Undetectable nitrates?

[Rpc07]

I have transferred my live stock from my biocube to my new Red Sea tank about 4-6 weeks ago. I did not transfer my love rock but instead cycled new dry rock in a brute container before I did the transfer. I test my water every week and have a large bio load and have never detected nitrates. Ammonia has been 0 and nitrites have been 0 and I never saw a mini cycle. Phosphate is around .03 -.04

 

I do have some algae growth and a very very small amount of cyano (maybe 1-2 inch spot total throughout the entire tank)

 

Here is a full tank shot

 

And a close up of the structure on the left which has the most algae growth on it.

 

 

Does everything look normal? Any help is appreciated.

[ReefWeeds]

What is your feeding schedule and what are you using for filtration? The algae looks more like the rocks coloring up and less like something such as hair algae.

Also what is your fish stocking? I see three in the photo-

[Rpc07]

Stock list is.

2 clowns

Flasher wrasse

Leopard wrasse

Flame tail blenny

Cardinal

Tailbot damsel

 

About 12 Scarlett hermits/snails

 

Filtration is

Ice cap k2-50 skimmer

About 2 teaspoons gfo tumbling in a minimax reactor

Purigen

Gac run passively in the media rack

Floss for large debris.

 

I feed once a day, 4-5 days a week are nls pellets and ocean nutrition flakes fed slowly and only what the fish consume in 3-4 minutes. The other days I feed a mixture of frozen either rods foods or mysis same amount as the pellets. I defrost the frozen in tank water then strain it.

 

I don't notice any nuisance algae just the small amount of cyano. Just seems odd I haven't detected any nitrates yet. I made sure when the dead rock was cycling in the brute container it converted 3ppm ammonia overnight.

[ReefWeeds]

Well your feeding isn't overly heavy and running a skimmer, purigen and gfo is most likely why you aren't seeing anything. I wouldn't worry about it if things look happy but with that amount of filtration in a new tank, I would say that's the cause for lack of nitrates

[Rpc07]

Well your feeding isn't overly heavy and running a skimmer, purigen and gfo is most likely why you aren't seeing anything. I wouldn't worry about it if things look happy but with that amount of filtration in a new tank, I would say that's the cause for lack of nitrates

Yeah everything is happy. Corals are all colored up and showing growth. Fish are all eating like pigs. I also do a 5 gallon (10%) water change weekly like clock work.

 

The skimmer is definitely pulling gunk out on a constant basis also. Here is about 3 days worth of gunk

 

[ReefWeeds]

Yeah I wouldn't worry. But you probably could cut down on some of the chemical filtration if you wanted.

[Rpc07]

What would you remove from the system? I appreciate the help

[ReefWeeds]

That I'm not sure about! Seems a lot to be running purigen, carbon and gfo - especially in a newer system. Hopefully someone else with more experience with chemical media will chime in!!

[ndrobey]

I think everything is normal. That algae may just be some coralline developing.

[zsxking]

Did you reuse filter materials when transfer tank, like GFO, GAC,Purigen? Or sand? All of those would have good amount of established beneficial bacteria. Also your fish load and feeding is relatively low. So it's not abnormal to skip mini cycle.

[J-Ranko]

Undetectable nitrates is a 'problem' we all want to have. Be careful what you wish for...

[Rpc07]

Did you reuse filter materials when transfer tank, like GFO, GAC,Purigen? Or sand? All of those would have good amount of established beneficial bacteria. Also your fish load and feeding is relatively low. So it's not abnormal to skip mini cycle.

I used all new filter media and new sand.

 

 

Undetectable nitrates is a 'problem' we all want to have. Be careful what you wish for...

I know lol