Another nutrient control thread

[Aluco]

If I start chaeto is a 1/2 cup enough? It's just a small chamber inside the sump. Also, I was looking at a 15w clip on grow lamp that has blue and red, or purple when using both channels, would that work for what I'm aiming to do? Sump chamber is only like 6"x6"

 

[Aluco]

Hey of someone can answer a quick follow up question, I have purple duncans that look a bit unhappy, I did lower tanks no3 close to 100ppm so would this change upset them?

 

[Reef.]

Two comments, you are not going to see a nitrate drop with a less than 20% water change, generally the tests are not that sensitive…and you are feeding what sounds like a lot of food, 4 cubes is a quarter of a cube for each fish, then you are also adding very nutrient dense pellets, I believe in feeding a lot but with that you either put up with the results or you export the nutrients equal to the amount you are feeding.

 

[Aluco]

Two comments, you are not going to see a nitrate drop with a less than 20% water change, generally the tests are not that sensitive…and you are feeding what sounds like a lot of food, 4 cubes is a quarter of a cube for each fish, then you are also adding very nutrient dense pellets, I believe in feeding a lot but with that you either put up with the results or you export the nutrients equal to the amount you are feeding.

Completely agree. I've cut back feeding around 60% already. I'm feeding 1 1/2 cubes of frozen a day now and I still add pellets each meal but am using way less

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you made changes that caused a 100 ppm drop in nitrate, it might have changed other things too.

 

[Aluco]

If you made changes that caused a 100 ppm drop in nitrate, it might have changed other things too.

I'll prolly run all parameters later today. It's gonna be a fairly big maintenance day for me.

I pulled my pod culture into a bucket, diluted it 50% with fresh salt water and cleaned out their vessel. It was pretty gross but afterwards I ran a nitrate test on the clean culture and it's at 2 now.

My phytofeast I use stays in the fridge for multiple months, maybe 2, is this past it's usage days?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'll prolly run all parameters later today. It's gonna be a fairly big maintenance day for me.

I pulled my pod culture into a bucket, diluted it 50% with fresh salt water and cleaned out their vessel. It was pretty gross but afterwards I ran a nitrate test on the clean culture and it's at 2 now.

My phytofeast I use stays in the fridge for multiple months, maybe 2, is this past it's usage days?

View attachment 3123183

I do not know how long phytofeast lasts in a fridge.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I'll prolly run all parameters later today. It's gonna be a fairly big maintenance day for me.

I pulled my pod culture into a bucket, diluted it 50% with fresh salt water and cleaned out their vessel. It was pretty gross but afterwards I ran a nitrate test on the clean culture and it's at 2 now.

My phytofeast I use stays in the fridge for multiple months, maybe 2, is this past it's usage days?

View attachment 3123183

I’d venture to say, it’s not very alive after two months in the fridge at least most of it is not

 

[Aluco]

Ok I've got my parameter tests. I can for sure live with these numbers, would like to see phosphates down a bit. Kh is a tad higher than it normally is but I'll take it if it means keeping that lovely ph number. What do you think? Should I put new gfo in my reactor?

 

[Boehmtown]

If I start chaeto is a 1/2 cup enough? It's just a small chamber inside the sump. Also, I was looking at a 15w clip on grow lamp that has blue and red, or purple when using both channels, would that work for what I'm aiming to do? Sump chamber is only like 6"x6"

I've had maximum results with Refugiums by running the light 24/7 and just turning the algae with a pair of large tweezers once or twice a day. (I check my sump twice a day anyway so it's easy, and it becomes a cylinder) that and vodka dosing have been two things that have let me process mass amounts of nutrients, I over feed at a criminal level. Half my water is food. And I have issues keeping any nutrients in the tank for the corals

 

[Aluco]

Well thank you guys, I changed out my gfo too. Went with another brand from an lfs. Everything else is going much better tho so thanks for all the advice. Here's a couple pictures of my reef back on track.