- Joined
- Oct 12, 2019
- Messages
- 1,849
- Reaction score
- 3,210
- Review score
- +0 /0 /-0
- Location
- Long Beach, CA
If they're skinny, they need more. If they're fat, they need less. It's no more complicated then that.
Haha. Love it.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
If they're skinny, they need more. If they're fat, they need less. It's no more complicated then that.
Here is what I did when I had super high phosphate and nitrates (.9 phosphate and 50 Nitrates). I had good growth, but I noticed a lot of algae popping up all over (bubble, hair, cyano).
1. Water changes- lots in small amounts. Phosphates and Nitrates bind to rocks so when you start to drop the rocks release what they are holding which creates a yo-yo affect. You could test today and be at .2 and then tomorrow be at .4, that could just be the rocks releasing it. I did 7 gallons every three day on a 90 gallons of water for 2 weeks. I tested regularly to make sure I wasn't bottoming out.
2. Cut coral feeding to once a week. I noticed in the BRS food the have Reef Roids which are really high in phosphates. Corals get a lot of food from the fish poop and sunlight so the extra we give them doesn't need to be daily. I feed 4-5 pellets in the morning and a cube of frozen mysis at night. Once a week, the day before a water change, I mix 1/2tsp of Reef Roids with a cube a mysis and spot feed my corals. I also put a sheet of Nori in each day, however, I pull it at night as Nori is high in Nitrates so you don't want to leave it in all day.
3. I added a bag of Phosguard that I change one a month.
4. I added more live rock to the sump as this is a good converter of nutrients
It took probably 2-3 months to drop it down to .19 phosphate and 15 Nitrates. I'm happy with it there as I have softies and they like the water a little dirtier.
The reef chili I would think would be a better option than the pellets, both for the fish and the parameter issue, maybe next time you make it, drop all the power foods and coral foods that recipe has.
+1 to feed less as everyone else stated lol
I'm in the same boat and holding my po4 at .1 with phosgaurd at 1c per week for a 75g and 1/2c per week for a 32g. My no3 stays around 20
I feed the fish twice daily a mix of mysis, blood worms, brine shrimp, and spirulina...about a half inch cube of it all mixed.
I feed corals 3 times a week with
Benepets
Reefroids
Oyster feast
About 10ml of this mix
Red sea AB+ 10ml
I tried to feed once a week but I noticed less vibrancy from my corals. I am ok with running phosgaurd as my corals are super happy
This is a battle we all have
@esther Thanks for examining this issue. It’s timely for me as I have a smaller Waterbox (the 170) and a similar challenge with higher phosphate and nitrate.
I’m not suggesting that you change your approach, but I’m curious if you considered using the refugium for the Waterbox? I’m asking because I feel like the refugium might be too small and it’s not keeping my phosphates and nitrates in check.
A new test to check would be good, both salifert and nyos are good, if using the salifert a good way to judge the correct colour on the chart is to use a 2nd test tube of just tank water, the same amount as for the test, so for the salifert 1ml, put the plain water over the colour and the one with the reagents in on the white part of the card, when the 2 match that’s your reading, if you do that the salifert is very good.
what lvl do you want? If you are still around 25 nitrates and now .1 phosphate I don’t think you need to anything drastic, unless you are going for an ultra low nutrient tank, a water change will bring that down a bit more, if it doesn’t I would look to where the nitrate is coming from rather than just dosing to get rid of it, if it’s not coming from food then where?
2 weeks is not a long time, unless it’s an emergency I would look to make changes very slowly, I don’t think you are at that point to be trying to add a higher dose or other options yet.
Good tip on the salifert test. That's what I'm using. I was actually thinking of using the hanna test tubes for the test instead of the salifert plastic test vial to see if I get the same results.
I'm looking to get back down to 5-10ppm of NO3. Do you think I should just continue the 10ml a day of the NOPOX for another two weeks and then up it to 15ml after a month of dosing 10ml/day? It's definitely not an emergency.
if you are not having any major issues, yes I would carry on for a while longer, 25 is not high, and 2 weeks is a very short time to see results, you don’t want to see big changes fast, that would cause their own issues.
keep a very close eye on the rowaphos, that can strip phosphate down to 0 very fast, and you don’t want that, being at .1 you are in the range where you want to be, you can come down a bit more but not much, again if you are not having any issues there is no rush.
I test NO3 & PO4 every morning. I think my rocks are leaching PO4 slowly. They were dry when we got them. I think once my PO4 gets down to 0.05 to 0.08 I'll remove it. Will continue with the 10ml of NOPOX daily and try testing NO3 in my hanna vials tomorrow morning and see if I get a different reading.
So, I feel kind of dumb. I think I figured out my NO3 problem.... I spent like 2 hours watching skimmer videos this morning and I don't think I was using my skimmer to it's potential. I just adjusted it and all day the foam and gunk that's in the skimmer is unreal. I'm looking forward to checking my NO3 tomorrow morning to see if there is any difference.
Great news, don’t be too surprised if the reading is not too different tomorrow, the skimmer is good but don’t expect a months reduction in one day, test over the week, as long as it’s coming down that’s the main thing, and remember our hobby grade test kits may not show the drop for a few days also.