Nitrate and Phosphate Help

[kguilliam]

I have a 32.5 fluval AIO that’s been running about 5 months stocked with a pair of gladiator clowns, purple fire fish, carpenter wrasse, royal gramma, watchman goby/pistol shrimp pair, cleaner shrimp, 2 turbo snails one astrea a Yellow Sea cucumber and handful of blue leg hermits. Started and cycled with live rock and have dosed copepods once. I also have a mix of some coral.

Tank has ran great no issues no crazy algae other than some diatoms nothing crazy. Watching levels I’ve been battling nitrates and phosphate the last couple weeks with no real changes. I run carbon and media balls in sponges. Sat morning nitrates were 18.9 phosphate .15. Sat afternoon I added some chaeto and dragons tongue and the sea cucumber. Monday morning did 5 gal water change, new carbon and squeezed sponges out in old tank water after I pulled it from tank. Wednesday phosphate down to .06 but nitrate up to 20.9. Less diatoms in sand and everything is decently happy, torches aren’t outta as big as I think they can be but no crazy problems. I cannot figure out what’s raising nitrates or how to bring down. Pretty new to hobby so chemical fixes make me nervous especially not knowing the cause, open to all suggestions. I tend to do weekly weekend 5 gal water changes every now and then biweekly but really strive for weekly. Feed one cube frozen mysis every other day occasionally phytofeast for coral down to once a week since I noticed high levels (mostly once a week sometimes twice prior) but haven’t used it in almost 2 weeks either. I only do 5-8 drops when used.

Aug 20th nitrates were 27.9 phosphate .13

Aug 27th nitrates 13.3 phosphate .11

Aug 31 nitrates 18.9 phosphate .15

Sep 3 nitrates 20.9 phosphates.06 (algae and sea cucumber added 8/31)

Using Hanna master kit. What am I missing or any suggestions on how to fix?

 

[Techie_]

Your nitrates look fine to me. They fall well in line with the guidelines pinned on this forum.

Optimal Parameters for a Coral Reef Aquarium: By Randy Holmes-Farley

[note: last updated edited on 8/10/2022] One of the main roles of an aquarist with a coral reef aquarium is to ensure that the conditions are right for their tank inhabitants. There are many different attributes of the aquarium that need to be...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[BryanM]

I do not think there's anything wrong with nitrates or phosphates here. Many of us have widened our range of acceptable. 5-50 nitrates and .06-.3 phosphates are both perfectly fine IMO, unless you're specifically trying to maintain an ultra low nutrient system.

 

[rishma]

I see nothing to fix. You are in the excellent shape.

What levels are you targeting? The thread linked above is good guidance. I’d be happy where you are, but don’t let that phospate get too low. 0.06 is my absolute minimum and if it’s trending down when I see it that low I dose phosphate.

 

[kguilliam]

Thank you everyone! I had seen less than 20 for nitrates so I was panicking thinking I was too high and running on the high end for too long. I’ll feed the coral tomorrow and see how that affects the phosphates. I do notice that being in this range the sand bed looks better/less diatoms than when the phosphates were higher. I really just want everything happy! Thank you so much!

 

[rishma]

Thank you everyone! I had seen less than 20 for nitrates so I was panicking thinking I was too high and running on the high end for too long. I’ll feed the coral tomorrow and see how that affects the phosphates. I do notice that being in this range the sand bed looks better/less diatoms than when the phosphates were higher. I really just want everything happy! Thank you so much!

FYI, some coral foods like reef roids are very heavy in phosphate, you probably already know that.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

You are feeding one cube of mysis to 6 fish..... I feed one cube of mysis to 18 fish, most of what you feed goes uneaten and likely the source of nitrates and algae. I would suggest to cut the cubes into 4 quarters and feed only a quarter cube at a time, once or twice daily.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Thank you everyone! I had seen less than 20 for nitrates so I was panicking thinking I was too high and running on the high end for too long. I’ll feed the coral tomorrow and see how that affects the phosphates. I do notice that being in this range the sand bed looks better/less diatoms than when the phosphates were higher. I really just want everything happy! Thank you so much!

If everything looks happy in your tank, then I wouldn't stress about it!

 

[kguilliam]

You are feeding one cube of mysis to 6 fish..... I feed one cube of mysis to 18 fish, most of what you feed goes uneaten and likely the source of nitrates and algae. I would suggest to cut the cubes into 4 quarters and feed only a quarter cube at a time, once or twice daily.

Every other day, they do eat it all pretty quick not much left floating or anything after a few mins