0 nitrates since day one? That tank is eventually going to cycle, LOL.
I'll be honest and say that I do not have a freakin clue what I do. And my nitrates are 0. I have a bottom spray bar pushing water across 70 pounds of Argalive Fiji Pink in my tank. I have a powerhead in the other corner that pushes 295 GPH along the top. I have about 9 pounds of actual live rock. However I am running an Emperor 400 Bio-wheel that I change the filters out on once a week (filter floss should be changed atleast once a week - it is a dumpster). I do a 22% water change once a week with Tropic Marin. And I clean my Aqua C Remora twice a week. Whenever my bio-wheels are not in use, I float them in my aquarium. Here is my tank inhabitants
35 Nassarius Vibex (breeding)
12 Trochus Snails (breeding)
1 Sand Sifting Sea Star
20 Hawaiin Dwarf Zebra Crabs (breeding)
2 Percula Clowns
1 Yellow Eye Tang
I am thinking of adding a scribbled angel within the next week or so
1 Kenya Tree Coral
1 Purple/Green/Yellow center star polyp
1 Neon Green Feather Duster (weirdest thing I have ever seen)
1 Yellow Plate Coral
All in a 55 gallon and I have not seen a single thing that is bad go over 0.00 (except for cycling and the first few weeks there after). My biggest concern over the last 2 weeks is trying to balance out my magnesium. Since as we all know alk and calc effect PH and magnesium plays a vital role in there. Along with the addition of strontium and molybdenum being needed for the proper abosrbtion by corals. Once I got past the phophates, ph, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and silicates it was all a freakin wreck to get 10 chemicals all balanced in exact proper propotions. My KH (alk) and Calc, PH and strontium are all holding steady with daily "droppers" of the same proportions though - 30 drops of calcium per day, 45 drops of marine trace per day, 4 drops of iodine per day, 14 drops of a strontium/molybdenum mix per day blah blah blah.
I find it odd that someone could have 0 nitrates with a wet/dry. I have read that those things are notorious for producing nitrates. You figure that you have all that free floating food getting caught in the bio-balls. Then sure it does a HECK of a job breaking down ammonia and nitrites, but isnt supposed to control nitrates much at all. Parameters have been the same for about 6 weeks now (thanks to most of the members on this board :cheer: ). However I keep hearing about overfeeding in tanks. I never heard of nature proportioning out food, so why should it happen in a tank? I feed atleast once a day and still do not have a single problem because every single bit is consumed (including fish waste) and digested UNDER the sand by most of my tank inhabitants. So it is broken down before I can even detect a problem in it. As in the vibex snails eat it, or the waste from others and then burry themselves in the sand. I stir my sand bed once a week also.
I just figure that if you are going to have a tank, it should be as close to nature as possible. Including the ready availibility of food.
