Ammonia and nitrate and phosphate...

[Sk8r]

First of all, fish are more sensitive to ammonia---terribly sensitive, and easily die of a little exposure. Corals are more tolerant of ammonia.

Corals are NOT tolerant of nitrate: a level of 5 on your test is ok. Nitrate in a tank can be horrid and fish will carry on without terrible problems. But high nitrates are not friendly to corals, and the stonier the coral, the less it likes nitrates.

Phosphate is not loved by either corals or fish---a very little is fine, especially if you have algae eating fish like blennies. But a lot usually means waving fields of hair algae, while your tank tests as 'no phosphate'---because a ton of it is bound up in the algae, rock or sand.

To get rid of ammonia---a product like Prime, in an emergency. But in general, don't over feed and don't 'push' your tank with too many additions at once. Have enough live rock/sand. Any ammonia at all is a serious problem. You cycle so you won't have this.

To get rid of nitrate, again, enough live rock, a ro/di filter and possibly a significantly better skimmer.

To get rid of phosphate, your ro/di filter; and a reactor using GFO.

Basically these three are the bane of a tank, and keeping them in check is a major item in success of same.

[Dr RBG]

My Nitrates run between 30 and 40 with the API test. I feed 2 x a day pellets once and frozen the other. Have 4 blue chromas 1 Bartlet's anthias 1 multi-color angel and 2 clowns.

The reefer 450 has a lot of live rock and is about 8 months old
Have some LPS corals like mushrooms and Euphillia which seem to be happy

Should I use resin beads to control nitrates?

[Sk8r]

I've never found the resin beads to work that well, but if you can use them to get that down 20 points or so it couldn't hurt.

[Dr RBG]

thanks

[SAT]

Sources vary somewhat as to the acceptable level of ammonia. However, I like Stephen Spotte's assessment, which is that you should strive for levels below 0.15ppm. That's total ammonia, not the "un-ionized" flavor that some authors refer to. Note that 0.15ppm is below the minimum threshold for many test kits, so the short answer is that zero detectable ammonia is the only acceptable result.

[anthonys51]

I think we are still learning about the balance of nitrate phosphates alk cal mg and all the other trace elements. My friend has sps I mean a ton and he try’s to keep his nitrates from 5-10 and phosphates under .10. He can buy a wild Australia colony and color it up beautifully in a week. He keeps his alk at 8. He also test alk daily Cal, nitrate phosphates 2 tines a week. He feels it isn’t so much the number it’s really consistency. His tanks have a ton of flow very little live rock in them. He changes his water once a week. He cleans his sump on every water change and have a ton of marine pure in his sump.


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[Sk8r]

THose aren't bad numbers. I've seen situations with nitrate over 100, which is NOT nice for anybody, really. But yes---next step after cycling is watching these numbers and keep them in bounds. We'd have fewer agony posts if everybody exited cycling with a determination to keep these parameters under good management.