Phosphates and Nitrates detect zero bad or good

[Jyetman]

My Salfert PO4 test reads absolute zero no color to compare with just clear as is my nitrate test. I have a weak algae scrubber that is always loaded with algae so my question is my test readings are zero because of the scrubber? My zoos at times close up for no reason. If I start doing more frequent water changes or adding carbon they really get ticked off and slowly close. Is this because they want more PO4 and nitrates? How do I solve this by dumping food in my tank. My fish aren't fat so feeding them more should help as with my corals? Not sure what to do tired of trying to figure this out has been a vicious cycle over the years trying to keep the colorful zoos all open. The big brown ugly ones yeah right they would do well living in acid.

[myram]

Yes, corals need some phosphates and nitrates to feed off from. If you go with a sterile system, you will slowly kill your corals.
Over feed, stop the water changes, remove the algae scrubber.......you want slightly dirty water for corals to do good, but not too dirty to **** them off.

[m0nkie]

my zoas love flow + feeding.. I mix frozen fish food in a squirt bottle. a lot of the food are small enough for corals. I feed frozen 3 times a day. My auto feeder feed flakes 2 times a day.

then i feed coral food twice a week. my fish are pretty fat. Even the picky anthias..

however, filter socks, strong flow, big skimmer and regular WC is a must for me. Or else poop builds up real fast.

[Jyetman]

Can algae still grow in the display tank even when phosphates and nitrates read zero? Since my scrubber grows long thick stringy clumps every 3 to 5 days I still see brown film algae growing on the sides of the tank can I be getting false test readings? The scrubber doesn't have the classic water fall as a strong scrubber would it has a thin uneven water fall but algae still grows in large clumps. In fact I remove most when it starts turning slightly yellow.

[B.BASH]

I try to keep PO4 around 0.03 and NO3 2-4 ppm I have good coloration and growth

[Jyetman]

Originally Posted by m0nkie

my zoas love flow + feeding.. I mix frozen fish food in a squirt bottle. a lot of the food are small enough for corals. I feed frozen 3 times a day. My auto feeder feed flakes 2 times a day.

then i feed coral food twice a week. my fish are pretty fat. Even the picky anthias..

however, filter socks, strong flow, big skimmer and regular WC is a must for me. Or else poop builds up real fast.

I have a auto feeder that feeds once in morning not much though then I feed mix frozen brine, Mysis and plankton in RO. I shoot two to three squirts of the mix from a turkey baster later in the day. I have 80 gallon reef with one large Kole, large flame hawk, large percula clown, banggi and a large coral beauty. Had all my fish are nearly 4 years now but none are fat except for the dang hawk and clown. Should I feed the tank more?

[Jyetman]

Originally Posted by m0nkie

my zoas love flow + feeding.. I mix frozen fish food in a squirt bottle. a lot of the food are small enough for corals. I feed frozen 3 times a day. My auto feeder feed flakes 2 times a day.

then i feed coral food twice a week. my fish are pretty fat. Even the picky anthias..

however, filter socks, strong flow, big skimmer and regular WC is a must for me. Or else poop builds up real fast.

Sorry double post RC servers messed up and locked up my page while posting.

[B.BASH]

It can't hurt to feed more if those levels are low most soft corals prefer nutrient rich environment if you have sps it's a different story feed more and monitor your levels wc and carbon will clean and polish your water if your doing this at the same time it will clean water quickly and make a drastic change corals don't like drastic change try changing carbon 3-4 days after wc same with gfo if you are using it

[m0nkie]

just pay attention if you feed more. you have to clean more also.

I have to carbon dose to control my nitrate..

i feed brine shrimp, mysis, nutramar, omega one (hebivore, carnivore), cyclopeeze, and LRS reef frenzy. all in one squirt bottle.. tons of tiny food particles for zoas and LPS.

then I broad feed reef chili and coral frenzy twice a week.

problem is your fish are large.. so i don't know how they deal with tiny food particles.. if you got 4 anthias and chromis like me, then it's much easier to feed all at once.

[Jyetman]

Originally Posted by B.BASH

I try to keep PO4 around 0.03 and NO3 2-4 ppm I have good coloration and growth

But how do you maintain this by regulating how much you feed?

[m0nkie]

Originally Posted by Jyetman

But how do you maintain this by regulating how much you feed?

I think it's pretty much trial and error.. and it's not just feeding alone. every tank is different. you can start off by turning off the algae scrubber. Feed a little extra. Maintain weekly water change and measure... if doesn't improve, try feeding a little more frequent and smaller water change. It might take some time to get to the correct level.

if it goes out of control, you can always carbon dose (vinegar or vodka).

for my tank, I can't get it under 30 no matter how much WC. ever since I finished cycling, I have never seen <20ppm nitrate. After dosing vinegar, I have about 5ppm nitrate.

[B.BASH]

Originally Posted by Jyetman

But how do you maintain this by regulating how much you feed?

I maintain it with gfo a well growing fuge and wc it's trial and error if po4 raises I adjust feeding and change gfo more frequently there is no exact science trial and error small changes and monitor each system is different it takes time to find that sweet spot took me 4 yrs once you figure it out stability is key

[Jyetman]

But can I be getting false readings with the scrubber and my PO4 and Nitrates are high? Don't understand why some types of algae grows not hair algae but other types spurt up in the display tank. The snails and crabs are feeding off it?

[dfm34]

Originally Posted by Jyetman

Can algae still grow in the display tank even when phosphates and nitrates read zero? Since my scrubber grows long thick stringy clumps every 3 to 5 days I still see brown film algae growing on the sides of the tank can I be getting false test readings? The scrubber doesn't have the classic water fall as a strong scrubber would it has a thin uneven water fall but algae still grows in large clumps. In fact I remove most when it starts turning slightly yellow.

You are reading 0 P04 most likely because the algae growing in the scrubber is consuming it. The test will read the P04 in the water column and the algae is consuming it before it enters the water column.

[Jyetman]

Originally Posted by dfm34

You are reading 0 P04 most likely because the algae growing in the scrubber is consuming it. The test will read the P04 in the water column and the algae is consuming it before it enters the water column.

So with zero PO4 and nitrate readings the corals are unhappy mostly the smaller zoos closing up. My monties, blastos, ugly big zoos, frog spawn and strangly pulsing xenia "seem" to be the happiest mushrooms, blue cloves, and smaller zoos not so. Is the answer simply removing all the algae off the scrubber screen should be the quickest solution or double the feeding?

[m0nkie]

slow and steady.. don't just remove the scrubber AND double feed. do 1 thing at a time and measure.. this might take months to figure out

are your Alk, Calc and Mag in check???

[B.BASH]

I would leave scrubber in place and and increase feeding small changes monitor adjust as needed one change at a time this way you know what the control is also what type of lighting are you running the corals you listed have low to moderate needs I'm not sure of the validity of this but I have read intense lighting and low nutrient have had negative effects just a thought

[Jyetman]

Originally Posted by m0nkie

slow and steady.. don't just remove the scrubber AND double feed. do 1 thing at a time and measure.. this might take months to figure out

are your Alk, Calc and Mag in check???

Yes ALK 9 DKH, CAL 440 PPM and Mag 1450

[Jyetman]

Originally Posted by B.BASH

I would leave scrubber in place and and increase feeding small changes monitor adjust as needed one change at a time this way you know what the control is also what type of lighting are you running the corals you listed have low to moderate needs I'm not sure of the validity of this but I have read intense lighting and low nutrient have had negative effects just a thought

Yeah I have strong lighting 160 Watt LED and single ATI t5 bulb

[B.BASH]

Are your lights controllable what's your lighting schedule if they are you might want to reduce intensity by 10% for about a week and see how corals respond your growing algae so that's feeding off nutrients also when I used salifert for P04 it always read clear I switched to Red Sea and got higher readings it's worth a shot

[Dan_P]

Originally Posted by Jyetman

My Salfert PO4 test reads absolute zero no color to compare with just clear as is my nitrate test. I have a weak algae scrubber that is always loaded with algae so my question is my test readings are zero because of the scrubber?

All microorganisms in the aquarium consume phosphate to live. It is unlikely that the algae scrubber is consuming all or even a major portion of the phosphate. To double check whether your phosphate test solution is cololess, do a side by side comparison of the test solution to just aquarium water, in bright light and on a white surface. Use the nitrate test vial to hold 10 ml of aquarium water. Ask someone else to carefully compare the test solution to the aquarium water. A colorless test solution can still have a very subtle blue color. In any case, it sounds like your phosphates are low.

My zoos at times close up for no reason

Do you know that this abnormal? Does it correspond to something you doing to the tank?

[QUOTE] If I start doing more frequent water changes or adding carbon they really get ticked off and slowly close.[\QUOTE]

It sounds like you might have did more frequent water changes and experimented with using carbon. Why? What were you trying to fix?

Is this because they want more PO4 and nitrates?

Did the zoos ever stay open very long? When? How long after you added them to the aquarium did they close up?

How do I solve this by dumping food in my tank. My fish aren't fat so feeding them more should help as with my corals? Not sure what to do tired of trying to figure this out has been a vicious cycle over the years trying to keep the colorful zoos all open. The big brown ugly ones yeah right they would do well living in acid.

If you had this problem for years and the zoos are not dead yet, I wonder if there is a problem at all. Would you post a picture so we can see the issue first hand?

[B.BASH]

ALL GOOD ADVISE DAN

[QUOTE] If I start doing more frequent water changes or adding carbon they really get ticked off and slowly close.[\QUOTE]
COULD IT BE THAT THE ZOAS
A- DON'T LIKE THE WATER STRIPPED CLEAN QUICKLY
B- INCREASED LIGHT INTENSITY DUE TO WATER CLARITY
C- CHANGE IN WATER PARAMETERS