Another nitrate and phosphate question

[Fishingandreefing]

Phosphate was tested .29 by Hanna and nitrate was tested 1-3 by salifer. Feed 1.5 cube mysis, dose 3.75ml acropower or reef energy daily. Reef roid and 15% water weekly.

corals are not doing good, suggestions?

120g mixed reef.

 

[Raege]

For folks to help more info on all tank parameters and their stability. DKH , Ca, mg, temp salinity
Are corals dying? What do you mean by not doing well polyp extension color etc info
Pics of corals could be helpful as well Any livestock that might pick at your corals?
The more info you can provide the better let’s get the squad
#reefsquad

 

[SPR1968]

That’s a very high phosphate reading, and a good target is around 0.03ppm so very low.

You probably don’t need to be using reef roids etc every day as that won’t be helping. I feed is once a week

I would look into using something like rowaphos a GFO which will need changing regularly to start as it will become spent. I use rowaphos in both my systems.

You may wish to start slowly to reduce the levels and just follow the instructions

Ito probably also worth posing your other parameters like alkalinity etc to see if other things might be a potential problem.

A full tank picture also helps.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Have you tds tested your water you use for tank.
chemipure blue will help in reduction of nitrate and phosphate while polishing your water.

 

[Henn]

Phosphate was tested .29 by Hanna and nitrate was tested 1-3 by salifer. Feed 1.5 cube mysis, dose 3.75ml acropower or reef energy daily. Reef roid and 15% water weekly.

corals are not doing good, suggestions?

120g mixed reef.

Hi, You are just the person I am looking for. Quick Download: I have 750 gallons of Marine Ponds in my backyard ( all documented on my threads, Henn ). The water is good enough for soft Coral and there are over 100 Dwarf Seahorses in two Breeding Corrals. There are no Nitrate Problems, no hair algae, along with the Protein Cannon, the water is prime. I designed a complete Marine System based on the Marine Ponds. It cost about $20 complete. All the instructions are in the threads along with pictures. Because no one seemed to care about Nitrate Destruction in a pond, I built a system last Saturday ( 06/20/20 ) and installed the Reactor/Protein Skimmer ( the stuff is in your Junk Drawer ). The Next morning the fish went in. On the following Friday ( 06/26/20 ) the Frags from Marine Pond 1, went in. Today ( 8 days from dry tank ) the Aqua Sculpting began. People are following the Different Tank Build. Please look at the pictures. All you need, is to use the bottom two core part. The Air Driven Pump. The old Foam Cores are tossed and replaced with a Knitted Shade Cloth ( see pictures ). The Twisted Ribbons of HDPE form tiny Anaerobic Rooms and the weave allows for large flow. It makes the Reactor equal to 1000 sq ft of Coral Sand for each sq ft of HDPE Shade Cloth wound on the Bobbins. This is not a fantasy, if you add one unit to your tank ( hide it anywhere ) and supply the air, it will begin Destroying my sworn enemy Evil Nitrate. Every sad story boils down to Nitrate. I can not let any of my Ponies go until these systems are common. The Marine Ponds have better water quality than Santa Monica Bay. Join me in testing out this potential game changing method. You have nothing to lose but your Evil Nitrate ( and maybe the cost of a single Frag if you need the parts ). Read the Threads and if you agree, shout out that testers are needed now. They will need to make their own. I only decided to show people this device last week. I don't think there has ever been anything quite like it. Things are dying from this scourge. We can do this as a community and make a difference.

 

[rhastareefer]

Hi, You are just the person I am looking for. Quick Download: I have 750 gallons of Marine Ponds in my backyard ( all documented on my threads, Henn ). The water is good enough for soft Coral and there are over 100 Dwarf Seahorses in two Breeding Corrals. There are no Nitrate Problems, no hair algae, along with the Protein Cannon, the water is prime. I designed a complete Marine System based on the Marine Ponds. It cost about $20 complete. All the instructions are in the threads along with pictures. Because no one seemed to care about Nitrate Destruction in a pond, I built a system last Saturday ( 06/20/20 ) and installed the Reactor/Protein Skimmer ( the stuff is in your Junk Drawer ). The Next morning the fish went in. On the following Friday ( 06/26/20 ) the Frags from Marine Pond 1, went in. Today ( 8 days from dry tank ) the Aqua Sculpting began. People are following the Different Tank Build. Please look at the pictures. All you need, is to use the bottom two core part. The Air Driven Pump. The old Foam Cores are tossed and replaced with a Knitted Shade Cloth ( see pictures ). The Twisted Ribbons of HDPE form tiny Anaerobic Rooms and the weave allows for large flow. It makes the Reactor equal to 1000 sq ft of Coral Sand for each sq ft of HDPE Shade Cloth wound on the Bobbins. This is not a fantasy, if you add one unit to your tank ( hide it anywhere ) and supply the air, it will begin Destroying my sworn enemy Evil Nitrate. Every sad story boils down to Nitrate. I can not let any of my Ponies go until these systems are common. The Marine Ponds have better water quality than Santa Monica Bay. Join me in testing out this potential game changing method. You have nothing to lose but your Evil Nitrate ( and maybe the cost of a single Frag if you need the parts ). Read the Threads and if you agree, shout out that testers are needed now. They will need to make their own. I only decided to show people this device last week. I don't think there has ever been anything quite like it. Things are dying from this scourge. We can do this as a community and make a difference.

uuuh I think he said he needs to bring down phos not nitrate. His nitrate is already lower than most of us would want. Stripping it completley will cause huge issues with corals and algae/dinos. Cool system though.

OP, when I was in your situation, I dosed pharma grade sodium nitrate to keep nitrates where I wanted them while dosing carbon (ESV TE+, RS NOPOX works too) to bring down the phosphate (it also lowers nitrate, which is why I was dosing it to replace). You can't bring down phosphate without sufficient nitrate present. A very very small consistent carbon dose can bring down nutrients gently, just test regularly to know where you're at and adjust at first. For my 34 gal all I needed was about 3ml of NOPOX and about 1 to 1.5ml when i switched to ESV TE+

 

[paul01609]

I use lanthanum to bring down my phosphate

 

[Doctorgori]

I use lanthanum to bring down my phosphate

I use both.. ... I’ve had issues using the recommended amt of GFO, so I use less and adjust Weekly with Brightwells Phosphat-E

 

[paul01609]

I make my own much cheaper,I buy the crystals off eBay works great

 

[saltyhog]

Just a word of caution. Be careful using GFO or lanthium to avoid overdoing it! That could bring dire consequencs...don't ask me how I know. I currently use GFO but I aim a little higher (0.06-0.1). As long as you keep it somewhere between 0.03 and 0.1, stability is the most important thing. I know there are some very successful tanks with PO4 as high as yours but they are a minority IMO.

As noted above, pictures could be a big help. Types of corals you keep is important as well.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

First, thanks for those that commented. Here are my parameters:
Salinity, 1.025, alk, 8.5, cal 420, mag 1500, phosphate .29, nitrate 1, ammonia 0, ph 8.2, temp 78.

About 2 years okd120g mixed reef and 15% weekly water change.

corals problem: sps, stn and trachy coral won’t open. Usually opens at least double it’s size.

currently running 1 cup of carbon and 3 tsp high capacity gfo (15% Of recommended dose)

I did some research that carbon won’t reduce nitrate but skimmer will. So I turn it off for now hopefully my nitrate will rise. I also feed a little more. Usually for 19 fish, 1.5 cube mysis now bumped up to 2.5 cube.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Tank was doing ok despite the high phosphate. Stuffs went down hill after I dosed flatworm exit.

I just want to see what I can do now instead of water change.

 

[Red Leader]

Stuffs went down hill after I dosed flatworm exit.

There's your cause. Flatworms released some nasty toxins in the water. Run lots of carbon and do some water changes to dilute and remove the toxins.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

There's your cause. Flatworms released some nasty toxins in the water. Run lots of carbon and do some water changes to dilute and remove the toxins.

I don’t think I have lots of flatworms. I had dealt with flatworm before and this time was the lowest in count. There were about 25 that I was able to see and I don’t see them floating around that much.

yup, did the carbon and water change the whole 9 yard after.

 

[Henn]

uuuh I think he said he needs to bring down phos not nitrate. His nitrate is already lower than most of us would want. Stripping it completley will cause huge issues with corals and algae/dinos. Cool system though.

OP, when I was in your situation, I dosed pharma grade sodium nitrate to keep nitrates where I wanted them while dosing carbon (ESV TE+, RS NOPOX works too) to bring down the phosphate (it also lowers nitrate, which is why I was dosing it to replace). You can't bring down phosphate without sufficient nitrate present. A very very small consistent carbon dose can bring down nutrients gently, just test regularly to know where you're at and adjust at first. For my 34 gal all I needed was about 3ml of NOPOX and about 1 to 1.5ml when i switched to ESV TE+

First, who are you to answer my input to someone else? Anyone who thinks that a Nitrate level of 3 is OK for a Reef Tank has issues with reality already. That Flat Worm dose and lots of other factotums are absolutely indicative of high Nitrates. High Phos ( higher than these readings, stops skeletal growth. That does not cause close ups. Usually high Nitrate >1 means other issues. The statement that Skimmers remove Nitrate is totally off the reason. The Skimmer removes Protein that may become Nitrate. In future please refrain from butting in to someone else's conversation. It is obviously rude and presumptive. If an individual that I contact wants to talk, that's fine. I did not ask to talk to you . I promise if someone leaves a thought for you, I won't jump in and take the stage. Especially if my response might seem specious or catty.