Still Getting Low Nitrate and No Phos

RobertTheNurse

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Current params:

1.026
Mg 1350
Phos -- not detectable
Nitrate -- 1
Dkh 8.0

History:

Tank up for year. Have nice corraline outbreak going on. Had a growth of GHA. Dosed 4 doses of vibrant every 2 weeks (half recommended dose). Fixed GHA. Have a little left on one rock which im planning on scrubbing off tomorrow.

Other than that tank is beautiful. All creatures thriving and growing. Mostly LPS and softie corals.

I've upped feeding 2x what I usually do. Mysis, reef roids, and Red Sea AB+. I even decreased my WC from 20% every 2 weeks to 10% every 2 weeks.

Have 5 small fish. 65G.

Nothing has changed.
Wanna prevent dinos etc. So far no sign of the uglies.
I'd like nitrates at 5 to 10 and some detectable phos.

I only run a cannister filter lol no skimmer. Whyyyy is this happening.
 

blasterman

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If you are feeding roids you have phosphate. Its just being consumed.

If you have detectable nitrate and softies look good leave things alone. Not a fan of trying to elevate nitrate in a youngish tank. As long as its detectable and corals look good stay on your current path.
 
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RobertTheNurse

RobertTheNurse

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If you are feeding roids you have phosphate. Its just being consumed.

If you have detectable nitrate and softies look good leave things alone. Not a fan of trying to elevate nitrate in a youngish tank. As long as its detectable and corals look good stay on your current path.
This makes sense. Ya. Just remember when things were the opposite for me. Where my nitrates were 25 and again, not detectable phos. But that was around the 7-8 month mark when GHA started to appear.

Just get nervous about the D coming to get me (dinos)
 

nornicle

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Yes. My system started with dry rock.
Other posts note dry rock has a huge propensity to absorb phosphate. my tank was 50% dry rock that had been cycled in a tub and it still took 6 months for me to start getting measureable phosphate (kept bottoming out) I had to keep throwing food in and reef roids etc. At one point I dosed seachem flourish phosphate too.
 
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RobertTheNurse

RobertTheNurse

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Other posts note dry rock has a huge propensity to absorb phosphate. my tank was 50% dry rock that had been cycled in a tub and it still took 6 months for me to start getting measureable phosphate (kept bottoming out) I had to keep throwing food in and reef roids etc. At one point I dosed seachem flourish phosphate too.

Ya. I guess I'll just leave it be. Tank seems happy. My water seems clearer when I was doing WC every 2 weeks. This week is my first WC since moving to 10%
 

nornicle

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Ya. I guess I'll just leave it be. Tank seems happy. My water seems clearer when I was doing WC every 2 weeks. This week is my first WC since moving to 10%
If tank is happy leave it alone. No skimmer might be a good thing, as some people hypothesise that the skimmer pulls out bacteria that coral like to eat (that’s why they need nitrate and phosphate from the water column).

It became a problem in my tank because the SPS began to bleach.
 
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RobertTheNurse

RobertTheNurse

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I personally would feed more or dose phosphate to avoid issues with dinos.
Ya. I've been contemplating on dosing. Was eyeing Brightwell. I know I've read this stuff not as fully concentrated. I think my rationale would be that it's specifically made for aquariums.

Have been trying to increase feedings. And I've decreased my WC. So fingers crossed no sign of uglies. I've contemplating adding a UV sterilizer to the mix as well. For better water clarity but also in case I get uglies.

Someone also mentioned that dry rock sucks in nitrate and phos? I've scrubbed the last rock that had a little left over GHA. So now the tank is pretty much clear of it.

I often compare this hobby to a game of chess in situations like these. Just planning my next move. I'd love for nutrients to naturally elevate once again
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Ya. I've been contemplating on dosing. Was eyeing Brightwell. I know I've read this stuff not as fully concentrated. I think my rationale would be that it's specifically made for aquariums.

Have been trying to increase feedings. And I've decreased my WC. So fingers crossed no sign of uglies. I've contemplating adding a UV sterilizer to the mix as well. For better water clarity but also in case I get uglies.

Someone also mentioned that dry rock sucks in nitrate and phos? I've scrubbed the last rock that had a little left over GHA. So now the tank is pretty much clear of it.

I often compare this hobby to a game of chess in situations like these. Just planning my next move. I'd love for nutrients to naturally elevate once again

Calcium carbonate binds phosphate. It has no effect on nitrate.

I cannot see a reason to prefer a Brightwell product of unknown purity, concentration or composition over food grade sodium phosphate.
 
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RobertTheNurse

RobertTheNurse

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Calcium carbonate binds phosphate. It has no effect on nitrate.

I cannot see a reason to prefer a Brightwell product of unknown purity, concentration or composition over food grade sodium phosphate.
I trust you, as your a chemist and I am not. Companies like Brightwell flourish from consumers like I who are less confident on using products that are not labeled for use in aquariums. I need instructions on dosing. If I were to buy a food grade product I wouldn't know how much to dose.

It may sound odd to someone who is confident, but I guess it just comes down to confidence then.

I trust what your saying is correct.
 
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RobertTheNurse

RobertTheNurse

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Calcium carbonate binds phosphate. It has no effect on nitrate.

I cannot see a reason to prefer a Brightwell product of unknown purity, concentration or composition over food grade sodium phosphate.
I also live in Canada. I searched Sodium Phosphate on Amazon and this is what comes up lol
Screenshot_20210304-101035_Amazon Shopping.jpg
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I trust you, as your a chemist and I am not. Companies like Brightwell flourish from consumers like I who are less confident on using products that are not labeled for use in aquariums. I need instructions on dosing. If I were to buy a food grade product I wouldn't know how much to dose.

It may sound odd to someone who is confident, but I guess it just comes down to confidence then.

I trust what your saying is correct.

Folks use this calculator for dosing nutrients:


But it will only be a very rough guide if the bare rock is binding phosphate. Fresh rock can take up many ppm of phosphate.
 
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RobertTheNurse

RobertTheNurse

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Randy Holmes-Farley

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Thanks. It makes sense about the rock. Would it mean I need to dose ++ in order to get detectable levels?

Yes. I'd start by dosing 0.03 ppm for a few days and see what happens. You may need to up the dose or keep dosing a long time to detect any.
 

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