Zero phosphate and nitrate

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nlutfi

nlutfi

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do you have an automatic fish feeder? if not get one so that way you are continuously adding nutrients to the tank
I do use and auto feeder, I have an Avast plank auto feeder. Right now it feeds 4x a day a mix of pellets, freeze dried foods, and particulate foods.
 

TangerineSpeedo

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You may laugh at this, but it worked for me on my one tank that I am also fighting low PO4.
Good ole' filter socks. If you can still put one in, try that and change it out once a week or two depending.
"It's concentrated detritus in a bag..." <--- gonna trademark that.
 

MIke Wood

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I do use and auto feeder, I have an Avast plank auto feeder. Right now it feeds 4x a day a mix of pellets, freeze dried foods, and particulate foods.
Sorry I missed that part. I'd keep adding more rotations until you get a readings. My tanks needs 6 total rotations of pellets to help keep po4 at .03ppm
 

TWYOUNG

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IMO, feeding more is easiest, even if you feel you already feed a lot.

If you don't want to do that, dosing N and P is not a problem.
Hate to disagree with the EXPERT but imo dosing is much quicker and more predictable than trying to figure out how much to overfeed. It also allows for individual boosting of nitrate or phosphate if only one needs adjusting.
 

jda

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The expert also knows that you miss opportunities for your corals to get more usable forms of nitrogen and phosphorous through fish waste that you cannot get by dosing the end products. ...so you get all of those forms and then maybe some end products too.
 

e34stx

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i thought dosing po4 and no3 is more an inorganic dose where corals like to eat organic nutrients. please correct me if im wrong.
 

crazyfishmom

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I vote for TM NP. Gives you a great low dose of phosphate and Nitrogen and my corals love it. I overfeed so much it’s crazy and still have to dose either NP or just nitrogen. If I’ve been feeding reef Roids I only do nitrogen.
 

drblank1

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Looking for some help raising nitrates and phosphates. For the last few months they have been stuck at 0. I have around a 100g system, skimmer, filter roller, ATS, I do auto water changes (around 2g a day), I tried taking out the filter roller, turning off the ATS, less and even no water changes but still just stuck at 0. I feed 4 times a day with a Avast plank auto feeder, feeding a mix of pellet and powdered foods. I also dose Aquaforest power amino acids. Any tips would be great! Looking for a way to raise both nitrate and phos to a good number and hold it. TIA!
Feed more. You're corals and fish will love you for it.
 

NanJ

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I feel like growth has really slowed down, I have a hard time keeping zoas and corals that seem to like "dirtier water" but maybe that's just me
In our 300g tank we have never been able to keep zoas. We put them in the tank, they don't open well and within a few weeks they just go away. We've probably put in 20+ zoa frags and have had ONE survive. Other LPS like Euphyllia, Montis, Cyphastrea do well. Our nitrates run 20-25 ppm and phosphates 0.30-0.40 ppm. So much of this hobby is a mystery!
 

Acroguy

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I think in an established 4 year old tank, even if you have 0 readings (wich I doubt are truly 0), it wont be an issue because you feed the tank pretty good with 4 feedings.If you dont see any issues with corals I wouldnt stress about it. Or if you really want then add more fish.
 

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