Low Nitrates/Phosphates

[Djplus1]

So up until TODAY, I have tested 0 nitrates and phosphates with API/Red Sea/Hanna (tank started April 1 with live sand and some water) . I just got my Hanna checkers last week and tested 0 so I decided to reef roid the tank every day and still tested only .3 Nitrate and got up to .1 phosphate. I have also been experiencing low dkh (6 last week and after a few water changes up to 7 today). Should I just feed more or dose nitrate? I have just started setting up my old Avast kalk stirrer and picked up dosers for Ca/Alk, but I did read some stuff online about dosing nitrates increases Alk.....

[DaJMasta]

Are you seeing any coralline growth?  It sounds to me like there is starting to be some life in there and they are beginning to use and produce detectable amounts of things.  Is there anything beside rock, sand, and water in there yet?

 

I would supplement dkh with an additive and check again days or a week later, though a water change would help replenish it.  If you have livestock already, I would try to feed/supplement to meet their needs and then figure out how to tune your filtration and export when they are happy and growing.

[Djplus1]

13 hours ago, DaJMasta said:

Are you seeing any coralline growth?  It sounds to me like there is starting to be some life in there and they are beginning to use and produce detectable amounts of things.  Is there anything beside rock, sand, and water in there yet?

 

I would supplement dkh with an additive and check again days or a week later, though a water change would help replenish it.  If you have livestock already, I would try to feed/supplement to meet their needs and then figure out how to tune your filtration and export when they are happy and growing.

I have had fish and corals for about a month and everything seems mostly fine minus the torch I lost due to my low dkh. Pretty sure it was my bad as I did a trifecta of donts mixing my Red Sea Coral Pro (mixed too long, with heat, and stored for 3-4 weeks and did three weeks of water changes with that batch). I'm just unclear how I've not once (until yesterday) shown any nitrates.... I am starting up my dkh replenishment plan in the next couple days.

[ReeferMan]

I would dose two part and top off with Kalk to raise Alk. Your Alk is really low. I would focus on that before Nitrates. Try feeding more for Nitrates. 

[DaJMasta]

If there is livestock in there, I would definitely focus on supplementing to get to good parameters.  Yes water changes can work, and yes it does seem like some alkalinity is lost when mixing a high-alk salt mix for a long time (maybe heat contributes too), but if you've got a decent sized (>20G) tank and stony corals, you will need to supplement something eventually, since the waterchanges to keep things up will be demanding.

 

Nitrate being so low isn't ideal, but slow changes are better than fast ones.  If it just became detectable, I would wait another few tests to see if it stays there or increases.  In the long run, more nitrate is usually better, but if it's already on its way, there's probably not a reason to speed it along unless you're getting dinoflagellates or something.

[YHSublime]

Go with your plan of ESV for 2 part. Remember, calcium and alkalinity are tied together. Good rule of thumb is don’t climb higher that 1 dKH point a day. If you’re dosing manually for now to get good levels, make sure to space out each part to deter precipitation. 

 

if you have fish and a CUC, just feed a little heavier, you’ll get your phosphates and nitrates up.