Dosing in Nano?

[emmysnewtank]

Hi All...Noob here. Several month old Evo13 with 2 clowns, cleaner shrimp, CUC and some Softie and LPS seemingly thriving (don't want to jinx anything). Water params stable...NO2 at 5ppm and Phos at 0. 

 

Question for everyone is the need to add additional elements outside of minor weekly water changes. Do I need calc, alk, mag etc supplements? Do I even need to be testing for these?

 

Just reading about all the dosing, but it usually seems like those are larger SPS reefs.

[seabass]

Undetectable phosphate can be a problem (it should be at least 0.03 ppm, with 0.05 being better).

 

With LPS, I'd monitor alkalinity.  Don't bother testing calcium or magnesium until you have to start dosing alkalinity.  Once maintenance water changes no longer maintain your tank's alkalinity level, it might be time to start dosing.

 

If/when dosing, target the levels of a newly mixed batch of saltwater.  For a small tank with a few stony corals, ESV B-Ionic works pretty well.

[Jakesaw]

7 minutes ago, seabass said:

Undetectable phosphate can be a problem (it should be at least 0.03 ppm, with 0.05 being better).

 

 

This.  Pay attention to Nitrate / Phos early.  If you let it ride non-detectable for too long, it'll give you headaches.  I'm dealing with DINO right now b/c of it.  

 

I started my 10 gal last January and have just started this week dosing Phos in my 10 gallon.  I wasn't testing anything and thought my tank was doing fine ... until it wasn't

 

 

[joshthebox]

The only way to know if you need to dose something is to first measure it. When you have a good amount of hard coral (LPS/SPS) in the tank, invest in alkalinity, calcium and magnesium test kits at the very least. These parameters, especially alkalinity, will fall over time if not supplemented. 

[emmysnewtank]

1 hour ago, Jakesaw said:

This.  Pay attention to Nitrate / Phos early.  If you let it ride non-detectable for too long, it'll give you headaches.  I'm dealing with DINO right now b/c of it.  

 

I started my 10 gal last January and have just started this week dosing Phos in my 10 gallon.  I wasn't testing anything and thought my tank was doing fine ... until it wasn't

 

 

Its funny, we feed fairly heavy and adding AB+ for corals 2x weekly, but nitrates and phos staying really low. I'm running no skimmer, but carbon and purigen bags. should we bail the purigen maybe?

 

I thought 0 phos was the ideal...and algal bloom would happen if phos got too high?

[Jakesaw]

1 hour ago, emmysnewtank said:

I thought 0 phos was the ideal...and algal bloom would happen if phos got too high?

I had 1 fish and zero nitrates / zero Phos for 8 months.  Had no ugly stage really.  Just a little mild green on rocks which I thought was healthy algae.  Then I got this brown film on walls, that I also thought was healthy and let thrive until the film turned to brown globs with air bubbles forming underneath it.  I could scrape it, siphone it, whatever and it would just return the next day or over the next few days.  That's when I learned the term DINO.  

 

I tried increasing feedings, reducing water changes, and removing filter. The nutrients didn't budge.  Added a 2nd fish and feed twice a day I got my Nitrates up to 10, Phos still stuck at 0 ( in spite of dry food feedings daily ). mild GHA has replaced most of the DINO on my tank walls, but the rocks which don't have the same algae growth have attracted the remaining DINO in my tank.  

 

I'm presuming that when I get more coraline algae on my rocks, it'll outcompete the DINO's and they will fade into the background.  Still will have some DINO, but it won't be problematic.

 

.03 is my initial target, and would not be " too high " according to my local coral specialty store.  They wanted me to get Phos up naturally via feeding dry foods but I'm nudging things with Phos supplement, b/c I have the DINO's accumulating on my rocks and I want to correct that vs live with it for several more months.

 

I"m a fellow NOOB so share experience more than offer too much advice.  I'm expecting my 2nd tank to start and run a bit smoother than my first.  When I get there

[emmysnewtank]

1 hour ago, Jakesaw said:

I had 1 fish and zero nitrates / zero Phos for 8 months.  Had no ugly stage really.  Just a little mild green on rocks which I thought was healthy algae.  Then I got this brown film on walls, that I also thought was healthy and let thrive until the film turned to brown globs with air bubbles forming underneath it.  I could scrape it, siphone it, whatever and it would just return the next day or over the next few days.  That's when I learned the term DINO.  

 

I"m a fellow NOOB so share experience more than offer too much advice.  I'm expecting my 2nd tank to start and run a bit smoother than my first.  When I get there

 

Yikes...I am feeding pretty heavy and still not seeing any NO3/Phos bump in weekly testing. Pellets for the fish 2x daily and about to start giving reef roids to corals 2x week as well. I have been more worried about the nutrients added giving me algae. Running filter pad/carbon/purigen/floss in 1st Evo13 chamber with biomax in second. Changing the filter pads every couple of days as they brown up. Maybe need to leave them a bit...or should I put more pellet food in there to boost phos?

 

I am getting some GHA and some film algae, but the cuc gets to it pretty quickly. Biggest tuft of GHA is on my turbo snail shell.

[seabass]

What phosphate test kit are you using?  For example, API's kit only goes up in 0.25 ppm increments; so you can have high levels even before the kit indicates anything.

[Jakesaw]

1 hour ago, emmysnewtank said:

 

Yikes...I am feeding pretty heavy and still not seeing any NO3/Phos bump in weekly testing. Pellets for the fish 2x daily and about to start giving reef roids to corals 2x week as well. I have been more worried about the nutrients added giving me algae. Running filter pad/carbon/purigen/floss in 1st Evo13 chamber with biomax in second. Changing the filter pads every couple of days as they brown up. Maybe need to leave them a bit...or should I put more pellet food in there to boost phos?

 

I am getting some GHA and some film algae, but the cuc gets to it pretty quickly. Biggest tuft of GHA is on my turbo snail shell.

For Nitrate, Adding 2nd fish to my 10 gallon made the difference.  Added a free swimmig talbott Damsel nitrates went up.  Heavy feeding didn't work for me.  

 

Phosphate - is a work in process.  I'm hoping the Brightwell Phos dosing resolves issue S-T, but just started dosing this week and didn't get proper dosage in til this morning.   We'll see.

 

all my coral frags have shown to be happier since I got the nitrates up. My GSP was dormant for a couple months. then out periodically, now full and bushy every day.  Acans have puffed up, Candy Cane in a month is splitting form 1 to two, and nice full Polyp extension. Duncans always out except when I feed or do maintenance.   When I can get DINO / Phos issue resolved, I''m looking to add a Hammer. 

[emmysnewtank]

33 minutes ago, seabass said:

What phosphate test kit are you using?  For example, API's kit only goes up in 0.25 ppm increments; so you can have high levels even before the kit indicates anything.

 

I'm using API for NO3 but Salifert for the Phos. Regardless its testing basically zero.

 

27 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

For Nitrate, Adding 2nd fish to my 10 gallon made the difference.  Added a free swimmig talbott Damsel nitrates went up.  Heavy feeding didn't work for me.  

 

Phosphate - is a work in process.  I'm hoping the Brightwell Phos dosing resolves issue S-T, but just started dosing this week and didn't get proper dosage in til this morning.   We'll see.

 

all my coral frags have shown to be happier since I got the nitrates up. My GSP was dormant for a couple months. then out periodically, now full and bushy every day.  Acans have puffed up, Candy Cane in a month is splitting form 1 to two, and nice full Polyp extension. Duncans always out except when I feed or do maintenance.   When I can get DINO / Phos issue resolved, I''m looking to add a Hammer. 

 

Ive got 2 small clowns. Maybe time to add that goby...but maybe see if starting reef roids this week helps boost the nitrates. 

 

Funny you mention the gsp. I have two strains...one open and blooming, the other shut for a few days now. maybe its the low nitrates?

 

 

[seabass]

3 hours ago, emmysnewtank said:

but maybe see if starting reef roids this week helps boost the nitrates. 

Don't try to over feed in order to raise nutrient levels.  It's better to dose nitrate and phosphate.  However, if you are under feeding, then you can feed some more.  Excess food increases organics, which can cause other problems.  Use Reef-Roids VERY SPARINGLY.

 

3 hours ago, emmysnewtank said:

maybe its the low nitrates?

Or undetectable phosphate.