Zero nitrates and possible dino outbreak at 4 months

[Fishcrisp]

Zero nitrates and possible dino outbreak at 4 months
Hi everyone, I'm having some trouble with what I believe might be dinos or diatoms, and I'm looking for some advice.

My tank is about 4 months old. I started with approximately 85% dry rock, the rest live rock, and 40 lbs of live sand.

Initially, I was dealing with hair algae, but I didn't do much other than manually remove it during water changes.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed my nitrates have been consistently reading 0.00 ppm, while phosphates have been fluctuating between 0.03–0.09 ppm.

This past week, I've noticed my corals starting to close up more than usual. I've also noticed microbubbles throughout the tank, along with what looks like a possible dino outbreak.

I've tried dosing NeoNitro to raise my nitrates, but they continue to read 0.00 ppm. I also decided to skip a water change in hopes of allowing nutrients to build up, but my nitrates are still reading zero.

Now it looks like the dinos are starting to take over.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Nitrates: 0.00

Phos:003

For filtration im running protein skimmer 24/7 and roller filter

I feed 3 times a day sometimes 4.

 

[Subsea]

Low Phosphate allows opportunistic Dinoflagellets to outcompete good algae. Low nitrate combined with low phosphate is a recipe for Toxic Dinoflagellets.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Looks like dinos to me.

I'd follow some or all anti-dino procedures:

raise N and P, UV, dose silicate, blackout

 

[Fishcrisp]

Looks like dinos to me.

I'd follow some or all anti-dino procedures:

raise N and P, UV, dose silicate, blackout

I have UV running since i started the tank. I try raising the N 10ml of neonitro but still reads 0. I'll look into silcate. Thx

 

[Fishcrisp]

Low Phosphate allows opportunistic Dinoflagellets to outcompete good algae. Low nitrate combined with low phosphate is a recipe for Toxic Dinoflagellets.

Think turning my skimmer off should help?

 

[Bbio]

Looks like dinos to me.

I'd follow some or all anti-dino procedures:

raise N and P, UV, dose silicate, blackout

I have UV running since i started the tank. I try raising the N 10ml of neonitro but still reads 0. I'll look into silcate. Thx

When I used neonitro I found the instructions on the bottle to be very conservative. I would try adding twice the amount it tells you to daily until it’s detectable

 

[Fishcrisp]

When I used neonitro I found the instructions on the bottle to be very conservative. I would try adding twice the amount it tells you to daily until it’s detectable

Okay, I will do that and increase the dose is this going to be temporary dosing neonitro?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have UV running since i started the tank. I try raising the N 10ml of neonitro but still reads 0. I'll look into silcate. Thx

More N and P, IMO.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Think turning my skimmer off should help?

Maybe. It does a lot of things and I would personally would not turn it off.

 

[CHSUB]

Proper maintenance would easily solve your problem. Relying on inaccurate, low resolution hobby testing instead of using your eyes and seeing a dirty tank…

 

[Bbio]

When I used neonitro I found the instructions on the bottle to be very conservative. I would try adding twice the amount it tells you to daily until it’s detectable

Okay, I will do that and increase the dose is this going to be temporary dosing neonitro?

Every tank is different. If you have no nitrate, you either:

1. Don’t have enough animals in the tank creating waste that can be converted into nitrate.

2. Don’t have enough notifying bacteria to process the waste into nitrates effectively.

3. Have something in your tank that is uptaking the nitrates faster than they can build up.

4. Exporting waste to effectively before it can be converted into nitrates.

5. Aren’t feeding enough

Dosing nitrates could be a forever thing until you figure out why you don’t have any detectable level.

There is an imbalance right now in your tank between input, uptake and output.

 

[Fishcrisp]

Every tank is different. If you have no nitrate, you either:

1. Don’t have enough animals in the tank creating waste that can be converted into nitrate.

2. Don’t have enough notifying bacteria to process the waste into nitrates effectively.

3. Have something in your tank that is uptaking the nitrates faster than they can build up.

4. Exporting waste to effectively before it can be converted into nitrates.

5. Aren’t feeding enough

Dosing nitrates could be a forever thing until you figure out why you don’t have any detectable level.

There is an imbalance right now in your tank between input, uptake and output.

I figure I have enough fish I have about 15, including two tangs. I leave seaweed in there for 24 hours, I feed them three times a day with an automatic feeder, and I throw in frozen mysis in the afternoon.

 

[Fishcrisp]

Maybe. It does a lot of things and I would personally would not turn it off.

Should I cut it down for a couple of hours or just leave it running all day like i have it now?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Should I cut it down for a couple of hours or just leave it running all day like i have it now?

I would personally always run a skimmer 24/7 except when doing a medical treatment or some such that that you do not want to remove or cause skimmer overflow.

 

[Subsea]

Think turning my skimmer off should help?

Protein Skimmer (foam fractionator) provides excellent gas exchange.

 

[Fishcrisp]

I would personally always run a skimmer 24/7 except when doing a medical treatment or some such that that you do not want to remove or cause skimmer overflow.

Okay i'll leave it on. Gonna have to dose higher dose of neonitro.

 

[Subsea]

Okay i'll leave it on. Gonna have to dose higher dose of neonitro.

Where is your skimmer located? You could run it wet. And allow skimmate to go back to tank.

Neonitro is only nitrogen. Your phosphate number is low as well.

 

[Fishcrisp]

Where is your skimmer located? You could run it wet. And allow skimmate to go back to tank.

Neonitro is only nitrogen. Your phosphate number is low as well.

Its located after the roller filer.

Okay i'll order some neophos.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Its located after the roller filer.

Okay i'll order some neophos.

I’d recommend food grade sodium or calcium nitrate or ammonium bicarbonate. Much less expensive and has a purity guarantee neonitro lacks.

 

[Fishcrisp]

I’d recommend food grade sodium or calcium nitrate or ammonium bicarbonate. Much less expensive and has a purity guarantee neonitro lacks.

Okay,im gonna do more research to know how much to dose. Thank you