Ultra Low (ZERO) nutrient help

[ReeferDad93]

Since the conception on the tank I’ve struggled with low Phos. Always somewhere around 0 but have started dosing NeoPhos and have seen (very) slight improvement. Since then my nitrate levels have started to plummet. I was holding steady at 5ppm for about a month then 2ppm for about a week and 0 for the last 3 days. I only have 2 clowns and a 20/30 snail CUC. I also am running Chemi Pure Blue and running a skimmer. Is that filtration too much? Also can this have an effect on coral? I have a few Gonis that have been pretty upset for the past couple weeks. What (if anything) should I do to help raise the Nitrate? Will adding a few more fish and feeding heavier help or should I look into something like NeoNitro?

thanks!

 

[CoralB]

You never want to let your nitrates or phosphate hit zero or you will end up with dino’s . I would dose and shut off your skimmer also stop running the chemipure for now . Zeroing out your phosphates and nitrates will have a adverse effect on coral . Feeding a little heavier can help . Reef roids is good . You want your phosphates between .05 and 1 your nitrates should be between 5-20 ppm . Goni’s like it more toward the 15ppm .

 

[CoralB]

When you get your numbers back in parameters then make small adjustments to level out and stabilize parameters such as if your nitrates creep up start by running your skimmer a hour a day And keep adjusting till you get the desired numbers and stability. Phosphates you can control with feeding reef roids , if they start climbing then cut back and or run a material that will remove .This will be something your going to have to play with to get the right parameters. Keep in mind to adjust for when you do water changes as well . When you get to the point where you know what and how your tank fluctuates and why you’ll be able to relax a little . Until you find your tanks happy place , test every day as your making adjustments . Hope this helps

 

[Jacked Reefer]

Add fish! Feed more! That’s pretty much it. You have a good cuc to stop algea that may arise from raising it. And your corals will thank you. Try and do things the natural way rather than endless dosing or tweaking. But if necessary when dosing nitrate or phos you generally need to does both. Or you could bottom out the other. This is why food, phytoplankton, and other natural input of nutrients is preferable.

 

[Spare time]

Put the skimmer on a timer. Run regular chemipure/carbon wihtout the purigen part in it.

 

[ReeferDad93]

Add fish! Feed more! That’s pretty much it. You have a good cuc to stop algea that may arise from raising it. And your corals will thank you. Try and do things the natural way rather than endless dosing or tweaking. But if necessary when dosing nitrate or phos you generally need to does both. Or you could bottom out the other. This is why food, phytoplankton, and other natural input of nutrients is preferable.

I do plan on adding a couple new fish soon and would love to do things as natural as possible. I feed pellet 3/4 times a week now and the rest frozen mysis. I also do 15 ml(50gal tank) of phyto every day

 

[Jacked Reefer]

I do plan on adding a couple new fish soon and would love to do things as natural as possible. I feed pellet 3/4 times a week now and the rest frozen mysis. I also do 15 ml(50gal tank) of phyto every day

Awesome. The more fish poop the better. It is very hard to overstock (within reason) with modern filtration. Also I have learned to be liberal when feeding. A little left over will keep your CUC strong.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Put the skimmer on a timer. Run regular chemipure/carbon wihtout the purigen part in it.

Without GFO, not without purigen.

Purigen does little to nothing for phosphate.

 

[Spare time]

Without GFO, not without purigen.

Purigen does little to nothing for phosphate.

The OP mentioned they had blue and mentioned wanting to raise nitrate so thats why I mentioned it since blue appears to have a purigen like thing mixed in. Maybe I'm reading something wrong in the post?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The OP mentioned they had blue and mentioned wanting to raise nitrate so thats why I mentioned it since blue appears to have a purigen like thing mixed in. Maybe I'm reading something wrong in the post?

Ok, but I don’t think anything in chemipure is going to have much impact on nitrate except through some organic binding, which one may not want to stop.

 

[Spare time]

Ok, but I don’t think anything in chemipure is going to have much impact on nitrate except through some organic binding, which one may not want to stop.

Wouldn't the purigen like stuff in the blue help prevent nitrate?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Wouldn't the purigen like stuff in the blue help prevent nitrate?

the GAC and ion exchange resins in Chemipure Blue will bind organics. Reducing organics will tend to have a small reducing effect on nitrate and phosphate, but I do not think the effect is particularly large, and hence the reason folks usually need methods other than GAC and skimming to reduce nitrate and phosphate.