0 nitrate, .25 phosphate
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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Chemipure in an organic resin. The Elite incorporates GFO into the product.
Mikeand Mel
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I originally thought 0 nitrate was good, but now with an algae or Dino problem and a phos level of .17 Ian reading that NO3 should be higher than phos.
Dosed vibrant in hopes of clearing up problem.
Up until now everything seemed fine.
Dosed vibrant in hopes of clearing up problem.
Up until now everything seemed fine.
Unless you are driving nitrate low with artificial means, nobody likely has truly zero nitrate. In a naturally run system, there always has to be some to drive the equilibrium - mine test at zero on a hobby test kit, but are around .1 on a more detailed main-in analysis. You are/were right. Near zero, or testing at zero, is not a problem. IMO, this has only really been a "problem" since dry rock has been used to add in phosphates at an artificially high level.
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Mikeand Mel
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I got the rock from a friend who does tank maintenance, he has a pallet in his back yard of rock from tanks hes torn down over the years.
Cycled it with Microbacter7 started tank Feb of 2017. Used the TTM for fish. Quarantined corals for 76 days. Trying to do everything right but still end up with this algae/dino problem (still not sure which).
I hate adding anything not natural.
Cycled it with Microbacter7 started tank Feb of 2017. Used the TTM for fish. Quarantined corals for 76 days. Trying to do everything right but still end up with this algae/dino problem (still not sure which).
I hate adding anything not natural.
Mikeand Mel
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Im back with an update on whatever scourge I had. All algae/dinos have disappeared for now. Still have bubble algae.
What I did: Temp steady at 78.6
12/16 Started with a dose of sodium nitrate. Brought NO3 to 4.5
12/17 Added dose of Vibrant.
12/19 Added another dose of sodium nitrate. NO3 was 1 PO4 .07
12/20 Started tank blackout and added second dose Vibrant.
12/23 Opened tank back up, most algae dinos almost completely gone, sand clear, used only blue lights today. NO3 4.5 PO4 .37 pH 7.93
12/24 Started using regular lighting.....reduced schedule 3hrs full spectrum....added 3rd does sodium nitrate.
12/26 Blue lights on 9hrs, full spectrum 5hrs.......corals look good....no noticeable algae anywhere.
12/28 Noticed someone(my wife) unplugged the ATO on 12/25.......Sump low....Salinity 1.027...added 1/2 back
12/29 Added rest of Top off in morning.
Evening corals look great! Salinity 1.025
NO3 8
PO4 .71 <----ouch
Mg 1400
Cal 400
pH 8.19
Im worried about PO4.....what should I do???
Read Randy's article on PO4....makes me nervous about GFO....don't want NO3 to bottom out.
Is PO4 still recommended at .02?
Thanks.
What I did: Temp steady at 78.6
12/16 Started with a dose of sodium nitrate. Brought NO3 to 4.5
12/17 Added dose of Vibrant.
12/19 Added another dose of sodium nitrate. NO3 was 1 PO4 .07
12/20 Started tank blackout and added second dose Vibrant.
12/23 Opened tank back up, most algae dinos almost completely gone, sand clear, used only blue lights today. NO3 4.5 PO4 .37 pH 7.93
12/24 Started using regular lighting.....reduced schedule 3hrs full spectrum....added 3rd does sodium nitrate.
12/26 Blue lights on 9hrs, full spectrum 5hrs.......corals look good....no noticeable algae anywhere.
12/28 Noticed someone(my wife) unplugged the ATO on 12/25.......Sump low....Salinity 1.027...added 1/2 back
12/29 Added rest of Top off in morning.
Evening corals look great! Salinity 1.025
NO3 8
PO4 .71 <----ouch
Mg 1400
Cal 400
pH 8.19
Im worried about PO4.....what should I do???
Read Randy's article on PO4....makes me nervous about GFO....don't want NO3 to bottom out.
Is PO4 still recommended at .02?
Thanks.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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THe phosphate is not a big problem if algae is not a problem, but slowly reducing it with GFO is a fine way to go. Just take it slow.
I assume this is a typo and you mean phosphate? reducing phosphate with GFO won't cause nitrate to decline.
"makes me nervous about GFO....don't want NO3 to bottom out."
I assume this is a typo and you mean phosphate? reducing phosphate with GFO won't cause nitrate to decline.
"makes me nervous about GFO....don't want NO3 to bottom out."
Mikeand Mel
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I had been struggling with undetectable levels of NO3, thinking that was great. Always had about .40 of PO4.
Worried GFO will lower NO3 also.
As far as GFO goes I have a Phosban reactor, and have both NPX bioplastic and Phosban...any recommendations?
Isn't .71 a little too high? Everyone seems to be under .10.
Read plenty on dino site about keeping NO3 10 and PO4 above .10.
Your thoughts?
I would love to see a pic of your tank. Are there any on this site?
Worried GFO will lower NO3 also.
As far as GFO goes I have a Phosban reactor, and have both NPX bioplastic and Phosban...any recommendations?
Isn't .71 a little too high? Everyone seems to be under .10.
Read plenty on dino site about keeping NO3 10 and PO4 above .10.
Your thoughts?
I would love to see a pic of your tank. Are there any on this site?
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It won't lower nitrate. I'd lower phosphate, but even 1 ppm can lead to a great tank:
https://reefs.com/magazine/skeptical-reefkeeping-ix-test-kits-chasing-numbers-and-phosphate/
Rich’s 150 gallon display, on a 300 gallon system, is running a phosphate level of 1.24 ppm, a level at 24.8 times higher than the often recommended .05 ppm. Photo by Richard Ross.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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In general, I think the issue is that something needs to limit algae. If it is not nutrients (or fish, etc.), it might be a trace element such as iron. SO elevated phosphate is not always OK.
