2.5 Months in...Nutrients just went to 0....sanity check please!

[mythesis]

First time reefer, tank is about 2.5 months old. A light brown film has been present for a couple weeks, which I assume was the natural progression of the "Ugly Stage" through Diatoms.

I tested today and Nitrates / Phosphates were undetectable on Salifert test kits.

Calcium is at 400, Salinity at 1.025.

Recent Changes:
- About a month ago I removed the filter sock on the recommendation that, unless I was going to aggressively clean, would just end up releasing nutrients .... guess removing it helped!
- Installed a larger clean up crew this week as the brown film seemed to be outpacing our current crew

My course of action:
- Turned off the Protein Skimmer
- Fed a ton this morning

Should I be doing anything else?

 

[crazyfishmom]

Dosing a little bit of NeoPhos and NeoNitro would be my initial thought. In a new tank I always worry about nutrient management through feeding because it can lead to high phosphate/low nitrate situations and vice versa. With dosing you can go slow and get nutrients to a level you’re comfortable with in a controlled manner.

 

[mythesis]

Ok, will see if they have something like that at the LFS. Appreciate it.

 

[rtparty]

DIY ammonia and phosphate solutions are cheap and easy. Don’t pay the crazy markup because they put a fish on the label

Amazon has both and you will save loads of money

 

[mythesis]

DIY ammonia and phosphate solutions are cheap and easy. Don’t pay the crazy markup because they put a fish on the label

Amazon has both and you will save loads of money

That link points generically at Amazon, did you mean to send to a specific solution?

 

[rtparty]

That link points generically at Amazon, did you mean to send to a specific solution?

No. I didn’t even add a link with that Amazon text. The forum must have added it for some reason.

Search ammonium bicarbonate and loudwolf trisodium phosphate. Randy has recipes here and discusses how to use them.

 

[mythesis]

Added some RedSea AB+and over fed like crazy yesterday

Turned off lights

Turned off protein skimmer (rather let it drain back immediately into tank)

5 Nitrate
0.5 Phosphate this morning

Repeated same process today and will check tomorrow morning

 

[mythesis]

Today's levels were good again; going to cut back on the AB+ dosing and see how things look tomorrow

 

[spielco]

Today's levels were good again; going to cut back on the AB+ dosing and see how things look tomorrow

I’m having the exact issue currently w my tank. Identical time line also. Just realized I bottomed out my po4.

I just got neophos and nitro and trying to figure out how to dose it

 

[mythesis]

I’m having the exact issue currently w my tank. Identical time line also. Just realized I bottomed out my po4.

I just got neophos and nitro and trying to figure out how to dose it

I'm brand new, so not sure if my practices are recommended --- but there were several dosing options for the AB+ depending on LPS/SPS/ULNS systems. I went with one of the higher loads (but not full on Ultra Low Nutrient) and that got nutrients back up overnight.

But, I had 0/0 on both Nitrate & Phosphate, so loading up the system in a hurry needed to be done!

 

[spielco]

I'm brand new, so not sure if my practices are recommended --- but there were several dosing options for the AB+ depending on LPS/SPS/ULNS systems. I went with one of the higher loads (but not full on Ultra Low Nutrient) and that got nutrients back up overnight.

But, I had 0/0 on both Nitrate & Phosphate, so loading up the system in a hurry needed to be done!

Hope the best of luck to ya! My other reef tank has never had an issue of low nutrients even from the start up so this is so new to me trying to wrap my head around this one. Of course nervous trying not to throw the numbers through the roof! Haha

 

[splunty]

Just saw this thread. Same thing happened to me at the end of the diatom stage as algae started growing. I had also increased lighting which didn't help.

Nuisance algae is a very effective nutrient export....

 

[Spare time]

I just want to disagree on the filter sock part. A filter sock can only help prevent waste, not increase it.

 

[mythesis]

Just saw this thread. Same thing happened to me at the end of the diatom stage as algae started growing. I had also increased lighting which didn't help.

Nuisance algae is a very effective nutrient export....

Hahaha, preach.

I have removed my filter sock & purchased a grow light in anticipation of building a refugium to solve the opposite problem --- excess nutrients. Thankfully, I had seen too many posts about Dinos showing up after people installed a 'fuge and bottoming out their nutrients and was waiting to install it.

My understanding is dealing with nuisance algae is vastly preferable to Dinos though.

 

[mythesis]

I just want to disagree on the filter sock part. A filter sock can only help prevent waste, not increase it.

The point the tech made was that, unless I was cleaning out the sock frequently, the waste was just breaking down in the sock.

So either clean frequently, or remove and have a sufficient CuC to break down the waste that way.

My wife really hates the "Smell" of the tank, so I figured removing the sock was one less thing to stink up the joint.

 

[splunty]

The point the tech made was that, unless I was cleaning out the sock frequently, the waste was just breaking down in the sock.

So either clean frequently, or remove and have a sufficient CuC to break down the waste that way.

My wife really hates the "Smell" of the tank, so I figured removing the sock was one less thing to stink up the joint.

I am not recommending that you do this without a lot of thought, but I threw my socks away and started using filter floss for this very reason. I buy huge rolls of floss and cut it to size, so I can change it out every day for basically nothing.

As far as odor in the water column, activated carbon will take care of that. I use BRS Rox. Just put a tablespoon or so in a fine mesh organza bag, dribble RODI over it to remove dust (NEVER shake the carbon), and lay the bag on top of the filter. No more smells.

 

[mythesis]

I am not recommending that you do this without a lot of thought, but I threw my socks away and started using filter floss for this very reason. I buy huge rolls of floss and cut it to size, so I can change it out every day for basically nothing.

As far as odor in the water column, activated carbon will take care of that. I use BRS Rox. Just put a tablespoon or so in a fine mesh organza bag, dribble RODI over it to remove dust (NEVER shake the carbon), and lay the bag on top of the filter. No more smells.

ohhh, I will look into this for sure (at least the carbon part of it!)

 

[CHSUB]

This is a very interesting. I’ve been in the hobby since summer 1979 and your approach is exactly opposite to everything I would do. Not giving advice or suggesting you do anything different, only watching. “Goes to show” there are many different ways “down the path”…GL!

 

[mythesis]

This is a very interesting. I’ve been in the hobby since summer 1979 and your approach is exactly opposite to everything I would do. Not giving advice or suggesting you do anything different, only watching. “Goes to show” there are many different ways “down the path”…GL!

I've been doing this for all of 2 months, so would love to learn!

 

[Glowurm]

Dosing, socks in, socks out, refugiums... Personally i would leave in the sock, set up a refugium and stop dosing anything, at least until the tank matures.

A refuguim is going to take time to develop, especially the macro fauna which will help break down the waste. And in my limited experience i would look for natural solutions to problems over dosing, plenty of time for the later as the tank matures and the bioload demand increases.