Battling nitrates, carbon dosing, need advice
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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One oddity in that chart is the fact that at long times, it seems to suggest that a 25 gallon tank will only need half of what a 1000 gallon tank needs, which doesn't seem sensible to me.
To watch their own but i ran a fuge for about a year and found that it’s just way more maintenance than i wanted to deal with. Also to macro algae does a good job of stripping out random elements that I’d rather my corals have. Yes you can dose Chaetogro etc, but then you’re just playing mad scientist. I don’t know why there’s such a negative attitude to carbon dosing. It’s so darn easy once you get it dialed in!!
Both nopox and eliminp have worked great for me! I do like TMs approach with different products though. Use eliminp to bring down high levels then switch to bactobalance to maintain the lower levels! I’m currently doing the TM method on my 40 cube and recently made the switch to bactobalance. Working great! Been running nopox on my other tank for over year and i have no complaints! Other than it does take a while to start working.
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Your question looked like it was directed at me was it not!?
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Absolutely not. It was a direct reply to the OP.
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The OP never stated the nitrates hit 60!!
I did however say that mine did which is why I replied to you!
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Biff0rz
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I didn't want to but if you read why I did it, nothing else worked. I had a refugium, macro's always died off. So I got an ATS which has been pulling gha out like crazy, but, no3 is still high. And The reason I say they're high even if your target is 40, my corals are not happy when its this high so I need to do something.
Biff0rz
Valuable Member
I have phosphate - 0.13 tested yesterday with hanna, and I'm running GFO. I could turn off the GFO reactor to help the po4/no3 bind more. Also, very experienced with 0 po4, I had dino for about a year and it sucked. I also have dosed disodium phosphate back when it bottomed out. But, I don't need to right now with the po4 sitting steady at 0.13-0.20For this to work, you will need phosphate. If phosphate has been depleted, you'll need to add phosphate somehow, which can be done either by phosphate-heavy food (generally dry pellets, not frozen things), what I prefer is to add it directly to the tank as a chemical, because it's predictable and fairly precise. Food products you have readily may be very biased to nitrate, which would lead you further from your goal. Kindly look at both of the dialogues here, and Randy Holmes-Farley's responses:
Disodium Phosphate mixing
Looking for advice on how much Disodium Phosphate to add to what amount of RODI to make something similar in concentration to NeoPhos? This is what I purchased off Amazon. Thanks in advance for any help.www.reef2reef.com
Disodium Phosphate dosing calculator?
Anyone have a good dosing calculator for raising Po4 using Disodium Phosphate? All the calculators that I've run across are based on using Potassium Phosphate.
Note also that the phosphate you add, within 24 hours, may initially bind to substrate, and may continuously bind to kalk dosings.
I recommend reviewing KZ/Zeovit system instructions, if only to get a sense of how this kind of methodology works. Though you may elect not to commit to that methodology, it will be very informational. A key takeaway is to inject food sources (kindly make a note of the Zeovit reactor), as well as a being methodical—consistently and ramping at a reasonable pace (even with vodka, you can follow the KZ methodology as if you were using that carbon source).
There is much talk about the risk of bottoming out your nitrate or phosphate; that in the short term will pale to the issue of creating a bacterial bloom from overdose, which depending on things like temperature, can quickly deplete your water's oxygen and asphyxiate your poor pets.
KZ and other nitrate reduction techniques like ClearWater ATS or chaeo reactors require phosphate, even if the amount of phosphate consumed is very minimal—if phosphate is reduced to nothing, adding additional carbons (e.g., KZ, vinegar, alcohols, sugars), will not work; you'll need to replenish phosphate first.
Biff0rz
Valuable Member
I've been dosing accurately with a syringe. yesterday I hooked up and calibrated a versa pump - it'll be dosing between 11a-9pm when lights are one. Checking in on it today, seems to be working fine.
Biff0rz
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So yea, hanna hit 57 which is essentially 60 - there's barely any difference between 40 and 60 imo - BOTH are high.
Anyhoo my no3 range has been 35-60 over the past few months.
Anyhoo my no3 range has been 35-60 over the past few months.
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Hurricane Aquatics
Valuable Member
Sorry to hear about the job. Been there many times, hang in there. Just dose the vodka in your tank and maybe a small dose for yourself every few days .
It's not an alarming level. Actually, some Reefer would be just fine with it. Every system is different and you said yours doesn't like them that high. What does your biological media in your sump consist of? Any ceramic bricks, balls, etc?
Biff0rz
Valuable Member
Thanks, I'm doing alright. Have a few interviews this week and next, hopefully, one pans out.
sump is set up like this-
roller filter, skimmer, gfo reactor, non-active fuge with live rock, an ats, carbon filter (off), then return
Hurricane Aquatics
Valuable Member
Ok, I think your problem is lack of biological filtration. If you can swing it right now, financially and have the room in your sump, I would buy a couple of gallon bags of these and put them in your sump. Not a high flow area as you don't want them to tumble.
MarinePure Ceramic Biomedia 1 1/2” Spheres
Why does BRS recommend this? Biological filtration is the number one key to a nice and stable reef tank, and anytime we can sneak in some MarinePure Biomedia into an All in one tank, sump, or even overflows we will. We have run density tests and they have proved to be more porous than any live...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
Then for about 7 days, I would dose Brightwell Microbacter7. Your Nitrate problem will be a thing of the past once the ceramic biomedia gets established in 2 to 3 weeks.
Koty
Well-Known Member
I also recomend TM Elimi NP as well as KZ sponge power. I have a lps reef tank with many heavily fed fish. However, even with a cheato refuge and a powerful skimmer, phosphates are a bit high (0.2-0.3 ppm). Corals are happy...but algea are happy as well.
Biff0rz
Valuable Member
I'm confused by this - I have around 250lbs of LR in the display and another 50 in the sump. How will adding these help the bio filtration? I'd argue I have a lot but willing to learn what other options areOk, I think your problem is lack of biological filtration. If you can swing it right now, financially and have the room in your sump, I would buy a couple of gallon bags of these and put them in your sump. Not a high flow area as you don't want them to tumble.
MarinePure Ceramic Biomedia 1 1/2” Spheres
Why does BRS recommend this? Biological filtration is the number one key to a nice and stable reef tank, and anytime we can sneak in some MarinePure Biomedia into an All in one tank, sump, or even overflows we will. We have run density tests and they have proved to be more porous than any live...
Then for about 7 days, I would dose Brightwell Microbacter7. Your Nitrate problem will be a thing of the past once the ceramic biomedia gets established in 2 to 3 weeks.
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