Zero No3 and Po4?

[intricate_reefer]

I have a 3month old 30g AIO nano and have been having a little trouble with my chalices. A few are starting to fade, many others look fine. I think this is due to my nitrates and phosphates being zero. I have tested multiple times with Hanna ULR checker and Nyos nitrate test.

I’m running a skimmer, carbon and growing cheato (12 hours). I also have a ton of marine pure spheres in the back. I doubled my feeding, added a new fish, as well as dosing amino acids every day. Still can’t get the numbers to go up.

My question is what should I do first to try and raise nutrients? Should I cut back the fuge lighting to 6 hours, remove some marine pure, try to feed even more(maybe pellets instead of mysis)

Thanks

 

[Hitman]

I would try to cut back on your fuge light first and see if that help bump your levels up.

 

[intricate_reefer]

I would try to cut back on your fuge light first and see if that help bump your levels up.

Thanks I’ll give that a try. What cut in half to 6 hours instead of 12? Also I’m doing a little more than a 15% water change every week. Would you go to every two weeks?

 

[Hitman]

Is your Cheato growing at all?
Yes I would cut your water changes to every two weeks or just smaller weekly changes like maybe 5% a week.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Yes it is still growing. I’ll just go every two weeks and cut back to 6 hours. Thanks so much for the help.

 

[saltyhog]

Good recommendations above. If you're trying to raise nutrients you really don't want a big clump of chaeto growing.

If the above recommendations don't work you can dose NaNO3 and Seachem Flourish Phosphate to get them up. Very easy to do. I'm not a big fan of over feeding to increase nutrients. Inorganic NO3 and PO4 is what your test kit can read. That bound in food/organics isn't easily measurable.

Letting your NO3 and PO4 get to zero is a big risk factor for the dreaded dinoflagellates. Trust me, I know all to well.

 

[Hitman]

Seeing that it's growing we'll start by cutting back to 8 hours for a few days and see if you get a change and if your Cheato is still doing good and your starting to rais your levels then let it be for a few weeks, if your Cheato is doing good and still no nutrients then go to 6 hours and retest after a few days.

 

[Hitman]

Good recommendations above. If you're trying to raise nutrients you really don't want a big clump of chaeto growing.

If the above recommendations don't work you can dose NaNO3 and Seachem Flourish Phosphate to get them up. Very easy to do. I'm not a big fan of over feeding to increase nutrients. Inorganic NO3 and PO4 is what your test kit can read. That bound in food/organics isn't easily measurable.

Letting your NO3 and PO4 get to zero is a big risk factor for the dreaded dinoflagellates. Trust me, I know all to well.

Cyano and many many other issues as well. Been there done that and it was a stressful 6 months before I listened to those of you that knew better. We all have to make mistakes just one of many I wish I didn't. Oh look I'm doing awesome all my levels are zero! Now I see zero and panic!!! Boy how things have changed in 24 years lol

 

[intricate_reefer]

Sounds like a plan