Nitrates and phosphates are undetectable.

[bmorris03]

my tank finished cycling just before Christmas and since mid January my nitrates and phosphates have been stable but completely undetectable using my salifert test kits. I tried feeding more and I even tried doing 10% water changes every 2 weeks instead of every week. They are still undetectable. For filtration I’m using the intank filter floss, chemipure blue, and a bag of seachem media in one of the aio chambers. on the other side I have the same filter floss sitting on top of an Intank aio fuge basket. It has some chaeto, rock rubble, and a media bag. Is the fuge really dropping my nitrates and phosphates that much? I have green algae on the rocks but nothing is getting out of hand. Is this gonna be a problem for corals? Do I need to get those two parameters up or can I just spot feed the corals to make up for low levels?

Tank is a 50g IM lagoon aio
Livestock:
2 clowns
1 small tomini tang
1 pistol shrimp/watchman goby pair
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 fire shrimp
1 diamond sleeper goby maybe? (I just added him and the next morning he disappeared and I haven’t seen him since so I’m a little worried about him)
10 blue legged hermit crabs

 

[Johnd651]

It can be that the test kits are not sensitive enough, and/or the nitrates and phosphates are either trapped in the algea and macro algea or being removed by the chemical filtration.

 

[Llyod276]

Try different test kits, or if you're colorblind like me, get a woman to check the results. Have an lfs check your water. Or just ride it out. 50g is pretty stable. Undetectable levels just means that it's being used and there is minimal free nutrients. As for corals, maybe. For a long time 0 across the board was the goal, that mindset has only recently changed. You are running quite a few different media, maybe pull a few and see if your levels rise.

 

[bmorris03]

So maybe pull the chemipure blue? And yeah I already have to get my girlfriend to come look at the test lol. I would prefer to keep the fuge basket cause it’s really helped my pod population.(I’ve been wanting a red dragonet)

 

[KStatefan]

You could also start dosing them to be above zero

 

[Llyod276]

Aint gonna lie, i got differnet params and i dont care all my corals and nems are happy. If your tank is doing good leave it honestly. I did get a hanna reef master to check my params.

 

[CHSUB]

just spot feed the corals to make up for low levels

This is the best idea. Hobby test kits don’t provide high resolution or accuracy. Feed your fish and corals and allow your tank to develop. Don’t be fooled by a myth of low nutrients being bad. More than likely you will start getting nuisance algae, stay very diligent with manual removal…

 

[TeeSquared1214]

I recently had this issue and noticed a difference by feeding more, and I turned off my skimmer. It sucks because I haven’t used my skimmer I just bought in a month or two, but I noticed my corals start taking off and my nitrates and phosphates are more detectable. I don’t think I have enough bioload for the skimmer currently. If I feel the need, I run it for a few hours and then back off it goes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do I need to get those two parameters up or can I just spot feed the corals to make up for low levels?

I would. I'd either feed more or dose N and P. Spot feeding works for some types of corals, but IMO, does not solve the concern in all cases.

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

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.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I would just run some activated carbon, the intank filter floss, and trim your chaeto down. From the looks of it. You have a decent amount. You want to trim as it gets big. Especially if you bottom out on nutrients

There are plenty of reefers that have 0 or a very low nutrient system. They offset this by ensuring food particles are in the water for corals to uptake. (spot feed frequently)

I never thought I would be running a high nutrient system. But I'm running on 35 nitrates/ 0.25 phos. My tank has one spot with brown hair algae otherwise its surprisingly clean!

 

[Dburr1014]

my tank finished cycling just before Christmas and since mid January my nitrates and phosphates have been stable but completely undetectable using my salifert test kits. I tried feeding more and I even tried doing 10% water changes every 2 weeks instead of every week. They are still undetectable. For filtration I’m using the intank filter floss, chemipure blue, and a bag of seachem media in one of the aio chambers. on the other side I have the same filter floss sitting on top of an Intank aio fuge basket. It has some chaeto, rock rubble, and a media bag. Is the fuge really dropping my nitrates and phosphates that much? I have green algae on the rocks but nothing is getting out of hand. Is this gonna be a problem for corals? Do I need to get those two parameters up or can I just spot feed the corals to make up for low levels?

Tank is a 50g IM lagoon aio
Livestock:
2 clowns
1 small tomini tang
1 pistol shrimp/watchman goby pair
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 fire shrimp
1 diamond sleeper goby maybe? (I just added him and the next morning he disappeared and I haven’t seen him since so I’m a little worried about him)
10 blue legged hermit crabs

You can do a few things to bring them up.

Dose both,
Feed more,
Leave in the Filtration way longer than you would normally to create a nitrate/phosphate factory,
Take out all the media and let waste build up.

You can do each or combine methods.

Also, cut back light on cheato and/or pull half of the cheato.

 

[bmorris03]

I appreciate all the help