When your no3 and po4 are to low for water changes

eric23 · 09/02/2019, 09:56 AM

I feel like this is a silly question considering how many years I've been at this but I've run into this situation before and I've never asked. I try keep my nitrates at 10 or above and my phosphate no higher than .05 but also not to low... My reason for this is that I run an algae reactor and the cheato that stops growing if my nutrients get to low and also these parameters seem to keep my sps, lps, and softies happy... It's a sweet spot for my mixed reef tank... My problem is that when I'm at these numbers and my tank is looking good water changes will drop my no3 and po4 to low and I will sometimes get bleaching or cyano. I feed twice to three times a day, my tank is moderately stocked, and a dose b-ionic 2 part. I run a skimmer, algae reactor, and I have a marine pure block in my sump... Other than that I do 20% water changes every two weeks. So my question is when all you're parameters are perfect do you skip a water change and wait for nutrients to come up a bit or is it better to do the water change and start dosing nitrate ?

mcgyvr · 09/02/2019, 01:29 PM

What changes are for more than just nitrate/phosphate..they help replace all trace elements as well as remove other excessive elements/elevated metals,etc...

You may want to look into nitrate and phosphate dosing..

Water changes shouldnt effect nitrate and phosphate levels that much anyways...20% water change will take 10ppm to 8ppl if you are lucky..

Daddi0 · 09/02/2019, 01:37 PM

Perhaps smaller more frequent water changes and less skimming/marine pure?

eric23 · 09/02/2019, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

What changes are for more than just nitrate/phosphate..they help replace all trace elements as well as remove other excessive elements/elevated metals,etc...

You may want to look into nitrate and phosphate dosing..

Water changes shouldnt effect nitrate and phosphate levels that much anyways...20% water change will take 10ppm to 8ppl if you are lucky..

Thank you for your response... I think I might have to look into nitrate dosing, a lot of people have told me I should start doing it but I've been scared to since I just got my tank under control after a few mishaps. Aside for my most recent problems most of my issues with my tank have come from a lack of nutrients coupled with alk and ca being either too high or just not stable. I've finally got alk and ca stable at and found a sweet spot for for both that and nutrients and I just don't want to screw it up because my corals are looking really good and I have zero algae issues

bertoni · 09/02/2019, 02:57 PM

If the animals in the tank are doing well enough, there's no reason to dose nitrate. I would keep up the water changes, for the reasons given. This article has more:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php

Boochika · 04/15/2020, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

If the animals in the tank are doing well enough, there's no reason to dose nitrate. I would keep up the water changes, for the reasons given. This article has more:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php

I know this is kind of an older post, but it totally exemplifies my issue and the OP exhibits by hesitation as well. My tank has been running very consistently for 3 months. I haven't seen even a travel of nitrates in the past 6 months, however, my phosphates routinely hover around 0-.05. My hesitation comes in because I have lingering hair algae from before my tank was under control (no time to care for it sadly). I routinely dose NoPox as well.

I'm aware all my nitrates could still be getting absorbed into this algae, but all my livestock does look good too. I've never really seen much coral growth ever however in 2 years. Lps and softie tank.

Should I leave my tank as is or dose nitrates? Or wait for absolutely zero algae before dosing nitrates?

Is dosing aminos for the corals just as good?

Sorry for the long post/hi Jack but all this free time has given me too much to think about and improve my tank.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Vinny Kreyling · 04/16/2020, 08:27 AM

0.05 - I wish mine were a low as that!
-0- is NOT the best for nitrates 10 & under is better, IT IS something corals need.
Dose SLOWLY until you find the sweet spot.
I would wait on the aminos until nitrates are steady.
Don't forget Magnesium is what helps keep Alkalinity & Calcium steady & balanced.

Boochika · 04/16/2020, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny Kreyling

0.05 - I wish mine were a low as that!
-0- is NOT the best for nitrates 10 & under is better, IT IS something corals need.
Dose SLOWLY until you find the sweet spot.
I would wait on the aminos until nitrates are steady.
Don't forget Magnesium is what helps keep Alkalinity & Calcium steady & balanced.

Mag is at 1300. Alk at 8 and calc at 400. I'm not worried about that.

bertoni · 04/16/2020, 11:38 AM

What kinds of corals do you have? Are the soft corals zoanthids or something similar? I might try adding a bit more fish food or a complete coral food, in case there's more nutrients needed than just nitrate, but nitrate might be enough to encourage more growth.

Boochika · 04/16/2020, 11:45 AM

I have 1 mushroom, zoanthids, duncan, acan, and two frogspawn. All pretty small pieces at this point.

Should I continue dosing NoPox to keep phos and algae down or let it be and see what happens?

bertoni · 04/16/2020, 03:17 PM

I probably would back off slowly on the NoPox. It's hard to predict what that'll do, though. The frogspawn might do well with some directed feeding.

09/02/2019, 09:56 AM	#1
eric23 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 10	When your no3 and po4 are to low for water changes I feel like this is a silly question considering how many years I've been at this but I've run into this situation before and I've never asked. I try keep my nitrates at 10 or above and my phosphate no higher than .05 but also not to low... My reason for this is that I run an algae reactor and the cheato that stops growing if my nutrients get to low and also these parameters seem to keep my sps, lps, and softies happy... It's a sweet spot for my mixed reef tank... My problem is that when I'm at these numbers and my tank is looking good water changes will drop my no3 and po4 to low and I will sometimes get bleaching or cyano. I feed twice to three times a day, my tank is moderately stocked, and a dose b-ionic 2 part. I run a skimmer, algae reactor, and I have a marine pure block in my sump... Other than that I do 20% water changes every two weeks. So my question is when all you're parameters are perfect do you skip a water change and wait for nutrients to come up a bit or is it better to do the water change and start dosing nitrate ?

09/02/2019, 01:29 PM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	What changes are for more than just nitrate/phosphate..they help replace all trace elements as well as remove other excessive elements/elevated metals,etc... You may want to look into nitrate and phosphate dosing.. Water changes shouldnt effect nitrate and phosphate levels that much anyways...20% water change will take 10ppm to 8ppl if you are lucky.. __________________ Who me?

09/02/2019, 01:37 PM	#3
Daddi0 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redwood City Posts: 1,354	Perhaps smaller more frequent water changes and less skimming/marine pure? __________________ 2x 65g displays with a 30g cryptic refugium and 30g sump - 55g reef 30g Bio-cube reef - I.M. 30g reef - 45g freshwater

09/02/2019, 02:57 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	If the animals in the tank are doing well enough, there's no reason to dose nitrate. I would keep up the water changes, for the reasons given. This article has more: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/16/2020, 08:27 AM	#7
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	0.05 - I wish mine were a low as that! -0- is NOT the best for nitrates 10 & under is better, IT IS something corals need. Dose SLOWLY until you find the sweet spot. I would wait on the aminos until nitrates are steady. Don't forget Magnesium is what helps keep Alkalinity & Calcium steady & balanced. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

04/16/2020, 11:38 AM	#9
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	What kinds of corals do you have? Are the soft corals zoanthids or something similar? I might try adding a bit more fish food or a complete coral food, in case there's more nutrients needed than just nitrate, but nitrate might be enough to encourage more growth. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/16/2020, 11:45 AM	#10
Boochika Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Diego Posts: 264	I have 1 mushroom, zoanthids, duncan, acan, and two frogspawn. All pretty small pieces at this point. Should I continue dosing NoPox to keep phos and algae down or let it be and see what happens? __________________ Tunze 9410 Skimmer, Syncra Silent 4.0, Herbie method (Bottom Drilled), 30 gallon sump. Anyone know about assessor fish? Seems cool but I haven't seen much about them on the forum Current Tank Info: 80 gallon simple set up with sump filtration

04/16/2020, 03:17 PM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I probably would back off slowly on the NoPox. It's hard to predict what that'll do, though. The frogspawn might do well with some directed feeding. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni