Zero phosphate and 50 nitrate

[oualid]

My goal is to reduce the nitrate levels, which are currently extremely high at 50 ppm.
I have been using NO3PO4-X for two weeks, but despite this, the nitrate levels have not decreased, although the phosphate levels are now zero.
My sump is filled with chaetomorpha algae, but they do not seem to effectively reduce the nitrates.
How can I effectively lower the nitrate levels without disturbing the phosphate balance too much?

 

[Dan_P]

My goal is to reduce the nitrate levels, which are currently extremely high at 50 ppm.
I have been using NO3PO4-X for two weeks, but despite this, the nitrate levels have not decreased, although the phosphate levels are now zero.
My sump is filled with chaetomorpha algae, but they do not seem to effectively reduce the nitrates.
How can I effectively lower the nitrate levels without disturbing the phosphate balance too much?

You will have to add phosphate.

Is the Cheatomorpha growing at all?

 

[oualid]

You will have to add phosphate.

Is the Cheatomorpha growing at all?

Yes they are growing very well.

 

[J.Hapuku]

Can I jump on this cold thread? I have the same problem. For the last 5 months I’ve had phosphate at 0.03 and Nitrate at 30. Both Hannah checker tests. I added 7 SPS 8 weeks ago and I think it’s hit is spurt in the last 2 weeks because my cal, alk, and phos all dropped. Phos dropped to 0.00 but Nitrate climbed from 30 to 40 in the same period. I’m not sure what to make of this pattern, or what to do from here.

Chaeto had never grown in my fuge. disabled it for years. Tried a chaeto fuge again 12 weeks ago to sustain pods in an effort to combat nitrates. Pods vanish in 4-7 days. Chaeto grew the first 2 weeks then never again since. Then my LFS said adding more coral will combat nitrates/phosphates so I added those after the chaeto.

60 gal display. 25 gal sump. 2.5” sand bed for goby and wrasse. Skimmer doesn’t pull anything anymore. I’ve tuned it exhaustively. It is right-sized. No socks. 7 gal of rubble. 8x8 Marine block. UV sterilizer.

I dose BRS hybrid balling method for trace elements. SPS showing great growth.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Jasongtr]

Sounds like you might experience dinos. My phosphate bottomed out and nitrates were fairly high (though not quite your level) and I had a dino problem, keep an eye on it

 

[J.Hapuku]

I might be; it’s a deep green color of film algae only on the lower rocks (<2” from the sand) and on about 15% of the sand. I want to avoid chemicals and solve the root issue. Tank is 9 years old. I replaced the sand about 1 year ago, and half the rocks 6 months ago. That film has been around for a long time but never a real issue. I’ll research what to do and consider any advice you have! Thanks.

 

[Jasongtr]

I might be; it’s a deep green color of film algae only on the lower rocks (<2” from the sand) and on about 15% of the sand. I want to avoid chemicals and solve the root issue. Tank is 9 years old. I replaced the sand about 1 year ago, and half the rocks 6 months ago. That film has been around for a long time but never a real issue. I’ll research what to do and consider any advice you have! Thanks.

I've only experienced dinos that one time and had to get a positive ID with a microscope on the Facebook dino page, once confirmed I stopped doing water changes (albeit for too long) and dosed silicate to introduce diatoms to out compete the dinos, this worked very well too, although our dino issue wasn't too bad, I did also remove all our sand at the same time but I was always thinking of doing that as it was being blown around too much. Once the diatoms subsided I got a short brown hair algae, not sure if that was a progression of the situation or the fact we stopped water changes and the nitrates went up to 60.

That was 9 months ago and the levels are 0.03 phosphate and 8.2 nitrate currently, our phosphate did zero briefly again but I now dose monopotassium phosphate to add a bit back