What is best? Zero nitrates and phosphates or low nitrates and phosphates?

[X-37B]

What I have learned over the years is that Stability is the most important factor for success. Keep it simple also. Every tank is different and there is no one size fits all approach in reefing . Thx

Stability and keeping it simple wins in my tank.
Well said!

 

[Crustaceon]

I think for most reefers, measurable nutrients are ideal but there are exceptions to the rule as some here have demonstrated. I wouldn’t be surprised if these tanks absorbed nitrates and phosphates like crazy and required feedings several times a day/ aminos to keep everything alive.

 

[gotmesalty77]

i recently made the mistake of chasing numbers instead of listening to my tanks needs. i have no idea why after all the years of reefing i all of a suddenly tried to number chase but i do know is that my tank was running great and thriving but my no3 and po4 were extremely high. I started to aggresively try to reduce nutrients with nopox gfo plus a massive fuge. Almost immediately things fell apart. I totally destabilized my tank and nearly crashed it. Chasing those numbers is a bad road to go down. I guess i use numbers as a "loose" guideline and not a strict path. I find that i am way less stressed out and the tank is much happier. I just got to stay out of my own way.

 

[Crustaceon]

i recently made the mistake of chasing numbers instead of listening to my tanks needs. i have no idea why after all the years of reefing i all of a suddenly tried to number chase but i do know is that my tank was running great and thriving but my no3 and po4 were extremely high. I started to aggresively try to reduce nutrients with nopox gfo plus a massive fuge. Almost immediately things fell apart. I totally destabilized my tank and nearly crashed it. Chasing those numbers is a bad road to go down. I guess i use numbers as a "loose" guideline and not a strict path. I find that i am way less stressed out and the tank is much happier. I just got to stay out of my own way.

That’s just it. If your corals look great and are growing well, your numbers don’t matter. Go with it.

 

[Jvalle]

Yes agree 100 % my chaeto and corals consume it and keep it at 0.

Me too the refugium is the best way to go for stability I think .

 

[Paulie069]

i recently made the mistake of chasing numbers instead of listening to my tanks needs. i have no idea why after all the years of reefing i all of a suddenly tried to number chase but i do know is that my tank was running great and thriving but my no3 and po4 were extremely high. I started to aggresively try to reduce nutrients with nopox gfo plus a massive fuge. Almost immediately things fell apart. I totally destabilized my tank and nearly crashed it. Chasing those numbers is a bad road to go down. I guess i use numbers as a "loose" guideline and not a strict path. I find that i am way less stressed out and the tank is much happier. I just got to stay out of my own way.

Feel same way,, I’m my tanks worst problem

 

[ca1ore]

Just keep in mind that no system will have zero nitrates or phosphates .... they may measure as zero on a hobbyist test kit but aren’t actually zero. I target unmeasurable, with varying degrees of success.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I find that the lower I go the better the growth but the best color comes at 0.03 po4 and 5-10 no3.

I hear too many horror stories with dinos and uln so I try to stay away. I also don’t like playing the 0/0 game because you’re not giving yourself a whole lot of room for error esp when using test kits.

having a false reading thinking you have 0.002 po4 when you actually have 0.00 is a problem and in all my years in this hobby I’d say I’ve lost the most corals due to low po4. I realize our test kits are not advanced to read 0.000 but there is still a reading of 0 and a reading low enough where bad stuff happens.

when I am at 0.02-3 I know I could be off but it’s ok because I know there is more than enough to account for error. Same with nitrates... light pink and I’m cool... could be 5 could be 10 who cares.

I just don’t see a benefit of 0 vs all the bad that can happen.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Just keep in mind that no system will have zero nitrates or phosphates .... they may measure as zero on a hobbyist test kit but aren’t actually zero. I target unmeasurable, with varying degrees of success.

I refer to it as zero but at the end of the day there is a number low enough to where crap dies. I consider that 0 and it’s happened to me plenty of times esp back in my ignorant chasing numbers with gfo days.

 

[ca1ore]

I refer to it as zero but at the end of the day there is a number low enough to where crap dies. I consider that 0 and it’s happened to me plenty of times esp back in my ignorant chasing numbers with gfo days.

Your experiences are yours of course. Animals need phosphate and nitrate to survive, so ‘absolute’ zero is a problem, though in my experience more theoretical than practical. I’ve never been able to reliably correlate coral health with phosphate or nitrate levels, neither high nor low, just too many other uncontrollable factors. I do agree that chasing numbers is probably pointless.