Struggling with Nitrate & Phosphate

[Hallowhead]

Howdy,

I am running a 30 gallon long IM tank. I have 2 clown fish, 1 angel fish & a watchmen goby somewhere... I have loads of zoas an acan, hammer, torch & duncan.

My zoa's have really good days and eh days. Lately I am struggling to keep phosphate & nitrate above zero and I believe I have bloomed Dino's.

I think my tunze 9001 is doing too good of a job. I ghost feed on occasion but than fear that my phosphates will rise too high causing other issues.

Should I start my protein skimmer on some sort of schedule rather than full skim all day?

 

[Big G]

What kind of food are you using?

 

[LIreefguy]

My concern with turning off skimmer is co2 build up. I will assume you don’t have a refugium so with no skimmer will co2 exchange slow down causing ph to go down

4 fish in a 30 gallon Shoujd be enough bioload.
When you test what results you get. How often do you test
What test kits

 

[Droberts0724]

I just got the innovative marine desktop GFO for my biocube 32 my nitrates are now 0-.2 my algae is now gone. I also did an upgrade to the back of the tank to Intank media rack and use Chaeto in my 3rd rack with a piece of rubble that keeps my nitrates at 0-.5.

 

[Hallowhead]

What kind of food are you using?

I feed frozen mysis every other day. Than specta pellets in between. Lately I have been feeding less as algae was growing insane so I thought I was feeding too much.

 

[Hallowhead]

My concern with turning off skimmer is co2 build up. I will assume you don’t have a refugium so with no skimmer will co2 exchange slow down causing ph to go down

4 fish in a 30 gallon Shoujd be enough bioload.
When you test what results you get. How often do you test
What test kits

Yeah I am not sure the 4th fish is a live as I have not seen him since he was put into the tank.

I test phosphate with hanna

API test kit for everything else. I have a seachem ammonia scale. When the tank was new once every 3 days now maybe once every 2 weeks?

 

[Hallowhead]

I just got the innovative marine desktop GFO for my biocube 32 my nitrates are now 0-.2 my algae is now gone. I also did an upgrade to the back of the tank to Intank media rack and use Chaeto in my 3rd rack with a piece of rubble that keeps my nitrates at 0-.5.

So I was considering chaeto refuge but I wasn't sure that would help. Do you think it will? What light did you use for them to grow? I have marine pure bricks in the back of the AIO so maybe too much media??

Chemipure blue & purigen running as well

 

[LIreefguy]

So what are your nitrates and Phosphates
You say trouble keeping them above zero

 

[Hallowhead]

So what are your nitrates and Phosphates
You say trouble keeping them above zero

They're both pegged at zero. I get no traces with hanna phosphate and nitrate is a very obvious zero on the API test kit.

 

[LIreefguy]

A refugium would be to lower nitrates and Phosphates. Think other person was confused and thought you wanted to lower them

I would simple spot feed the corals once a week and see what that does then you can increase or decrease accordingly

 

[Big G]

I feed frozen mysis every other day. Than specta pellets in between. Lately I have been feeding less as algae was growing insane so I thought I was feeding too much.

Consider feeding a bit "more." But with a catch. Try placing your frozen food in a dish in the fridge to "slump." Then pour off/strain the excess liquid. It contains lots of nitrates and phosphates. The remaining food will stay good for a few days in the fridge. So slowly increase the amount of the strained food you give your fish. You should find that you can actually feed the fish a bit more without the nitrates and phosphates going through the roof.

 

[Droberts0724]

So I was considering chaeto refuge but I wasn't sure that would help. Do you think it will? What light did you use for them to grow? I have marine pure bricks in the back of the AIO so maybe too much media??

Chemipure blue & purigen running as well

I use filter floss in my first rack and carbon in the second because in my GFO I run

So I was considering chaeto refuge but I wasn't sure that would help. Do you think it will? What light did you use for them to grow? I have marine pure bricks in the back of the AIO so maybe too much media??

Chemipure blue & purigen running as well

I runk filter floss top rack carbon second rack because the GFO runs my Rowa Phos to remove the phosphates..the light I got to grow my macro works great!

 

[Hallowhead]

A refugium would be to lower nitrates and Phosphates. Think other person was confused and thought you wanted to lower them

I would simple spot feed the corals once a week and see what that does then you can increase or decrease accordingly

Explain spot feeding a bit more.

 

[Hallowhead]

Consider feeding a bit "more." But with a catch. Try placing your frozen food in a dish in the fridge to "slump." Then pour off/strain the excess liquid. It contains lots of nitrates and phosphates. The remaining food will stay good for a few days in the fridge. So slowly increase the amount of the strained food you give your fish. You should find that you can actually feed the fish a bit more without the nitrates and phosphates going through the roof.

Wouldn't I want to add those nitrates & phosphates to get them off zero? Or you're saying naturally just feeding them more strained food will raise it? Would raising nitrate and phosphate take care of my dino's or is that a whole other process?

 

[LIreefguy]

Explain spot feeding a bit more.

You actually feed the corals directly

Depending on coral will depend on what type and size then can each

Zoas can eat Reef chilli. Duncan’s and torches mysis

 

[Hallowhead]

I use filter floss in my first rack and carbon in the second because in my GFO I run

I runk filter floss top rack carbon second rack because the GFO runs my Rowa Phos to remove the phosphates..the light I got to grow my macro works great!

Yeah I am not trying to remove phosphate I am trying to add phosphate!

 

[Hallowhead]

You actually feed the corals directly

Depending on coral will depend on what type and size then can each

Zoas can eat Reef chilli. Duncan’s and torches mysis

I think I need to just generally feed them more. Spot feeding would mean less food sitting at the bottom decomposing.

 

[Droberts0724]

So I was considering chaeto refuge but I wasn't sure that would help. Do you think it will? What light did you use for them to grow? I have marine pure bricks in the back of the AIO so maybe too much media??

Chemipure blue & purigen running as well

Oh...your trying to raise phosphates and nitrates...my bad that was my opposite problem lol...I just feed frozen Mysis shrimp with a turkey baster and don't strain it...haha it will come up quick!

 

[LIreefguy]

I think I need to just generally feed them more. Spot feeding would mean less food sitting at the bottom decomposing.

You don’t want food sitting at the bottom decomposing

You want fish and corals eating it and using it to grow and energy. With the waste turning into nitrates

 

[Hallowhead]

Oh...your trying to raise phosphates and nitrates...my bad that was my opposite problem lol...I just feed frozen Mysis shrimp with a turkey baster and don't strain it...haha it will come up quick!

I typically take a small chunk of a block like 1/32 dissolve in tank water and than dump the slurry into the tank.