Battling nitrates

[HankstankXXL750]

Ok ok I know! I overstock my tanks, I feed too much to keep fishies from being aggressive. But I change a lot of water way to often.
My reefs are running around 10-15 one is 110g one 210g. One of my fowlers 75g runs in the 40’s and my 160g blew up and I finally have it to 25. But that took weekly 50% water changes. So I don’t like buying salt by the truckload, and want to reduce my nitrates naturally. And I have questions.

My Red Sea S1000 I think has a mix of grape and fern caulerpa, have really no nuisance algae in the tank and the macro doesn’t seem to flourish in the refugium chamber, is the apex grow light in all 5 tanks. I added two media chambers fed with a portion of the discharge from my UV sterilizer with Seachem Matrix as a method to try to convert nitrate to nitrogen. Haven’t seen a tremendous change but had to break it down to use the matrix for bio filter in a QT.

My Red Sea XL525 runs in that same 15ppm with 50% water changes weekly to every 10 days. Moved most of the live rock to the S1000 when I set it up early March as I had out grown the 110g. Saved some of it and used some cleaned dry rock that I had taken out of something or just didn’t use when I set something up. Have a GHA issue in this tank, primarily on the dry rock I introduced. (Used dry in the S1000 build no GHA). Haven’t had any good grazers in this tank, added a starry blenny two weeks ago and 6 tangs Friday, hoping that helps. I added a media chamber to this tank 1 month ago. Not seeing an appreciable change in nitrates yet. Been running around 4-6 weeks with the chamber.

XXXL750 think I actually got it in the 200 range. Had someone watch them over spring break in March. When I got home and figured it out I started changing at least 100 gallons per week got it to 25 this week.
took the media chamber from this tank and added it to the S1000 (that’s why it has two), and added an ice cap medium algae scrubber in it around two weeks ago. Just harvested the scrubber and the refugium. Refugium grins grape caulerpa pretty well removed football sized batch leaving some behind for seed.

1. what is the best macro algae for refugium and why?
ie. Rate of growth, more importantly amount of nitrate it consumes.
2. best equipment for nitrate removal?
ie. Algae scrubber, media reactor (which brand and what media) etc.
3. To rinse or not to rinse frozen foods?
I feed dried sea weed in Two Little Fishies pouch feeders (best dried seaweed feeder I have found to date)

I feed north fin sinking veggie pellets 1mm small fish, 2mm 3-4” tangs, just got 3mm but haven’t offered yet prepping for angels in my coming build.

I feed Hykari frozen mysis, spirulina brine shrimp, and brine shrimp (is frozen brine really beneficial? And is it redundant when I feed the spirulina for the grazers?)

I feed frozen raw deveined and peeled shrimp, silversides, squid, krill, acallops and live mussels to my predators.

I have amphipods and copepods in my refugiums (except the predator tank) I get them and put a portion in the tank and the rest in the fuge and since I have them visible in the fuge I assume they are throughout the tank?

any answers would be great.
Love this platform, read lots and lots of threads, but just joined this week.

 

[blaxsun]

1. No idea - I don't run a refugium (maybe something I'll look at down the road).
2. Nyos Torq G2 2.0 reactor with Nyos Zeo (seems to keep the nitrates in my 750XXL to between 15-20ppm without intervention).
3. I used to rinse - but I just don't have time anymore. More chum for the corals!

 

[Spare time]

What is the phosphate level?

 

[G Santana]

My N03 spiked at 78 or so, I got it down dosing Vodka, it slowly dropped to 3 over 12 weeks.
Vodka works and you can enjoy a nightcap as your tank lights go out.

 

[doubleshot00]

I don’t think rinsing frozen food helps nitrates but does help phosphates. Stop using pellets. Ive been told this over and over. Refugium will help eventually but takes time. Mine been up for two weeks now and hasn’t done a thing but light up the back of the tank once the lights are off.

Feed less and more water changes are the solution imo or dose something.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

1. No idea - I don't run a refugium (maybe something I'll look at down the road).
2. Nyos Torq G2 2.0 reactor with Nyos Zeo (seems to keep the nitrates in my 750XXL to between 15-20ppm without intervention).
3. I used to rinse - but I just don't have time anymore. More chum for the corals!

I was looking into phosphates the other day and saw someone mentioning rinsing. I never have and just don’t know if I’m introducing a lot of extra nitrates and phosphates that I don’t have too or if it is not that big of a deal.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

What is the phosphate level?

S1000 reef NO4 11.8 Phos .41
XL525 reef NO4 13.0 Phos .9
XXL750 Fowler NO4 23.5 Phos 1.08

 

[Spare time]

S1000 reef NO4 11.8 Phos .41
XL525 reef NO4 13.0 Phos .9
XXL750 Fowler NO4 23.5 Phos 1.08

I would typically say a refugium lit 24/7 could handle this. In the tank with the caulerpa that isn't growing well, do you dose any trace elements?

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I don’t think rinsing frozen food helps nitrates but does help phosphates. Stop using pellets. Ive been told this over and over. Refugium will help eventually but takes time. Mine been up for two weeks now and hasn’t done a thing but light up the back of the tank once the lights are off.

Feed less and more water changes are the solution imo or dose something.

That’s a terrible answer since I just got in a whole new order of all three sizes of pellets. I was mainly using them for my herbivores as I couldn’t keep the dried seaweed from pulling out of the clip (disintegrating) until I recently got the new holders I linked to. And my algae is pretty non existent in the S1000 with the tangs.

I did start cutting back on feeding. Just don’t know the right point, know well fed fish don’t fight as much and I love my tangs and mix and match them.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I would typically say a refugium lit 24/7 could handle this. In the tank with the caulerpa that isn't growing well, do you dose any trace elements?

Fusion 1 and Fusion 2 only. Plus water changes with Fritz Blue Box

 

[Spare time]

I would not cut back feeding. Many of these fish eat constantly, and some tangs can even begin signs of starving 6 hours without food

 

[Spare time]

Fusion 1 and Fusion 2 only. Plus water changes with Fritz Blue Box

I would consider something like chaetogro. I would recommend a potassium and iodine test kit, as it has both of these. Sometimes that may limit macro algae growth

 

[doubleshot00]

That’s a terrible answer since I just got in a whole new order of all three sizes of pellets. I was mainly using them for my herbivores as I couldn’t keep the dried seaweed from pulling out of the clip (disintegrating) until I recently got the new holders I linked to. And my algae is pretty non existent in the S1000 with the tangs.

I did start cutting back on feeding. Just don’t know the right point, know well fed fish don’t fight as much and I love my tangs and mix and match them.

My fish wont use the clip they are scared of it

I was feeding heavy to lately and am paying the price for it (super high phosphates). My fish have learned to and think they are always supposed to eat. Ao gotta retrain them to peck on the rock work and find other things to munch on. I cut back ti feeding once a day. And no more dry food. Only nori in the clii bag 3x a week.

 

[Spare time]

If you are feeding heavily, it may benefit you to get a fleece roller. How often do you swap the filter socks out (assuming you use them)?

 

[vetteguy53081]

First assure you are Not getting false readings by testing with another testing source.
Other methods are :

• Remove Detritus
• Reduce Food Quantity
• Perform regular Water Changes
• Rinse Frozen Foods
• Utilize a Clean-Up-Crew with hermits, other crabs and scavengers
• Increase Nitrification Bacteria with liquid bacteria such as microBacter xlm
• Install a Refugium or Algae Scrubber
• Install a Bio Pellet Reactor

 

[HankstankXXL750]

1. No idea - I don't run a refugium (maybe something I'll look at down the road).
2. Nyos Torq G2 2.0 reactor with Nyos Zeo (seems to keep the nitrates in my 750XXL to between 15-20ppm without intervention).
3. I used to rinse - but I just don't have time anymore. More chum for the corals!

They are out of stock. I’ll keep looking.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

If you are feeding heavily, it may benefit you to get a fleece roller. How often do you swap the filter socks out (assuming you use them)?

Clean them weekly with water change. Looking into a fleece roller didn’t get it ordered in time so waiting for them to be available. I also suspend my return pumps with my Alex and drop my Nero’s to 1% when I feed so the food stays with the fish and not in the sump.

 

[PeterEde]

10-15?
That's nothing. I was running as high as 60ppm.
Installed bio bricks
created refugium with LR, cheato and culerpa. dosed NOPOX.
I am only now down in the 20's ppm. My softies seem to like mid 20's.
I have just put in my first SPS due to advice of others.
I'll be happy to keep my NO3 at 20-30 I think. I keep reading SPS loves a bit more NO3

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I’m only keeping them there with huge water changes. Looking for methods to remove more without as much water changing with the amount of fish and feeding. I added a scrubber to my Fowler. Trying to get as much info as I can to make informed decisions before buying and adding new equipment.

 

[PeterEde]

My WC is 20 liter per week. I did a 50% once and caused all sorts of grief. I wont do that again.
I managed to get my NO3 down using refugium, biobrick(Mantis/GenesisRock) and NOPOX.