Ready to give up… please help with nitrates and phos

[tazee]

I have had a FOWLR tank for a few years… I recently just started adding corals. Only 3 so far. I was dealing with high phos so I added chemi pure elite and that took it down to 0.10 and I stopped using it. A couple of days ago I rescaped my tank. Broke down the live rock and just changed how aquascape looked.

24 hours later my corals weren’t looking so good so I tested everything. My nitrates are at 0. My phos at 0.03
I am completely confused on what’s causing the low nitrates. I dosed neo nitro to get it up. It went to 0.8 and now back at 0.1 this morning. I had a little bit of gha and now it’s increasing every morning. I am feeding more to get nitrates up with no luck.

My set up is a 20g IM tank with filter sock, filter floss . 2 clown fishes, 2 nassarius snails, 2 hermit crabs and 1 one bumble bee snail. That’s it
I have used Hannah salifert api test kits to cross check and all are showing 0 nitrates

I’d really appreciate some help and soon please.

Rest of my levels are as follows
Sailinity - 1.024ppt
8dkh alkalinity
7.8 ph
400 calcium
0 nitrite
0 ammonia

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What are you teasting your nitrates and phosphates with?

 

[tazee]

What are you teasting your nitrates and phosphates with?

I have used Hannah checkers, salifert and api test kits… all three are giving the same readings.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Your gha is absorbing the nitrates. You have a small cleanup crew and need to expand. This will allow the gas to to be kept under control more and you'll need to manually remove longer strands. This will help increase nitrates.

 

[zerozero]

A tank shot under white lights would help.

If the GHA is increasing rapidly that would be, I suspect, what's bottoming out your nutrients. Manual removal with a syphon would be the first step before it gets worse. You can recycle the water by using a filter sock.

Hang in there!

 

[tazee]

Your gha is absorbing the nitrates. You have a small cleanup crew and need to expand. This will allow the gas to to be kept under control more and you'll need to manually remove longer strands. This will help increase nitrates.

Thank you for your response. Here is what I’m guessing my next steps should be…

Get more cuc
Manually remove gha. Everyday?
Feed more or not?
Should I leave the filter sock and filter floss in? Anything else I should be doing?

 

[stewy14]

what coral r u adding?

 

[tazee]

what coral r u adding?

I have one blasatamussa, one mushroom and one leather finger

 

[tazee]

A tank shot under white lights would help.

If the GHA is increasing rapidly that would be, I suspect, what's bottoming out your nutrients. Manual removal with a syphon would be the first step before it gets worse. You can recycle the water by using a filter sock.

Hang in there!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I'm sorry but what is the question exactly? Are you thinking that the phosphate level is the cause of unhappy corals?

A 20 gallon with only 2 fishes shouldn't really have algae problems. Can we see a tank pic?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I see no powerheads, and no snails.
Even my 15 gallon has 2 powerheads and a hob filter, and about 8 snails.

Get some more flow in the tank, and get a few turbo snails to take care of the algae.

 

[tazee]

I'm sorry but what is the question exactly? Are you thinking that the phosphate level is the cause of unhappy corals?

A 20 gallon with only 2 fishes shouldn't really have algae problems. Can we see a tank pic?

I’m unsure about what’s causing my nitrates to 0 all of a sudden…. My pho is 0.3 which I’m okay with but my nitrates completely went from 10pm to 0 after rescaping my tank … I’m not sure what’s causing gha and corals to not look happy

 

[tazee]

Personally I see no powerheads, and no snails.
Even my 15 gallon has 2 powerheads and a hob filter, and about 8 snails.

Get some more flow in the tank, and get a few turbo snails to take care of the algae

There are 2 nassarius snails and one bumble bee snail. There’s also 2 hermit crabs.

I have a Nero 3 on the left side of the tank installed so there is flow. Attaching another pic to show Nero 3 installed. I also posted move pics right above your post. All taken in white light

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

nassarius and bumble snails are both carnivores, they don't eat algae.

Turbo snails are the best algae eating herbivores

 

[stewy14]

lights?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Also interesting how all the algae is growing on the side of the rock opposite the powerhead.......

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Thank you for your response. Here is what I’m guessing my next steps should be…

Get more cuc
Manually remove gha. Everyday?
Feed more or not?
Should I leave the filter sock and filter floss in? Anything else I should be doing?

Remove GHA as you see fit. But at least once or twice a week if it's growing rapidly.

Cleanup crew you can add chiton, turbo, astrea snails are 3 good ones. Add about 6 total. I recommend about 15 hermits either blue legs or scarlet. and a few more nassarious snails. At least 6 more. Blue legs love to eat them for their shells lol. Then wait a week and slowly add as needed. Goal isn't to completely irradicate the GHA. But find balance between supplemental feeding and keeping under control. Just feed enough for fish and coral. Allow very little on bottom.

OPTIONAL ADVICE: I broadcast feed my tank with benefits. But with little coral and fish not advised. Add more coral as well. If others are doing well. This will help compete as well. I also have macro algae.

Clean filter sock with salt water and change floss as needed when it gets dirty.

 

[tazee]

lights?

Remove GHA as you see fit. But at least once or twice a week if it's growing rapidly.

Cleanup crew you can add chiton, turbo, astrea snails are 3 good ones. Add about 6 total. I recommend about 15 hermits either blue legs or scarlet. and a few more nassarious snails. At least 6 more. Blue legs love to eat them for their shells lol. Then wait a week and slowly add as needed. Goal isn't to completely irradicate the GHA. But find balance between supplemental feeding and keeping under control. Just feed enough for fish and coral. Allow very little on bottom.

OPTIONAL ADVICE: I broadcast feed my tank with benefits. But with little coral and fish not advised. Add more coral as well. If others are doing well. This will help compete as well. I also have macro algae.

Clean filter sock with salt water and change floss as needed when it gets dirty.

Thank you very much this is super helpful

Just so I’mclear. You’re saying add 6 snails in total and not 6 of each snails you listed above, right?

Also, if I add more corals now without first balancing my PO/NA wouldn’t they just die?

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Thank you very much this is super helpful

Just so I’mclear. You’re saying add 6 snails in total and not 6 of each snails you listed above, right?

Also, if I add more corals now without first balancing my PO/NA wouldn’t they just die?

Correct, 6 not counting the nassarious. Some will recommend more but add slowly.

You said you already have coral and they are fine correct?

Unless something really goes south most corals are ok. I actually prefer to build my tank and start it with corals now. No dosing or anything needed. But you already have bacteria establishing. Corals add very little waste.

There are certain coral that are a bit sensitive like most SPS. But your LPS are best options as they carry bacteria in on their structures or Softies if attached. If looking to do SPS wait a bit

 

[tazee]

Correct, 6 not counting the nassarious. Some will recommend more but add slowly.

You said you already have coral and they are fine correct?

Unless something really goes south most corals are ok. I actually prefer to build my tank and start it with corals now. No dosing or anything needed. But you already have bacteria establishing. Corals add very little waste.

There are certain coral that are a bit sensitive like most SPS. But your LPS are best options as they carry bacteria in on their structures or Softies if attached. If looking to do SPS wait a bit

Unfortunately my corals are not doing great since nitrate has been 0. I’m on my way to get the clean up crew. Does 0 nitrates affect corals?

I only have 3 softies. I’m on my way to get your recommended cuc