Refugium working too well??

[canoman]

Hey guys, I have a IM 25 lagoon which I am using 2 intank media baskets and 2 intank fuge baskets filled with chaeto. I’m not running any skimmers, just doing 5g water changes weekly. Po4 and No3 are pretty much undetectable. Am I using too much chaeto? I’m pruning every2 weeks so I must be doing something right. My lfs suggested I dose VIBRANT REFINE NITRATE & PHOSPHATE balance. Apparently this stuff is adding No3 to the system. Any suggestions

[Tamberav]

Does your coral look happy?

 

I wouldn't chase numbers if nothing is wrong.

[canoman]

The only coral that is not happy is my tyree toadstool. It’s been days since it’s opened up. Usually right after a water change it closes up but My green devils hand looks happy and my other lps and sps too. 

[Subsea]

Dose nothing.  

 

Either feed more or reduce Photosynthesis intensity  or duration 

[canoman]

7 minutes ago, Subsea said:

Dose nothing.  

 

Either feed more or reduce Photosynthesis intensity  or duration 

I think this is the step I’m going to take.

[Joevember]

 

On 2/13/2019 at 2:15 PM, canoman said:

The only coral that is not happy is my tyree toadstool. It’s been days since it’s opened up. Usually right after a water change it closes up but My green devils hand looks happy and my other lps and sps too. 

Are you sure that it's not just shedding? They shed about every month.

[Txplicit]

On 2/15/2019 at 2:09 PM, Subsea said:

Dose nothing.  

 

Either feed more or reduce Photosynthesis intensity  or duration 

+1 this. Don't add anything if everything is looking good.  

[mcarroll]

On 2/13/2019 at 9:08 AM, canoman said:

Hey guys, I have a IM 25 lagoon which I am using 2 intank media baskets and 2 intank fuge baskets filled with chaeto. I’m not running any skimmers, just doing 5g water changes weekly. Po4 and No3 are pretty much undetectable. Am I using too much chaeto? I’m pruning every2 weeks so I must be doing something right. My lfs suggested I dose VIBRANT REFINE NITRATE & PHOSPHATE balance. Apparently this stuff is adding No3 to the system. Any suggestions

I'm guessing you left something out like a problem if the store gave you advice to put nutrients in the tank?

 

If there is a problem with the zero levels of N and P, then removing the excess filtration is the correct first move, assuming you aren't under-feeding your fish.  In that case up your feedings first and see how that goes.  

 

If N and P still remain buried at zero and the whatever the problem is still remains even with correct feeding levels, then removing filtration is next to do.....anything that removes nitrogen or phosphates from the system should go, which includes chaeto.

 

If there's STILL a problem after doing that (are we talking about dino's???) then you'll want to consider dosing some nitrates and phosphates into the tank.  And we can get into specifics if that comes to be the case.

 

What DOESN'T make sense is to have all that N- and P-removal going on and then to consider zero N and P levels a problem so you have to add more N and P.

 

You're chasing your own tail if you do that.

 

I get the feeling that all that filtration was probably deployed without a real need, because it just seemed like a good idea.

 

If your tank is new, running zero nutrient levels is not a good idea, or even helpful.  It leads to delayed tank maturity in the best case, and to pest algae like cyano or dino's in the worst case.

 

You want positive nutrient levels.  You want healthy algae growth.   You want a competent cleanup crew to help you keep the algae mowed down so coraline can move in.

 

What you don't want is all your nutrients going to a fat wad of chaeto that's not even in the tank to enjoy looking at....that is NOT the object of your tank.  

 

The object of your tank (corals and fish plus support crew) should be getting all those nutrients instead.  🙂

 

Without knowing more about your situation (what all is in your filter baskets, what problem took you to the fish store asking questions), I think all I could recommend is trimming the chaeto so that it stays TINY....like the size of a golf ball.  That might lower its impact on nutrients enough for whatever goal you have.