Best way to lower nitrates?

[Breakthecycle2]

My point was acans, blastos and zoas are not suffering from high nitrates or po4. The OP needs to explore other reasons for those corals not being happy.

So what could they be suffering from? Im really clueless as this has never happened to me.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Any ideas...feel free to let me know.

 

[CodyRVA]

Any ideas...feel free to let me know.

Don't get hung up on it. If all of your corals were looking bad then i would worry. The fact some are doing ok tells me that the conditions are not unbearable. Fight those nitrates, get your parameters back in check and go from there. At least you can then rule out chemistry as an issue for your struggling corals. Don't give up! I've had the seals on two tanks break in a matter of 6 weeks and wanted to throw in the towel, nitrates are cake! :mad:

 

[RoyalGrammaJohn]

Do a good size water change to get things back in order. And make sure your using GFO cause phosphates should be below 0.05

 

[Shaunv]

You said that your Ca/Alk are normal. Can you please give some more specs? What are the actual numbers? List Temp, Salinity, Ca, Alk, Mag, potassium. Also, what lights are you using, what is your light cycle, when have you last changed bulbs, etc? I agree that the problem is probably not your nitrates or phosphates.

 

[twilliard]

Do a good size water change to get things back in order. And make sure your using GFO cause phosphates should be below 0.05

There are many ways to control po4 without the use of additional media or reactors

 

[Seagars]

how much and how?

vodka bud. its magic.

one for you.... one for me.... one for you....

 

[Breakthecycle2]

You said that your Ca/Alk are normal. Can you please give some more specs? What are the actual numbers? List Temp, Salinity, Ca, Alk, Mag, potassium. Also, what lights are you using, what is your light cycle, when have you last changed bulbs, etc? I agree that the problem is probably not your nitrates or phosphates.

ALK -8.5
CAL: 420
MAG 1500
79 degrees
Salinty 1.022
Do not know potassium

I run 3 Radion G3. On at 1PM, just blues until 3PM until 7PM, blues until 11PM.

250 gallon system.

 

[rgoodson]

Also, double check the Nitrate measurements that API test kit are giving you. I stopped using them about a month ago because after several months-even if you shake the reagent bottles, they seem to start showing high readings. You can also use vinegar or biopellets to reduce nitrates. Just had this problem myself soo....I am running about 250 ml of biopellets in a Two little fishies reactor. Before that I was dosing 36ml of vinegar a day. Both worked great. No side effects.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I also was using TM Pro salt, I switched to Red Sea Pro over the summer, then back to TM Pro because of the high ALK. I don't think I should have because I remember my corals seeming to do very well.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Also, double check the Nitrate measurements that API test kit are giving you. I stopped using them about a month ago because after several months-even if you shake the reagent bottles, they seem to start showing high readings. You can also use vinegar or biopellets to reduce nitrates. Just had this problem myself soo....I am running about 250 ml of biopellets in a Two little fishies reactor. Before that I was dosing 36ml of vinegar a day. Both worked great. No side effects.

Isn't NOPX the same thing? I am dosing between 10-12 ML's a day.

 

[Shaunv]

ALK -8.5
CAL: 420
MAG 1500
79 degrees
Salinty 1.022
Do not know potassium

I run 3 Radion G3. On at 1PM, just blues until 3PM until 7PM, blues until 11PM.

250 gallon system.

Parameters look pretty good. I personally like my mag little lower ~1350 and my temp closer to 77 and my Salinity at 1.025 but your parameters are still within range to not kill anything.

For your lights, how long have you had them and what intensity are you running at?

I would also suggest putting some poly filter pads in your sump to help absorb anything bad that may have inadvertently entered the tank. I have used them in the past when I had tried everything else I could think of and it worked great.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Parameters look pretty good. I personally like my mag little lower ~1350 and my temp closer to 77 and my Salinity at 1.025 but your parameters are still within range to not kill anything.

For your lights, how long have you had them and what intensity are you running at?

I would also suggest putting some poly filter pads in your sump to help absorb anything bad that may have inadvertently entered the tank. I have used them in the past when I had tried everything else I could think of and it worked great.

Yeah I didn't realize my salinty was so low, I tested it today. I have had lights since day 1, they run about 70%, 10" above the water.

 

[twilliard]

Possible bacterial flock also

 

[Triggreef]

Any ideas...feel free to let me know.

Could be anything from simple to well not simple. How are you testing sg? Refractometer? If your of by a couple numbers that could cause issues your having with some corals, not with others so much. While on salt, what brand do you use?

Possible contaminant?

Perhaps a triton test to get solid numbers, role of elementals?

What are you doing to maintain your alk and CA? If swinging alk was the cause it could be weeks of great stability and parameters before your corals recover.

What about your ro di? Tds readings? Time to change some filters perhaps?

Feeding regimen? Any way feeding could be introducing something?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Could be anything from simple to well not simple. How are you testing sg? Refractometer? If your of by a couple numbers that could cause issues your having with some corals, not with others so much. While on salt, what brand do you use?

Possible contaminant?

Perhaps a triton test to get solid numbers, role of elementals?

What are you doing to maintain your alk and CA? If swinging alk was the cause it could be weeks of great stability and parameters before your corals recover.

What about your ro di? Tds readings? Time to change some filters perhaps?

Feeding regimen? Any way feeding could be introducing something?

I was using TM Pro, I just switched to Red Sea Pro.

I test SG with a refractometer. I just tested it with RO to make sure it didn't need to be calibrated.

TDS meter reads zero out

As far as the food, I guess that could be an issue, but I only use ROE, frozen mysis, spiralina and sometimes live brine.

 

[kschweer]

Could it be your copperband or Moorish idol picking on the fleshy corals? They are known to do that sometimes. What is your stocking list? With those parameters (though not ideal) I don't think you should be having too many issues. Also maybe take a step back and try to simplify things, seems like you have have a lot going on and a lot of things changing on a regular basis. In my opinion simple is best.

 

[twilliard]

I was using TM Pro, I just switched to Red Sea Pro.

I test SG with a refractometer. I just tested it with RO to make sure it didn't need to be calibrated.

TDS meter reads zero out

As far as the food, I guess that could be an issue, but I only use ROE, frozen mysis, spiralina and sometimes live brine.

What skimmer are you using with that volume?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Could it be your copperband or Moorish idol picking on the fleshy corals? They are known to do that sometimes. What is your stocking list? With those parameters (though not ideal) I don't think you should be having too many issues. Also maybe take a step back and try to simplify things, seems like you have have a lot going on and a lot of things changing on a regular basis. In my opinion simple is best.

Well, I have two Idols. One was picking at everything fleshy, so I took him out last week and put him in QT until I figure out what to do with him. The other one and CBB I have never seen touch coral at all.

My stocking list:

Moorish Idol
CBB
Pair of pintail wrasse
Lunatus Fairy wrasse
Cleaner Wrasse
Eightline Flasher Wrasse supermale
Exquisite Wrasse Supermale
Ornate Leopard wrasse female
Pair of Macropharyngodon meleagris leopards
Potters leopard wrasse
Maculicepps Tang
Yellow Scopas Tang
Caribbean deepwater snowbass
Quoyi Parrotfish
Red Stripe Tilefish
Royal Gramma
Golden Pygmy Angel - does not touch coral. I've had him for three years

 

[Breakthecycle2]

What skimmer are you using with that volume?

BM Curve 9