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Originally Posted by reef_raf
The fluval will contribute to nitrates, get rid of it.
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IME, any mechanical filter will become a nitrate and phosphate producer if not cleaned frequently. It's best to thoroughly clean the filter media during EACH water change in the outgoing changewater.
Now, to get picky about mechanical filtation, if it weren't for the filter media in our tanks, TONS of crud would simply stay in the tank and produce MORE nitrate and phosphate.
IMO, the key to keeping any reef system from becoming overloaded with nuisance algae or cyano is to find the balance between food input and poop output, whether it's by:
- better skimming
- reducing the number fo fish in the tank
- feeding less but not starving the fish
- having macroalgae in the main tank that utilizes the nutrients
- keeping mechanical filtration clean
- using a refugium.
Sounds like jaws inherited a tank that the original owner was having problems with and decided to sell it rather than deal with the problems. In this situation, I would either remove the sandbed and clean it in changewater, or remove the sandbed completely. Plus, I would add macroalgae to utilize the nutrients and, if possible, add more LR.
jaws may test for phosphate, but if the cyano is already there, it is probably utilizing the phosphate and his tests may show 0 ppm.