Battling High Nitrates

[slate744]

Vodka dosing is very easy. I've only been reef keeping for 7 months. Just make sure you read up on it first and use a good non flavored vodka. I used crystal skull. 12 drops in my 55 for 3 days. Seems to be working good with no harmful affect to my fish, coral, or inverts.

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[CKI]

Now i could be wrong, but i thought pods in your tank only show up with good water parameters? Tonight they are all over my glass, and this is the first time ive seen them ...

 

[mcarroll]

http://www.redseafish.com/index.aspx?id=4368
Is this the kit you are using cuz they claim it only reads up to 64 ppm.

If you are using their old-school kit - which I'm guessing from your much-higher-than-maximum reading must be the case - then I wonder about the expiration date on your (and the LFS's) kits. I don't know how long it's been since Red Sea made the old style kits, but the reagents do not last forever. This would explain everything if it's true.

See if there's an expiration date stamp on the box.

-Matt

 

[Eienna]

Now i could be wrong, but i thought pods in your tank only show up with good water parameters? Tonight they are all over my glass, and this is the first time ive seen them ...

Well, your fish are alive, aren't they? XD

On a more serious note, they consume detritus and microalgae (usually planktonic.) If there's an excess of that somewhere it would explain the population explosion, though an excess probably isn't required to keep these tiny guys fed. Also, organisms can adapt to higher nitrates over time. I don't know about the relative hardiness of pods, but considering they can be cultured in a bucket with an airstone...

 

[CKI]

Going about it the Article way
Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com
Melevsreef.com - Dosing Vodka to Lower Nitrate & Phosphate

Or per my instructions. Start out with 5mls a week, and add 5mls every week until you see them drop. If you want a drastic fast drop, you start with 5mls, and add 5mls after every 3 days that it doesn't come down. Be aware your tank will cloud up with the bacteria growth, but it will not harm anything. Make sure your skimmer is running at peak performance during this period.

After talking with Dr.Mac today about my options this is what they do in their own tanks...we had a long talk about the steps, and instead of the fast drop, i will be taking the vodka dosing slowly. time to cross my fingers!

 

[Reefing Madness]

Please keep in mind, if your going by the articles instructions, keep your pants on, as this will take a long time for you to see those numbers come down. If you read Melevs point by point, it took him 7 months to see results.

 

[CKI]

Please keep in mind, if your going by the articles instructions, keep your pants on, as this will take a long time for you to see those numbers come down. If you read Melevs point by point, it took him 7 months to see results.

yeah i only started with .01ML per 25gal... so today was .03ml ...thurs would be a total of .06ml .... Just being so new at this i dont want to start higher and cause something to happen ... if you think starting at a higher dose would be okay... where should i start? your first post i think you said 5ml ... thats a big difference from the .03 i dosed today! lol

 

[Reefing Madness]

Ok, so we are talking about 100g system. So yes, Start out at 2.5mls for the first 3 days, then up to 5mls until day 7. Then add 5mls, so now your dosing 10mls the second week. I can tell you that at about 20-25mls your Nitrates will start to come down. Im thinking your normal dosing scedule to be around 10-15mls a day once your've gotten em knocked down to where your comfortable.
Now, on the daily dosing, you need to break it up into 12 hours dosings. Don't worry if your not exact, it wont' harm anything. But if you miss a dose, don't double it up in one shot on the next dose., just go ablout your normal doseage the next day.
Doing it this way, your skimmer needs to be in top notch shape, as its going to be given a work out. The bacteria will be consuming alot of O2.
Did I miss anything? Questions?

 

[mcarroll]

I guess it's after the fact if you are already dosing vodka, but which test kit have you been using? Nitrate Pro or their old school, plain Nitrate test kit?

-Matt

 

[CKI]

I guess it's after the fact if you are already dosing vodka, but which test kit have you been using? Nitrate Pro or their old school, plain Nitrate test kit?

-Matt

I am using the API kit, i picked up a salifert kit today ... testing off the charts! lol

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

I would do 20% water changes 3 days in a row. That should lower nitrates by theory to almost nothing.

Or 80ppm if you can properly do math.

I agree. Respectfully, you need better testing kits if you're going to do saltwater.

My saifert nitrate and api are always testing identically. My salifert Calcium test is junk. I disagree with this statement. There are more appropriate tests for certain parameters and hobby goals but for nitrates that seems like a hyperbolic comment.

 

[bct15]

I just use the test strips from wal mart to test for nitrates, it doesn't give me a color change...which is good enough for me. Nitrates don't need to be monitored as harshly as alk, etc...so you don't need a super expensive test kit. As far as dosing vodka, I add 4 mL a day and I'm slowly tapering that off to less in my 230 gallon system. It works but go slow, and wait at least three days to increase dose. It takes a couple days to notice effects of increased dosage. I have a feeling I don't even need it, I started dosing because my nitrates were just over 10ppm.

 

[Eienna]

I just use the test strips from wal mart to test for nitrates, it doesn't give me a color change...which is good enough for me. Nitrates don't need to be monitored as harshly as alk, etc...so you don't need a super expensive test kit. As far as dosing vodka, I add 4 mL a day and I'm slowly tapering that off to less in my 230 gallon system. It works but go slow, and wait at least three days to increase dose. It takes a couple days to notice effects of increased dosage. I have a feeling I don't even need it, I started dosing because my nitrates were just over 10ppm.

Test strips are dangerously unreliable. Please get a liquid kit!! I've known of more than one instance where params were registering as 0 or so when something was so high it was killing fish (as confirmed by other kits.) Even the api liquid kits are better than that and (especially if you get it on amazon.com) cheaper in the long run.

 

[bct15]

Test strips are dangerously unreliable. Please get a liquid kit!! I've known of more than one instance where params were registering as 0 or so when something was so high it was killing fish (as confirmed by other kits.) Even the api liquid kits are better than that and (especially if you get it on amazon.com) cheaper in the long run.

I have some liquid tests too, but I got tired of doing them and my strip and test kits were so close to same readings that I don't feel like getting out the kit.

 

[mcarroll]

Sorry! Now I don't even know where I got that bit about Red Sea! LOL

I agree that 5 in 1 strips are handy too - I keep some around. They are no substitute for drip/digital tests so you can't use them as a cheap-out, but I have gotten consistent results when I use them. KEEP THEM DRY AND FRESH.

-Matt

 

[glb]

I'm just saying that I've gotten much more precise results with salifert for nitrates than I ever did with API. Some brands are better than others for specific tests. For example, hanna checkers are supposed to be the best but I've heard their ca test is very inaccurate. Salifert measures nitrates at a much lower level effectively. If you plan on keeping corals, I think you need that kind of precision. Not trying to give you a hard time at all. Just trying to help.

 

[mcarroll]

I'm just saying that I've gotten much more precise results with salifert for nitrates than I ever did with API. Some brands are better than others for specific tests. For example, hanna checkers are supposed to be the best but I've heard their ca test is very inaccurate. Salifert measures nitrates at a much lower level effectively. If you plan on keeping corals, I think you need that kind of precision. Not trying to give you a hard time at all. Just trying to help.

Nothing wrong with Hanna's Ca meter...it's just very sensitive to user error as there are lots of steps to potentially mess up.

You are right that not every kit is a good fit for every person though!

-Matt

 

[CKI]

I'm just saying that I've gotten much more precise results with salifert for nitrates than I ever did with API. Some brands are better than others for specific tests. For example, hanna checkers are supposed to be the best but I've heard their ca test is very inaccurate. Salifert measures nitrates at a much lower level effectively. If you plan on keeping corals, I think you need that kind of precision. Not trying to give you a hard time at all. Just trying to help.

i purchased a salifert at Dr.Macs yesterday, but i wont be using it until the api test shows my nitrates are going down... at this moment they are well over the 100ppm the salifert goes to. So no need to waste this good kit until i can actually get readings with it

 

[glb]

i purchased a salifert at Dr.Macs yesterday, but i wont be using it until the api test shows my nitrates are going down... at this moment they are well over the 100ppm the salifert goes to. So no need to waste this good kit until i can actually get readings with it

I totally agree with you there. Good luck!

 

[mcarroll]

FWIW you could dilute your sample with RODI to try and get a reading in range of your kit if you want to try and put a number on the nitrate level you are really dealing with.

50/50 tank water to RODI is good for easy math....just run the test with the mix, then double the test kit's readout for your actual nitrate level. E.g. If the test kit says you have 23 ppm, then you really have 46 ppm.

Hope this helps!

-Matt