Yes, I had to dose neophos and neonitro for multiple months before I got measurable numbers.
I didn't, my chaeto grows like crazy. It feeds on phosphate and nitrates.
Chaeto does minimal to reduce nitrates and phosphate. I just use it as natural filtration and for pods. I like to offset the light so my PH stays consistent overnight.
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Your tank is obviously out of balance . The bad guys are winning. You need nutrients and other parameters at stable good levels. Then take progressive steps to work on your dinos. Natural remedies can work like pods, dosing good bacteria, maybe conch. etc... combined with good husbandry like water changes, siphon sand, etc... but this will be a long battle. No overnight solution, if you try harsh chemicals you will open the door for more problems.
If you pinch the hose you will siphon out debris but leave your sand in the tank
No won't affect anything.
I had to double dose neophos and neonitro for multiple months before I got measurable stable numbers.
So hoping you guys can help me with my test results.
Nitrates look to be pretty much 0.
Phosphates were anywhere from .08 to .12
I though phosphates needed to be lower for dinos. Could the 0 nitrates be the main cause?
I’m treating, should I only dose the nitrate and bacteria?
Nitrates look to be pretty much 0.
Phosphates were anywhere from .08 to .12
I though phosphates needed to be lower for dinos. Could the 0 nitrates be the main cause?
I’m treating, should I only dose the nitrate and bacteria?
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Your phosphate number is fine. Get nitrates to 15 and just focus on stability and good husbandry. These are not overnight algae battles. Give yourself 2 or 3 months of keeping everything stable and see where your progress is.
Sounds like a plan. I will only dose nitrates then and hopefully it works for me.
I am sick of the I flu sand bed.
What usually causes these to drop like it did? I had some fish die a few months back and it seemed like it started after that. There was only one fish in my tank for a long time.
Parameters are always unstable in new tanks. Rocks absorb phosphates and everything likes nitrates to like corals and chaeto. GHA, etc...you have to remember nothing good in this hobby happens fast. Patience is key. Yes the tank will be in and out of ugly stages the first year but if you focus on stability and good husbandry then your biome will eventually be able to beat the bad guys back. They never completely go away from the tank though always lurking and looking to take advantage if things get unstable. This is why the hobby is so challenging. After a year, tank became very stable and predictable almost on autopilot but I still have little patches here and there of algae which is good because I see it as part of a healthy biome and invert food. I really let the tank work out almost everything on its own and just focus on stable parameters and weekly husbandry.
I wish I had before ugly shots to show you from the first year but this is 2.5 years now.
As others mentioned to, a nice chunk or two of real live wet ocean rock really Jumpstarts the system.
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