

IMO tweeking parameters will make corals doing well do even better, But tweeking a parameters by 1%-2% won't turn around a dying a coral.

Can you share what you have for lighting and flow?

I have 2 Nicrew navareef 65s. This is my current schedule:

9am start
11am 18 violet 20 blue 5 white 2 green 3 red
1pm 29violet 30blue 10white 3green 8red
3pm 32violet 33blue 10white 7green 10red
5pm 29violet 30blue 10white 5green 8red
630pm 22violet 23blue 6white 2green 3red
730pm 9violet 15blue 4white 2green 4red
930pm off

I have a tunze 6075 on the back left wall pointing forward and a hydor koralia 1350 on the right back wall pointing forward.

Any tweaks i should make?

 

[Rooles]

I agree with others that those levels are definitely not causing coral deaths.

This has more:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randy’s-thoughts-on-nutrient-target-ranges.1087/
from it:

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.

Thank you for the info. It seems the only parameter that could use a raise is alk. Both phosphate and nitrate are near/at your lowest recommended level.

I will work on slowly raising alk and will continue heavy feedings. Ive also stopped cleaning/replacing filter floss as often. (I feel this gives an ammonia source). It was suggested i use either soda ash or baking soda. Which method do you recomend?

Ill keep a close eye on my levels and continue tracking them. How often should I be testing for phosphate, nitrate, and alk?

 

[Rooles]

How do you guys feel about seachem reef builder and reef carbonate?

 

[slingfox]

How do you guys feel about seachem reef builder and reef carbonate?

I have never heard of anyone on this board using these products. Whether they are worthwhile or not I have no idea. If you want to dose anything then figure out what kind of alk-related supplements you want to use. Most simple is All For Reef. Slightly more complicated (ie, requires more dosers) is a two part like ESV, 3-part balling method using BRS chemicals/similar systems from Nyos or RedSea, or 4-part like Modern Reef.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How do you guys feel about seachem reef builder and reef carbonate?

They may be ok, but I personally do not have confidence in Seachem as a company and do not support them.

 

[Rooles]

They may be ok, but I personally do not have confidence in Seachem as a company and do not support them.

I have never heard of anyone on this board using these products. Whether they are worthwhile or not I have no idea. If you want to dose anything then figure out what kind of alk-related supplements you want to use. Most simple is All For Reef. Slightly more complicated (ie, requires more dosers) is a two part like ESV, 3-part balling method using BRS chemicals/similar systems from Nyos or RedSea, or 4-part like Modern Reef.

At this point I want to go the easiest/cheapest/most fool proof method. Ill check out all for Reef. Thanks!

 

[slingfox]

At this point I want to go the easiest/cheapest/most fool proof method. Ill check out all for Reef. Thanks!

All For Reef is the easiest but also most expensive to maintain the target alk level. The other option have higher upfront cost for the dosers but save on consumables over time.