Low Nutrients

[Groot]

Hello, In a tank that has no reading or close to no reading in nitrates, to increase nutrients in my tank I know I can try to over feed or stock my tank heavy. I also  know you can manually add Nitrogen Flourish in your aquarium. My question is how much do I have to worry about my nitrates reading close to zero if I dose Acropower ever day? Is amino acids nutrients?  Is their people who are keeping successfully SPS aquariums with reading of 0 or close to 0. I have been using NoPox in my aquarium to lower my Phosphates. I manually dose the no pox depend on my phosphate  levels.  I don't reach for zero phosphates I want to make sure have some phosphates as well  but I know it also lowers my nitrates. I do try to feed heavy also to increase my nitrates but I'm sure it is not helping my phosphates from rising. My tank is still pretty Young two months old the sps carols in there right now are showing good polyp extensions and seem to be happy at the moment.  

[mcarroll]

Tank is too young for all of that.  LOL. If your corals are doing well for the weeks they've been in there, I'm glad.  I would consider removing the carbon dosing routine from the system until after it and your corals are well established.  (But then you may not need it.) Then the rest of those concerns should go away and you can get back to regular reefing.

 

Can you post a tank pic? 

[Groot]

4 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Tank is too young for all of that.  LOL. If your corals are doing well for the weeks they've been in there, I'm glad.  I would consider removing the carbon dosing routine from the system until after it and your corals are well established.  (But then you may not need it.) Then the rest of those concerns should go away and you can get back to regular reefing.

 

Can you post a tank pic? 

I would like to post pictues but I'm so bad ever time a load a picture from iphone the picture is upside down. Yeah I'm assuming that I wouldntt be using the NoPox in the long run. I will stop using NoPox and see ho high my Phosphates get. I only been dosing the very minimum just keep phosphates  in check. I have been testing my phosphates every day with hanna checker and I just ordered the ultra low reading one to get better accurate readings 

[Clown79]

Completely agree with mcarroll. The tank is far too young to be getting into all this dosing.

 

At 2 months stage, testing and waterchanges. Getting to know your tank, its needs, and allowing it to mature.

[blasterman]

Running 0 nitrates is begging for dinos. In fact, I got money on the brown slime monster.

 

0 nitrates is more of an issue with soft corals like zoas and shrooms in a young tank.  Most SPS are more tolerant, and yes, aminos do help SPS in low nutrient tanks. Its just more expensive to deliver protein that way.. This is yet another myth of reef keeping with claims that SPS is harder to keep than soft corals. Bull. Montipora will tolerate low nitrate far better than zoas or xenia and won't just melt for no reason. Forrest fire and bubblegum digipora however do like higher nutrients to really color up.

 

Do not let phosphate bottom out. This is what screws up SPS. Keep the feedings up with meaty foods, and nitrate levels will likely rise as the tank matures. Avoid phosphate rich foods like reef roids if phosphate is too high.

[Groot]

59 minutes ago, blasterman said:

Running 0 nitrates is begging for dinos. In fact, I got money on the brown slime monster.

 

0 nitrates is more of an issue with soft corals like zoas and shrooms in a young tank.  Most SPS are more tolerant, and yes, aminos do help SPS in low nutrient tanks. Its just more expensive to deliver protein that way.. This is yet another myth of reef keeping with claims that SPS is harder to keep than soft corals. Bull. Montipora will tolerate low nitrate far better than zoas or xenia and won't just melt for no reason. Forrest fire and bubblegum digipora however do like higher nutrients to really color up.

 

Do not let phosphate bottom out. This is what screws up SPS. Keep the feedings up with meaty foods, and nitrate levels will likely rise as the tank matures. Avoid phosphate rich foods like reef roids if phosphate is too high.

Thank so much that was helpful

[Jakesaw]

2 hours ago, blasterman said:

Running 0 nitrates is begging for dinos. In fact, I got money on the brown slime monster.

 

Yup,

 

Been there - leaving there now

[mcarroll]

I like "Aloha" because it works on the greeting and parting equally well.

 

Sounds good as AMF too, and it's not as played out as the usual rendition. 😉 

[banasophia]

Sorry if I missed it… how high were your phosphates that you decided to dose the nopox? 

[Groot]

On 10/15/2021 at 1:33 PM, banasophia said:

Sorry if I missed it… how high were your phosphates that you decided to dose the nopox? 

I have recorded at 0.34 was when I started dosing. I have not dose NoPox for the last few days I believe it’s been four days and I been happy with my phosphate levels. Checked today with a low phosphates reader from Hanna and it .05

[Groot]

On 10/14/2021 at 10:02 AM, mcarroll said:

Tank is too young for all of that.  LOL. If your corals are doing well for the weeks they've been in there, I'm glad.  I would consider removing the carbon dosing routine from the system until after it and your corals are well established.  (But then you may not need it.) Then the rest of those concerns should go away and you can get back to regular reefing.

 

Can you post a tank pic? 

 

[Groot]

[Groot]

Sorry that the pictures are upside down. I only was dosing .5 to 1. ml of NoPox depending on my reading. My goal was not to use in long run but I heard it was good to use when cycling a tank. I didn’t want to use all live rock but wanted to Introduce  bio so I did use 10 pounds of live rock the rest is not. I’m already seeing coral line in my mp and frag rack. 

[banasophia]

I like using nopox, but I don’t think I’d use it for readings that low… my tank is heavily fed with nitrate and phosphate levels that can run 20-40 and 0.65 - 1.3 without the nopox. 

[Groot]

17 hours ago, banasophia said:

I like using nopox, but I don’t think I’d use it for readings that low… my tank is heavily fed with nitrate and phosphate levels that can run 20-40 and 0.65 - 1.3 without the nopox. 

I stop using it 5 days ago and checked my phosphates yesterday on the 4th day and I was happy with the low reading of .05 I used low range hanna checker.