Nutrient Deficient Tank Help

[Jbone1228]

So my tank is nutrient deficient , Phosphates are 0 and Nitrates are 0. I have my skimmer off and have been feeding rod food everyday, i was also dosing Neo Phos by bright well aquatics. For the last 4 weeks my phosphates and nitrates have not changed. Im really lost on what to do, zoanthids wont open and some of the other corals are closed. Everything right now is pretty ticked off in my tank. Fish and inverts seem to be really happy and eating regularly.

 

[Thunder_reef]

How are you testing? Hannah? Salifert??

 

[ReefSlice]

How old is your tank? My new tank took 6 months of dosing .08 ppm of po4 per day just to keep a reading above 0 after 24 hours, and I'm just now reaching the point that the rocks are becoming saturated and only have to dose .02/day to keep it at .03-.05. Nitrate dosing is a bit more straightforward.

 

[Jbone1228]

tank is probably 8 months old, api reef master kit.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I add p04 everyday and n03 every few days for going on a year. Do you have sand? Was this dry rock started?

 

[Lavey29]

How oftenbdo you water change? I had to double dose neophos and neonitro early on for months before I got consistent measurable numbers. How many fish? How heavily stocked with corals?

 

[Jbone1228]

Sand bed, Dry rock start, 5 small fish in a 40 gallon cube

 

[WheatToast]

Have the test kits expired?

 

[Jbone1228]

i was doing to big of water changes and often. I was doing 10 gallons every week for awhile, i stopped that 3 weeks ago.

 

[Jbone1228]

2025 test kids

 

[Lavey29]

i was doing to big of water changes and often. I was doing 10 gallons every week for awhile, i stopped that 3 weeks ago.

Ok, add a couple more small fish. Dose neophos and neonitro until your numbers stabilize. Remember bacteria like MB7 lowers nitrates if you are dosing anything. 5 gal every other week should be fine because there are lots of other things water changes replenish also.

0 nitrates and 0 phosphate brings bag things to the reef.

 

[Reefahholic]

Try to get some quality test kits.

This is pretty common for dry rock with a sandbed. Both can bind PO4 for months. My suggestion would be to dose both back to the system asap. I’d shoot for NO3 of 4 and PO4 of .04 initially just to get some numbers on the board. I’d personally use LoudWolf products like NaNO3 and NaH2PO4. However, to make it easy on you it will be quicker and more convenient to grab the Brightwell products- NeoNitro and NeoPhos and follow their dosing recommendations. Don’t increase NO3 by more than 1 ppm in 24 hrs and PO4 by 0.02 ppm in 24 hrs. Skim dry. Don’t do a water change. If you have Reef Roids…feed it daily until the products arrive.

 

[Thunder_reef]

Definitely get better test kits. I prefer the Hannah phosphate tester ulr h1774 and salifert nitrate but there are others.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Stop dumping things in your tank. Let the food and fish poo and pee aka fertilizer take its place and do its things naturally.
Reefs will balance out naturally. Even in a fish tank.
I think you undetectable not zero.
D

 

[All_talk]

I’m surprised at all the advice to dose N and P, why not just Feed more? Same end effect and happier fish and coral. Am I missing something?

 

[Lavey29]

I’m surprised at all the advice to dose N and P, why not just Feed more? Same end effect and happier fish and coral. Am I missing something?

That works if you have a well stocked tank of bioload. OP said he only has 5 small fish so a lighter bioload which means even if over feeding he may not get the levels he desires contingent on his coral uptake too.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I wouldn't add more fish to such a small display I was shocked to read that.
D

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I’m surprised at all the advice to dose N and P, why not just Feed more? Same end effect and happier fish and coral. Am I missing something?

Yes but its not to be convinced one way or another, there's just multiple ways to do something, I prefer to add n03 and p04 its a cleaner way to achieve the desired result for me.

 

[All_talk]

That works if you have a well stocked tank of bioload. OP said he only has 5 small fish so a lighter bioload which means even if over feeding he may not get the levels he desires contingent on his coral uptake too.

Weather the fish/corals eat it or not, it all makes it way to N and P, right?

Yes but its not to be convinced one way or another, there's just multiple ways to do something, I prefer to add n03 and p04 its a cleaner way to achieve the desired result for me.

This makes some sense too me, potential reduction in detritus, specially if you don't run mechanical filtration.

 

[Lavey29]

Weather the fish/corals eat it or not, it all makes it way to N and P, right?


This makes some sense too me, potential reduction in detritus, specially if you don't run mechanical filtration.

I don't really like the look of uneaten food on my rocks and sandbed rotting into nitrate. But if you're fond of detritus worms that's a good way to go.