Unfortunately I have 2 mandarins who require the TDO pellets - before purchasing those I only fed mysis and never had a nutrient issue and actually had the opposite problem where I couldnt get phosphates, so this whole thing kinda stems from balancing feeding tdo pellets and phosphate control, which is clearly a real battle on my hands lolNegative, you're not an idiot just learning the ins and outs of this challenging hobby like the rest of us. They can recover with help. Get away from pellets except for occasional snack. Feed frozen and it won't spike nutrients.