Hi all,
I have a started new reef tank, 180g its about 3 months, already cycled, few fishes, no corals. Feeding two to three times a days. my parameters past month was stable except AlK. Testing regulary every week, alkalinity started daily because it was 7 dkh then dropped until 4.5 and now i started dosing soda ash to keep it 7.9 dkh. In 24 tank consumes 0.3 dkh dont know where because no corals yet.
PH always stable 8
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrates was always 2.5 even i was adding a new fish every 30 days after qt.
Phosphate was 0.03 fluctuating to 0.07
And last friday Nitrates raised to 10ppm
Phosphate was 0.05 and this friday i have Nitrates almost 50 i guess and phosphates 0.00, using Hanna ulr for phosphate and salifert for nitrate. Filtration just skimmer, roller not added yet and refugium not runing yet. Skimmer octopus elite 200 int, running on 3 lvl, gunk not much it goes full in 2 even 3 weeks, i noticed that in the evening skimmer just boiling with no foam. I have little diatoms now and green little spots startes to show on rocks.
I am afraid to go zero phosphate and get Dinos, so my plan is to make solution from trisodium phosphate and start raising PO4 and just when i will have it start carbon dosing to reduce nitrate or even start biopellet reactor and carbon dosing. Will it be a good way to go? As if I understand if i dont have PO4 nitrates wont go down? I need balance on them. Earlier i had 30gallon with same problem when started just i made a wrong thing when i saw high nitrates i immediatly put purigen and i went fast to 0 No3 and PO4 and i got lots of Dinos with lots of bubbles so i dont want same horror on this 180 tank.
I have a started new reef tank, 180g its about 3 months, already cycled, few fishes, no corals. Feeding two to three times a days. my parameters past month was stable except AlK. Testing regulary every week, alkalinity started daily because it was 7 dkh then dropped until 4.5 and now i started dosing soda ash to keep it 7.9 dkh. In 24 tank consumes 0.3 dkh dont know where because no corals yet.
PH always stable 8
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrates was always 2.5 even i was adding a new fish every 30 days after qt.
Phosphate was 0.03 fluctuating to 0.07
And last friday Nitrates raised to 10ppm
Phosphate was 0.05 and this friday i have Nitrates almost 50 i guess and phosphates 0.00, using Hanna ulr for phosphate and salifert for nitrate. Filtration just skimmer, roller not added yet and refugium not runing yet. Skimmer octopus elite 200 int, running on 3 lvl, gunk not much it goes full in 2 even 3 weeks, i noticed that in the evening skimmer just boiling with no foam. I have little diatoms now and green little spots startes to show on rocks.
I am afraid to go zero phosphate and get Dinos, so my plan is to make solution from trisodium phosphate and start raising PO4 and just when i will have it start carbon dosing to reduce nitrate or even start biopellet reactor and carbon dosing. Will it be a good way to go? As if I understand if i dont have PO4 nitrates wont go down? I need balance on them. Earlier i had 30gallon with same problem when started just i made a wrong thing when i saw high nitrates i immediatly put purigen and i went fast to 0 No3 and PO4 and i got lots of Dinos with lots of bubbles so i dont want same horror on this 180 tank.