Refugium bottomed out nitrates after dosing phosphates

[ODD]

Hello!

I've been dosing phosphate for about a month in an attempt to raise my phosphates which were at 0. I started with the 'flourish phosphorus" from seachem and swapped to trisodium phosphate after recommendations here. I'm dosing alot of it and the phosphates still aren't climbing, and now my Nitrates have bottomed out.

**My refugium has been EXPLODING in growth and thus, I suspect that it was using the phosphates with the nitrates to grow which caused my nutrient bottoming out. I've turned it off and it's only on for 4 hours every other day.**

I've noticed that my corals (acroporas) looked a lot better after a few days of dosing phosphates, but alas, this week I've noticed a beginning of dinos and poorer coral tissue health. I suspect the nitrates and phosphates are the culprits as my other parameters are quite stable.

pH: 8-8.4
Dkh : 9 +- 0.5

Going back to the problem at hand:

- I'm now around 20ppb after 3 weeks of adding 24ml daily in my 220g system of a 1,88g/L solution of Na3Po4. I feel like cranking this up isn't wise and I should keep at it until it shows on my test kits.

- Nitrates bottomed out and I need to raise them.

Here's what I've done so far:

I've fed 4x a day for the last 2 months (fat fish, happy fish!)
I've turned on my skimmer only for 4 hours a day
Stopped auto water change (3g/day)

Here's my thought for solving the issue:

1. dose nitrate to raise the values of my nutrients.
2. Slowly let it rise naturally. The values should go back up as I've lowered my nutrient export temporarily.
3. a bit of both.

I would like to hear your thoughts on how to solve this issue! Thanks

 

[Spare time]

Maybe consider dosing reef roids once a day. There are lots of coral food options but I'd go with a particulate food that is known to add a relatively high amount of phosphates as opposed to something without phosphates (amino acid supplements in general).

 

[Spare time]

You could also add more (quarentined) fish

 

[ODD]

You could also add more (quarentined) fish

You are tempting me. I've been considering adding 5 anthias

 

[Spare time]

You are tempting me. I've been considering adding 5 anthias

I think you should 20 yellow tangs. Come to think of it, a small whale might work for the nitrate issue.



The anthias would be cool. They would be perfect for the multiple feedings you are doing. If you don't have a blenny, Lawnmower blennies are some of my favorite fish. I also really like tomini/kole tangs, clarkii cllowns (if you don't have clowns already), diamond gobies, and melanarus or yellow coris wrasse.