I’ve noticed slightly high phosphate brings out mainly green in corals, but when it’s below .06 all the other colors except for green really start to pop more
Does running an ultra low nutrient tank affect certain types of corals more so than others? For example our SPS affected but LPS and softies are not? Would love to run 0/0 phosphate/nitrate in an LPS and softie tank if I can continue to get healthy grow even if slower than a high nutrient tank
Some reefers do add phosphate to raise the level. However I read somewhere that inorganic phosphate may be absorbed to rocks that reduce PO4 level in water column and someday may leach out from rock again (old tank syndrome). So what do you think about dosing phosphate to raise level; is it necessary or just feed the fish heavier?
My tank has cycled for 7 weeks, I'm getting diatoms and some hair algae. I have a cleanup crew of many snails and I've been feeding pretty heavily, but my phosphate is 0.0 (Hanna Checker), and nitrates are 4.2. I had dosed the tank with Fritz turbo start bacteria. What else can I do to raise my phosphates? If I dose something, will the algae just take it and grow?
I'm pretty sure that the phosphate in your tank is locked in the green hair algae itself. You also mentioned that your tank is 7 weeks old, that means you are still on the ugly phase. If I were you I would manually remove the hair algae while siphon it out, or siphon it down to your filter sock (if you have a sump) and you just clean the filter sock filled with the hair algae. I wouldn't dose anything, just let the nature takes it's course. Weekly or biweekly water change should be enough until your tank gets more mature. My tank is different than yours. Mine is nitrate limited, it's always 0, and my phosphate is always detectable. I dose nitrate with sodium nitrate to bring it up to 2.5 - 5 ppm range, but if my phosphate level is going too low (under 0.03) I always broadcast feed reef roids or reef chili to feed my corals. By the next day my phosphate is jumped to 0.1. Does your tank has something to outcompete the hair algae in the display tank? Like refugium / algae scrubber / GFO, etc ?
@@cripnikka86 Thanks man, I agree with you the that phosphate is locked in the green hair algae. I did start doing weekly siphoning and will continue that until it gets batter. Sadly it's a 20 gallon with no sump, just an area in the back for filtration. I do have a filter sock back there that I'm changing every few days. I actually do have a bag of carbon and chemi-pure elite which I believe is partly GFO in the rear filtration chamber...should I remove those for a bit and see if my phosphate levels rise? Interesting you have a similar but different issue. I do have reef roids but haven't used them yet as I just have a couple zoas, but I might try broadcast feeding that too. I really appreciate the advice!
@@mnpackerfan20 okay so it's a 20 gallon nano tank, now I see why you have a lot of green hair algae. And your problem is not 0 phosphate. Hanna checker read 0 phosphate because those green hair algae are consuming it as soon as it's available in the water column with nothing else to out compete them. You said that you've been heavy feeding your fish, Step 1. you might wanna stop doing that. Because you are importing more nutrients than your system can export (filter sock + carbon + chemi pure elite which is a GFO). Those nutrients from your heavy feeding are the fuel for the green hair algae. Cut back feeding to once per day. And try to change your food into mysis shrimp, because pellet or flake food are dense in phosphate. Keep in mind that your fish doesn't need that much food. Step 2. Since it's only a 20 gallon tank, you should pull OUT the live rock of your tank and then scrub off those green hair algae with a tooth brush, and then you rinse it with salt water (remember not to rinse with fresh water; cus your beneficial bacteria on your live rock will die) before putting it back in your tank. And you might have to do it more than once. Do not pluck or scrub or remove the green hair algae in your tank, because when they die they will release nitrate and phosphate back into the tank to refuel themself. Step 3. Keep your maintenance on a regular basis, cleaning / changing filter sock every 3-4 days, 10% water change every week (it's only 2 gallons of saltwater) And that's it. you will see your tank will grow mature in the next 3-6 months from now. More beneficial bacteria on your live rock, sand substrate that help you to keep things in check. lol to be honest you remind me of myself 10 years ago owning a reef tank for the first time. I also started with a 20 gallon tank, moved to 55 gallon and now 120 gallon. My word of advice is just be patient. Learn a lot of stuffs from youtube (just like this channel) or reefing forum, etc. Happy reefing!
@@cripnikka86 All great advice, thanks! I don't think I'm over feeding flake food very much, but I feed frozen mysis shrimp twice a week and it seems like a ton of food. I even cut up the little cube in half first, and once its thawed they're everywhere in the tank. That's why I think I'm overfeeding, it looks like a lot. I have 2 tiny fish, a clownfish and tail spot blenny and it takes them a while to chow it all down. Good idea about scrubbing the rock outside of the tank, I'll give that a go this weekend! Agreed about the maintenance, that's the best part of a small tank is just one bucket for new saltwater. Technically this is my second tank, my first I had for a few months but then had a several day power outage and lost everything...got discouraged and gave up, that was several years ago. I didn't seem to have algae issues with that one, but I know there's so many variables between one tank and another. I hope to be like you someday lol, I would like to get bigger tanks over time when I get more space for them and can prove I can keep a tank for a while. I have been reading up and watching videos, it can be overwhelming, but I can't believe how helpful and supportive most reefers are of others, you're a great example!
@@mnpackerfan20 Have you ever tried spot feeding your fish instead of broadcast feeding. 1. Cut the frozen mysis in half 2. Put it in a small cup, thaw it with either RODI water or the saltwater from your tank. 3. turn off the flow. 4. Instead of pouring all those food into the tank instantly, try spot feeding those 3 fish with a turkey baster bit by bit. So there are no waste food on the sandbed. 5. If you think they've got enough for the day you can put the leftover food in the refrigerator for tomorrow. If you have cleanup crew, snails, hermit crab, shrimp, etc. you can use the leftover food for them. I tend to feed them during the night twice a week, so they don't have to compete with the fish during the day. my rule of thumb; if my fish can't finish the food before the food reach the sand bed that means I'm over feeding them.
My tank is covered in green Cyanobacteria. I have tried dosing nitrate and phosphate and it gets worse. I am guessing I need some good bacteria supplement instead?
@@newreefer92 I have used that in the past and it did work, but hated the water changes afterwards. I might give it a try again. I am at my whits end with it. I wish I could figure out what I am doing wrong. I have tried doing less water changes to help bring up nitrates and phosphates, but all that does is hurt my corals.
Yeah bacteria may help but in my tank I get rid of cyano powering up my wave makers, water movement is so important in marine aquariums, maybe u should try that :)
I guess reef tanks are like your gut, you got get the bacteria right otherwise so many problems from gas, bloating, constipation, indigestion, heartburn and worse, slow death. We need probiotics for the reef tank!
Man I hope one day I can have a huge tank like yours
But what were the ideal phosphate levels? Anything above .06 but below .15 is what I usually strive for.
I’ve noticed slightly high phosphate brings out mainly green in corals, but when it’s below .06 all the other colors except for green really start to pop more
I feel like bacteria in the reef has become a big topic lately due to the high amount of tanks starting up with dry rock.
Does running an ultra low nutrient tank affect certain types of corals more so than others? For example our SPS affected but LPS and softies are not?
Would love to run 0/0 phosphate/nitrate in an LPS and softie tank if I can continue to get healthy grow even if slower than a high nutrient tank
Great video
Some reefers do add phosphate to raise the level. However I read somewhere that inorganic phosphate may be absorbed to rocks that reduce PO4 level in water column and someday may leach out from rock again (old tank syndrome). So what do you think about dosing phosphate to raise level; is it necessary or just feed the fish heavier?
It also binds trace elements
My tank has cycled for 7 weeks, I'm getting diatoms and some hair algae. I have a cleanup crew of many snails and I've been feeding pretty heavily, but my phosphate is 0.0 (Hanna Checker), and nitrates are 4.2. I had dosed the tank with Fritz turbo start bacteria. What else can I do to raise my phosphates? If I dose something, will the algae just take it and grow?
I'm pretty sure that the phosphate in your tank is locked in the green hair algae itself. You also mentioned that your tank is 7 weeks old, that means you are still on the ugly phase. If I were you I would manually remove the hair algae while siphon it out, or siphon it down to your filter sock (if you have a sump) and you just clean the filter sock filled with the hair algae. I wouldn't dose anything, just let the nature takes it's course. Weekly or biweekly water change should be enough until your tank gets more mature.
My tank is different than yours. Mine is nitrate limited, it's always 0, and my phosphate is always detectable. I dose nitrate with sodium nitrate to bring it up to 2.5 - 5 ppm range, but if my phosphate level is going too low (under 0.03) I always broadcast feed reef roids or reef chili to feed my corals. By the next day my phosphate is jumped to 0.1.
Does your tank has something to outcompete the hair algae in the display tank? Like refugium / algae scrubber / GFO, etc ?
@@cripnikka86 Thanks man, I agree with you the that phosphate is locked in the green hair algae. I did start doing weekly siphoning and will continue that until it gets batter. Sadly it's a 20 gallon with no sump, just an area in the back for filtration. I do have a filter sock back there that I'm changing every few days.
I actually do have a bag of carbon and chemi-pure elite which I believe is partly GFO in the rear filtration chamber...should I remove those for a bit and see if my phosphate levels rise?
Interesting you have a similar but different issue. I do have reef roids but haven't used them yet as I just have a couple zoas, but I might try broadcast feeding that too. I really appreciate the advice!
@@mnpackerfan20 okay so it's a 20 gallon nano tank, now I see why you have a lot of green hair algae. And your problem is not 0 phosphate. Hanna checker read 0 phosphate because those green hair algae are consuming it as soon as it's available in the water column with nothing else to out compete them.
You said that you've been heavy feeding your fish,
Step 1. you might wanna stop doing that. Because you are importing more nutrients than your system can export (filter sock + carbon + chemi pure elite which is a GFO). Those nutrients from your heavy feeding are the fuel for the green hair algae. Cut back feeding to once per day. And try to change your food into mysis shrimp, because pellet or flake food are dense in phosphate. Keep in mind that your fish doesn't need that much food.
Step 2. Since it's only a 20 gallon tank, you should pull OUT the live rock of your tank and then scrub off those green hair algae with a tooth brush, and then you rinse it with salt water (remember not to rinse with fresh water; cus your beneficial bacteria on your live rock will die) before putting it back in your tank. And you might have to do it more than once. Do not pluck or scrub or remove the green hair algae in your tank, because when they die they will release nitrate and phosphate back into the tank to refuel themself.
Step 3. Keep your maintenance on a regular basis, cleaning / changing filter sock every 3-4 days, 10% water change every week (it's only 2 gallons of saltwater)
And that's it. you will see your tank will grow mature in the next 3-6 months from now. More beneficial bacteria on your live rock, sand substrate that help you to keep things in check. lol to be honest you remind me of myself 10 years ago owning a reef tank for the first time. I also started with a 20 gallon tank, moved to 55 gallon and now 120 gallon. My word of advice is just be patient. Learn a lot of stuffs from youtube (just like this channel) or reefing forum, etc. Happy reefing!
@@cripnikka86 All great advice, thanks! I don't think I'm over feeding flake food very much, but I feed frozen mysis shrimp twice a week and it seems like a ton of food. I even cut up the little cube in half first, and once its thawed they're everywhere in the tank. That's why I think I'm overfeeding, it looks like a lot. I have 2 tiny fish, a clownfish and tail spot blenny and it takes them a while to chow it all down.
Good idea about scrubbing the rock outside of the tank, I'll give that a go this weekend! Agreed about the maintenance, that's the best part of a small tank is just one bucket for new saltwater.
Technically this is my second tank, my first I had for a few months but then had a several day power outage and lost everything...got discouraged and gave up, that was several years ago. I didn't seem to have algae issues with that one, but I know there's so many variables between one tank and another. I hope to be like you someday lol, I would like to get bigger tanks over time when I get more space for them and can prove I can keep a tank for a while. I have been reading up and watching videos, it can be overwhelming, but I can't believe how helpful and supportive most reefers are of others, you're a great example!
@@mnpackerfan20 Have you ever tried spot feeding your fish instead of broadcast feeding.
1. Cut the frozen mysis in half
2. Put it in a small cup, thaw it with either RODI water or the saltwater from your tank.
3. turn off the flow.
4. Instead of pouring all those food into the tank instantly, try spot feeding those 3 fish with a turkey baster bit by bit. So there are no waste food on the sandbed.
5. If you think they've got enough for the day you can put the leftover food in the refrigerator for tomorrow.
If you have cleanup crew, snails, hermit crab, shrimp, etc. you can use the leftover food for them. I tend to feed them during the night twice a week, so they don't have to compete with the fish during the day.
my rule of thumb; if my fish can't finish the food before the food reach the sand bed that means I'm over feeding them.
My tank is covered in green Cyanobacteria. I have tried dosing nitrate and phosphate and it gets worse. I am guessing I need some good bacteria supplement instead?
Oh an my tank is almost two years old. And my test kits always show zeros on nitrates and phosphates
I had the exact same problem and tried every method. I dosed chemi clean and in 48 hours it was gone. I put air stones in the tank as well.
@@newreefer92 I have used that in the past and it did work, but hated the water changes afterwards. I might give it a try again. I am at my whits end with it. I wish I could figure out what I am doing wrong. I have tried doing less water changes to help bring up nitrates and phosphates, but all that does is hurt my corals.
Yeah bacteria may help but in my tank I get rid of cyano powering up my wave makers, water movement is so important in marine aquariums, maybe u should try that :)
Answer me this please. High nitrates (>25ppm) and high phosphates (>1.0 ppm) yet zero nuance algae of any kind? What is the going on here?
I guess reef tanks are like your gut, you got get the bacteria right otherwise so many problems from gas, bloating, constipation, indigestion, heartburn and worse, slow death.
We need probiotics for the reef tank!
So in other words uv sterilization is a bad move for most reef keepers.
Sorry, but woa! What happened to your face!?! Hope you heal good!