Reef looking bad after starting no3/po4 dosing.

[BrokeBudgetReef]

Hey everyone,

I'm reaching out because I'm at a loss right now. Yesterday was my first day of dosing n03 and p04 due to my reef sitting at 0/0. Today all corals look down on their luck. Torches small, two sps frags dead, zoa colony closed, sps colonies with no polyps out at all . It goes on.

My question is has anyone had this reaction? If so what did you do?
The tank reads as follows
Ammonia o
No3 0
Po4 0
Cal 447
Mag 1312
Alk 9
Sal 1.025

All these levels are withing range of yesterday aside from alk it went from 8.8 to 9.

System is still being handled same as before the dosing was just a addition to.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Why are you dosing? How old is the tank

 

[archercorals]

What brand/nitrate and phos are you dosing. Potentially bad batch. Also void just be a huge shock to the system. Both chemicals can illicit string reactions

 

[BrokeBudgetReef]

Why are you dosing? How old is the tank

Bc I'm an idiot. Seen 0 0 and was worried figure I would get ahead and get my levels where I want them. Tank is 5 months old also forgot to day it's 180g display

 

[BrokeBudgetReef]

What brand/nitrate and phos are you dosing. Potentially bad batch. Also void just be a huge shock to the system. Both chemicals can illicit string reactions

Neonitro and neophos. I have only dosed for a. 5 increase on no3 and .1 on po4

 

[Miami Reef]

Your numbers still show 0 after dosing?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Bc I'm an idiot. Seen 0 0 and was worried figure I would get ahead and get my levels where I want them. Tank is 5 months old also forgot to day it's 180g display

Not a idiot, just because you read 0-0 doesn't mean there's none in the system. You probably have the coral taking it up as it becomes available. I have 0-0 but my coral is very happy. I would not add any of that stuff. Let your coral do the talking

 

[BrokeBudgetReef]

Your numbers still show 0 after dosing?

Correct

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, there's a substantial risk that you actually drove nitrate lower, not higher, by adding relatively more P than N. Corals may be starving more for N now.

I'd personally add a lot more nitrate along with that phosphate. Maybe 5 ppm, not 0.5 ppm.

Feeding more is also a good plan, IMO.

 

[n00bReefer]

Sound like shock to me. Like others said maybe stop dosing or let it ride and let the reef adjust? Yeah, sounds like you didn't need to dose at all.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sound like shock to me. Like others said maybe stop dosing or let it ride and let the reef adjust? Yeah, sounds like you didn't need to dose at all.

Which may be a recipe for increased dino risk. Dosing is not only about corals.

 

[BrokeBudgetReef]

IMO, there's a substantial risk that you actually drove nitrate lower, not higher, by adding relatively more P than N. Corals may be starving more for N now.

I'd personally add a lot more nitrate along with that phosphate. Maybe 5 ppm, not 0.5 ppm.

Feeding more is also a good plan, IMO.

That's a good point I didn't even thing about that. Should I just go ahead dose right to 5ppm?

 

[BrokeBudgetReef]

Sound like shock to me. Like others said maybe stop dosing or let it ride and let the reef adjust? Yeah, sounds like you didn't need to dose at all.

So this was my original thought but I have been on the fence due to Dino risk and a secound shock

 

[BeanAnimal]

Bc I'm an idiot. Seen 0 0 and was worried figure I would get ahead and get my levels where I want them. Tank is 5 months old also forgot to day it's 180g display

I find it absolutely INSANE that the general advice given here and on social media is for people with 5 month old tanks to start pouring in phosphates and nitrates.... INSANE.

Most of us that have been in the hobby for more than 5 years have spent most of that time fighting to keep levels down...

Why would you start dosing something if things were going well?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That's a good point I didn't even thing about that. Should I just go ahead dose right to 5ppm?

That's what I would do, but feeding more may be a more conservative approach. I don't agree with folks that undetectable N and P is fine.

I don't buy the idea that shock due simply to nutrient availability is an explanation going from undetectable to undetectable.

 

[BrokeBudgetReef]

I find it absolutely INSANE that the general advice given here and on social media is for people with 5 month old tanks to start pouring in phosphates and nitrates.... INSANE.

Most of us that have been in the hobby for more than 5 years have spent most of that time fighting to keep levels down...

Why would you start dosing something if things were going well?

So I have been doing reefs for around 14 years myself and mostly decided to try something new being that the idea of traceable amounts made sense.

Other reason for the dosing is bc everytank I have had good or bad has been a 0 0 tank. Corals grew and looked good but not to the trained eye.

So I guess in short in my mind tank was doing well at 0 0 so trying a new method giving more nutrients equals better tank.

 

[BeanAnimal]

That's what I would do, but feeding more may be a more conservative approach. I don't agree with folks that undetectable N and P is fine.

Thanks for the response Randy.

Feeding - IMHO feeding the fish a reasonable amount should N and P in a young reef. Too much feeding and things go the wrong direction over time. This (IMHO) is something to balance.

In a large established SPS high demand, low fish load reef, I can see needing to dose.

 

[Tavero]

I find it absolutely INSANE that the general advice given here and on social media is for people with 5 month old tanks to start pouring in phosphates and nitrates.... INSANE.

Most of us that have been in the hobby for more than 5 years have spent most of that time fighting to keep levels down...

Why would you start dosing something if things were going well?

I m in the hobby for 15 years and not once did i had to fight to keep levels down. I was always fighting low nutrients and only got the tank thriving after i got a dosing system for n and p.
An aquascape with ocean live rock is handling nutrients differently than one made of ceramics or cement.

 

[BrokeBudgetReef]

That's what I would do, but feeding more may be a more conservative approach. I don't agree with folks that undetectable N and P is fine.

I don't buy the idea that shock due simply to nutrient availability is an explanation going from undetectable to undetectable.

So I should have explained my feeding better.

Tank get however many pellets as many times a day as I feel like it
50ml ab plus a day
Once a week coral powder food

So I don't think I c an really feed more with out making another issue for myself

 

[archercorals]

Neonitro and neophos. I have only dosed for a. 5 increase on no3 and .1 on po4

0-5 is a big jump. Same with 0 to .1