Adding matrix

VB313 · Sep 17, 2019

Hey guys I’m adding matrix to my media rack for the first time having a nitrate issue was told adding 250 ml to a bag and placing it in my media rack would help lower it overtime also just installed a skimmer should I rinse the matrix with Rodi before adding or just toss it right in?

Tuan’s Reef · Sep 17, 2019

Rinse it and rinse it well or you’ll deal with a cloud for a week or more .

I rinse mine in tap then soak in rodi

VB313 · Sep 17, 2019

Tuan’s Reef said:
Rinse it and rinse it well or you’ll deal with a cloud for a week or more .

I rinse mine in tap then soak in rodi

Perfect should I add anything to it or just let it seed from what I already have

infinite0180 · Sep 17, 2019

Love this stuff. I keep a ton in my sump. I rinse in tap and then rodi like above. Then i just throw it in. Make sure you pull it out every month when you do a water change and give it a good rinse in the old tank water. Stuff builds up on it makes its useless...

theMeat · Sep 17, 2019

For nitrates put it in low flow area

VB313 · Sep 17, 2019

infinite0180 said:
Love this stuff. I keep a ton in my sump. I rinse in tap and then rodi like above. Then i just throw it in. Make sure you pull it out every month when you do a water change and give it a good rinse in the old tank water. Stuff builds up on it makes its useless...

Lfs people had mixed feelings about it most the people love it say it’s a one and done thing just keep

theMeat said:
For nitrates put it in low flow area

thanks. Yeah there’s mixed reviews I’m desperate to lower my nitrates ile try anything next step is probably dosing nopox

theMeat · Sep 17, 2019

Algae scrubber, big fuge, or bio pellets pretty much the only way to ‘cure’ nitrates. Matrix will help. Deep sand bed will help, water changes will help.
Must take half and rinse every coupla months.
Where nitrates get consumed more effectively is in low oxygen, so low flow is best

VB313 · Sep 17, 2019

theMeat said:
Algae scrubber, big fuge, or bio pellets pretty much the only way to ‘cure’ nitrates. Matrix will help. Deep sand bed will help, water changes will help.
Must take half and rinse every coupla months.
Where nitrates get consumed more effectively is in low oxygen, so low flow is best

It’s a biocube sooo...sandbed s a 1 1/2 at its deepest parts
No room for scruber
Currently doing water changes weekly instead of bi weekly
I have a small fuge cheato grows like weeds but really don’t think it’s helping honestly I think it could be part the issue
Biopelets is definitely a option but I would take my fuge offline to make room for it I was also under the impression I need a skimmer to run biopelets for it to all work accordingly

theMeat · Sep 17, 2019

Yes, definitely a skimmer for bio pellets.
If fuge isn’t big enough it can’t keep up.
Nitrates build up/get stored in rocks and sand so it takes a while in lower nitrate water for it to leach out. Blowing off rocks and mix 1/4 of sand bed every week right before water change is a good idea too.
Skimmer would help

VB313 · Sep 17, 2019

theMeat said:
Yes, definitely a skimmer for bio pellets.
If fuge isn’t big enough it can’t keep up.
Nitrates build up/get stored in rocks and sand so it takes a while in lower nitrate water for it to leach out. Blowing off rocks and mix 1/4 of sand bed every week right before water change is a good idea too.
Skimmer would help

really even if the tanks over 2 years old?
i do blow off rock before every water change I will start mixing ans syphoning small areas of sandbed thanks for advice

theMeat · Sep 17, 2019

VB313 said:
really even if the tanks over 2 years old?
i do blow off rock before every water change I will start mixing ans syphoning small areas of sandbed thanks for advice

Yeah. Think of rock and sand/porous stuff as bank. If the rock when new was cured than the bank was empty so plenty of room to store. If rock came from hi nitrate situation then it released instead of stored. Right now it’s been in higher levels so ...