High Nitrate , "OK" Phosphate - How to Proceed

[ilikefish69]

My nitrates are out of control. I use a Salifert test and an API test to double check, and I can't keep them from pushing 50-60 ppm in between bi-weekly 20% water changes.

Phosphates are staying in the 0.1 - 0.2 range, depending on feeding schedule and GFO. I have been okay with this level since it has held very stable in that range. I can't afford the HANNA testers for ULR stuff, I am going off of color charts, but I've done enough tests that I have a lot of "relative to" information from the many tests I run.

The tank's main and really only problem is 1) crap ton of sponges and I mean 1000's and 2) my SPS are turning white on the tops of some of the branches

I can't wrap my mind around the nutrient levels. As of 2/16 after WC the no3 levels were 25 and it is now testing over 50 ppm.

Bioload is 13 fish in a 125 with 50 gal sump , skimmer, chaeto, socks, carbon, gfo, and floss in the bubble trap.

Recommendations ? I can provide pictures when I get home from work if that is helpful, sure it would be.

 

[bakbay]

I would recommend getting a second opinion on your water parameters. I suspect your N bottomed out vs in the 50s -- SPS tips shouldn't burn with higher nutrients, should turn brown instead. My nitrate is in the high 20s and SPS are doing well. In fact, some are growing like weeds! If your N is too high (e.g. 50+) perhaps reduce feeding given that you have 13 fish. Again, validate your params first before taking next steps.

More importantly, what are your top 3: Alk, Ca, and Mg? Specifically, I would look closely at Alk swings since you're doing 20% WCs. btw: I used to be in your camp many years ago so I have stopped doing WCs. Things are way more stable through routine testing and dosing. That's just me and YMMV. As a reminder, nothing happens fast in a reef. Take your time - gather data and take actions SLOWLY!

 

[dadnjesse]

New growth on SPS tips are white. Do you have pictures.

 

[ilikefish69]

I lost my paper of testing between 1/19 and 2/16, somewhere it sits……..

I will post full tank pic when I get home but there are params.

kH and PH I have no idea what happened, I had the water sitting on my desk here at work for 5-6 hours open before I tested it, no way either of those are under 7, need new sample of water this afternoon

 

[bushdoc]

Best strategy to lower Nitrates would be carbon dosing, like vinegar or vodka or biopellet reactor.
Carbon dosing will mostly lower Nitrates, but there will be also some secondary smaller effect on phosphates. I used to dose vinegar with good results.

 

[ilikefish69]

I have an ICP test I need to send in, maybe I will do that today and get some firm numbers. All soft and LPS are very very happy, and the white tips are only happening on 1 type of SPS cali tort, but I have 3 frags in different locations and it happened to all of them.

wife sent pics sorry if not great quality my orphek lens is with me so can’t get a great pic

 

[StatelineReefer]

That doesn't look like tip burn...


this does.

You're doing great, your numbers are not dangerous in any way.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My nitrates are out of control. I use a Salifert test and an API test to double check, and I can't keep them from pushing 50-60 ppm in between bi-weekly 20% water changes.

Phosphates are staying in the 0.1 - 0.2 range, depending on feeding schedule and GFO. I have been okay with this level since it has held very stable in that range. I can't afford the HANNA testers for ULR stuff, I am going off of color charts, but I've done enough tests that I have a lot of "relative to" information from the many tests I run.

The tank's main and really only problem is 1) crap ton of sponges and I mean 1000's and 2) my SPS are turning white on the tops of some of the branches

I can't wrap my mind around the nutrient levels. As of 2/16 after WC the no3 levels were 25 and it is now testing over 50 ppm.

Bioload is 13 fish in a 125 with 50 gal sump , skimmer, chaeto, socks, carbon, gfo, and floss in the bubble trap.

Recommendations ? I can provide pictures when I get home from work if that is helpful, sure it would be.

Take a water sample to an LFS that does not use Api kits and see what readings they come up with and may be time for an ICP test

 

[ilikefish69]

The main stem shooting out to the right is white and has algae started growing on it. When I did reef flux, a chunk of bryopsis attached to it and started growing, until the second round of reef flux wiped out all bryopsis, maybe that could have hurt it, but it is definitely not doing well started off as 4x3” was really neat looking piece

 

[ilikefish69]

Take a water sample to an LFS that does not use Api kits and see what readings they come up with and may be time for an ICP test

No LFS in Indiana as far as I know use anything, I tried to get my LFS to test using Hanna I said I’d pay them but it’s API or bust.

I have the ATI ready to mail out for ICP, I am at the 1 yr mark in March, so I think that is a good call. Need to sell some of this coral and invest in some ULR Hanna. They don’t sell them used for much less than new, but that says something about quality of the product so can’t complain. Is expensive hobby and we all know that

 

[sczlars]

I ended up installing a sulfur denitrator (sulfur reactor) on my tank. A little tricky to get started, but this thing actually works! I couldn't do enough water changes..

 

[vetteguy53081]

No LFS in Indiana as far as I know use anything, I tried to get my LFS to test using Hanna I said I’d pay them but it’s API or bust.

I have the ATI ready to mail out for ICP, I am at the 1 yr mark in March, so I think that is a good call. Need to sell some of this coral and invest in some ULR Hanna. They don’t sell them used for much less than new, but that says something about quality of the product so can’t complain. Is expensive hobby and we all know that

Good to hear. While waiting for ICP results, change water at 3/gals a day which will keep levels at bay and restore traces and other question:
Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?
If RODI water- what is the TDS from unit?

 

[bakbay]

I ended up installing a sulfur denitrator (sulfur reactor) on my tank. A little tricky to get started, but this thing actually works! I couldn't do enough water changes..

I’ve done that before but had to shut that down. It will bottom out your N faster once it’s up & running. Also, it will use consume Alk in the process so keep an eye on it as well.

Besides, my wife was concerned about the rotten egg smell and assured her that it was not her cooking! ha

 

[ilikefish69]

Pics from current state of tank

 

[sczlars]

Hahaha, yea the rotten egg smell happened once when I did something dumb. My Nitrates seem to be coming in for a soft landing, at around 4ppm, and I'm keeping a close eye on things. If it gets too low I'll reconfigure it with less sulfur. Yes indeed about the alk; I'm dosing 20ml alk supplement per day to make up for that loss, as well as what the GFO consumes. Seriously though, I really wish I'd known about this device years ago. My current tank with its fish has been very problematic on the nitrates, and the advice from the LFS wasn't useful.

 

[ilikefish69]

Good to hear. While waiting for ICP results, change water at 3/gals a day which will keep levels at bay and restore traces and other question:
Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?
If RODI water- what is the TDS from unit?

I’m storing RODI at 0 TDS in a tub, and it is hooked up to 5 gallon with float valve. I have changed the filters twice now, on my 3rd set and pretty easy to get 0 out of the filter , 4 stage standard set up. Will do the 3 gallon per day, filling a 55 brute and will just keep two empty 5 gallon buckets close by. Part of the morning routine. Pretty ugly but right now we have limited space so I’m making it work..

for the ICP do I need to log in my account I am sending the test out, or do they link them up on their end once received?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m storing RODI at 0 TDS in a tub, and it is hooked up to 5 gallon with float valve. I have changed the filters twice now, on my 3rd set and pretty easy to get 0 out of the filter , 4 stage standard set up. Will do the 3 gallon per day, filling a 55 brute and will just keep two empty 5 gallon buckets close by. Part of the morning routine. Pretty ugly but right now we have limited space so I’m making it work..

for the ICP do I need to log in my account I am sending the test out, or do they link them up on their end once received?

You need to set up an account and assign the test to your account with a Bar coded label in which they will send your results to the given email address

 

[bakbay]

I lost my paper of testing between 1/19 and 2/16, somewhere it sits……..

I will post full tank pic when I get home but there are params.

kH and PH I have no idea what happened, I had the water sitting on my desk here at work for 5-6 hours open before I tested it, no way either of those are under 7, need new sample of water this afternoon

Looking at your N — I suspect your test kit is giving you false readings and that you’ve been hovering around 59-60 all this time, as you can also see on the rocks. That said, I don’t think the high nitrate is killing your SPS. Be interesting to see ICP test results.

Your Alk is jumping from 13 to 7 (current) - again, is this (close to) accurate? I would recommend stabilizing Alk — you can shoot for low 8s but the goal is stability. You don’t have to dial in to a magic number but whatever you pick, make sure it’s not exceeding 1dKH swings in a day. I run mine between 8.5ish to 9. My Apex will kill the CaRx if Alk is greater than 9.

 

[ilikefish69]

You need to set up an account and assign the test to your account with a Bar coded label in which they will send your results to the given email address

Got the account all set up and ready to roll, directions were helpful after I figure out how to make website English … ope

 

[ilikefish69]

Looking at your N — I suspect your test kit is giving you false readings and that you’ve been hovering around 59-60 all this time, as you can also see on the rocks. That said, I don’t think the high nitrate is killing your SPS. Be interesting to see ICP test results.

Your Alk is jumping from 13 to 7 (current) - again, is this (close to) accurate? I would recommend stabilizing Alk — you can shoot for low 8s but the goal is stability. You don’t have to dial in to a magic number but whatever you pick, make sure it’s not exceeding 1dKH swings in a day. I run mine between 8.5ish to 9. My Apex will kill the CaRx if Alk is greater than 9.

I had high alk back in December but it’s slowly been dropping down to 8.2-8.8 range and stable, I just retested the kH and it is now 7 possibly lower, it has never been this low, but PH tested 8-8.2 again. The torch I’ve had is as fat and fluffy as I’ve seen and I’m getting new zoa polyps like crazy. I might need to invest in a different alkalinity test kit. I added another light to my chaeto and got it tumbling, wasn’t looking too hot after I borrowed the light to grow some more phyto. Can’t be the cause too much because I’ve had that for a few months now and had to harvest about 3x as much as I start with each time.

ICP test is going out tomorrow, that will help me decide which test kits I really need to invest in. I would be pretty close to losing 2 Hanna testers worth of coral over the last year, if only time machines were a thing…

I am loving this torch, think it is “cotton candy” also bonus points if u find the mandarin in the picture lol