Zero nitrates and phosphates isn't always ideal for coral health

[Vitala]

My best color and growth happen when both nitrogen and phosphorus are undetectable on my Salifert test kits. I'm aware there are still some nutrients present, but I have no idea of the exact levels.

I've found that I don't need to use organic carbon or GFO, and in fact, using them has led to negative consequences in my tank.

[fungi_fox]

I'm still trying to figure out what to do when my husbandry is on point and I hit those 0 levels. Do you guys just up the food, and that's it?

If that organic source of N and P is fully utilized and doesn't lead to unwanted waste buildup, then yes, that might work. Otherwise, manually adding N and/or P through something like calcium nitrate would be a better approach.

[Vitala]

If your husbandry is solid and you've got a well-equipped tank with the right in-tank processors and mechanical export in place, the bacteria and micro fauna in your sand and rocks will naturally find a balance with your feeding schedule. This balance also factors in the organic carbon that's introduced through feeding, allowing the tank to maintain itself near zero. It's a self-regulating system - more bioload, more fauna; less bioload, less fauna. It's a pretty seamless process, really.

I've experimented with adding sodium nitrate in the past, and at the time, I genuinely believed it made a noticeable difference in my SPS color. However, after stopping the additions, I didn't see any change in color.

[tideriver]

I'm big on keeping my tank clean, but I've come to realize that's not always the best approach. I do 5% water changes twice a week on my 36-gallon bow front, and with only two fish, I was wondering why my SPS weren't growing like I wanted. So I took a step back, let things settle for a couple of weeks, and what happened? A bit more algae, but my corals started thriving. That's when I started using Reef Chili, feeding more, and I'm planning to add another fish or two soon. The difference is huge, and I'm okay with a few spots of algae if it means my corals are healthier. My turf scrubber's even started developing more, and hopefully, it'll take care of the algae soon.

[Duskstar]

This topic's been beaten to death, if you ask me. I've always maintained that the best-looking tanks I've seen have a good balance of fish and regular feedings, but they also have top-notch filtration systems in place to handle the waste.