Carbon dosing nutrient balance.

[Heres_doe_]

Ok my nitrates sit at about 15-20ish on weekly basis. Phosphates sit at .05 average. I've been running bio pellets in a reactor for over a month. I see no difference. Nitrates only go down due to water changes. How high do i have to bring my phosphates to in order for carbon dosing to work and bring down my nitrates. Or am i missing something here.

 

[blaxsun]

You can use something like NOPOX, and it will bring both your nitrates and phosphates down. As long as your phosphates don't bottom out to zero you should be fine. I'd test every 1-2 days while doing any kind of dosing, and suggest starting out at half of the recommended amount.

 

[Heres_doe_]

You can use something like NOPOX, and it will bring both your nitrates and phosphates down. As long as your phosphates don't bottom out to zero you should be fine. I'd test every 1-2 days while doing any kind of dosing, and suggest starting out at half of the recommended amount.

I'm about to the point of liquid dosing vinegar or vodka. Because i been running reactor with npx bio pellets and I've seen no change at all in over a month.

 

[Pistondog]

Use vinegar, as vodka can encourage cyano.
Nopox is a vodka and vinegar mix.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Use vinegar, as vodka can encourage cyano.
Nopox is a vodka and vinegar mix.

Thanks a lot

 

[Pistondog]

I dose vinegar, 1/2 in morning and 1/2 in evening.

 

[ColoredRock]

I'm about to the point of liquid dosing vinegar or vodka. Because i been running reactor with npx bio pellets and I've seen no change at all in over a month.

Just go slow.. 80 gal water volume and I dose manually 1 mg 2- 3 times a day.. works for me might even skip a day... but its keeping it in check.

 

[Heres_doe_]

I dose vinegar, 1/2 in morning and 1/2 in evening.

For what purpose

 

[Heres_doe_]

Just go slow.. 80 gal water volume and I dose manually 1 mg 2- 3 times a day.. works for me might even skip a day... but its keeping it in check.

Where do your nitrates sit at

 

[blaxsun]

I'm about to the point of liquid dosing vinegar or vodka. Because i been running reactor with npx bio pellets and I've seen no change at all in over a month.

I had zero luck with bio pellets in several reactors despite trying for well over a year, so I'm not convinced they really work (or if they do, it seems to be an insignificant amount).

My setup (nitrates between 3-5ppm and phosphates between 0.01-0.025ppm):

Red Sea Reefer 750XXL (mixed reef, 31 fish, well over 100 inverts)
* 4x 100-micron sock filters (changed out every 2 days)
* Nyos Quantum 160 skimmer (emptied every 3-4 days)
* Nyos Torq Reactor 1: 2.0L Nyos Zeo (changed every 2-4 months)
* Nyos Torq Reactor 2: 1.0L Nyos Carbon/Phosi-Ex (changed every 1-2 months)
* 2x MarinePure 8x4x4 bio media blocks
* 2x boxes of MarinePure 1.5" bio spheres
* 2.5ml Nyos Zero daily

That's it. No refugium, algae scrubber or any other equipment other than a 57-watt AquaUV.

 

[Pistondog]

For what purpose

I dose to encourage the bacteria. Some of us think it helps corals by facilitating po4 uptake.
Target 5 -10 ppm nitrate.

 

[Heres_doe_]

I dose to encourage the bacteria. Some of us think it helps corals by facilitating po4 uptake.
Target 5 -10 ppm nitrate.

I'm trying to get to about 7 ppm nitrates. But i meant why do you dose 1/2 now and half later instead all in one shot

 

[Pistondog]

I'm trying to get to about 7 ppm nitrates. But i meant why do you dose 1/2 now and half later instead all in one shot

Vinegar is a weak acid so 2 small doses have less effect on PH.
Also, I think it's better to feed 2 small doses vs 1 big to keep the bacteria population more constant over 24 hrs.

 

[moz71]

Just like @blaxsun i had tried running biopellets for well over a year and half and tried high flow slow flow etc. I switched to nopox and works great. On another post @Randy Holmes-Farley noted that there is different bacterias for different carbons (paraphrasing) and guess my system never generated the bacteria for biopellet. They never even degraded. Still tinkering with dose for right level of nitrates. And removed the reactor all together.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Just like @blaxsun i had tried running biopellets for well over a year and half and tried high flow slow flow etc. I switched to nopox and works great. On another post @Randy Holmes-Farley noted that there is different bacterias for different carbons (paraphrasing) and guess my system never generated the bacteria for biopellet. They never even degraded. Still tinkering with dose for right level of nitrates. And removed the reactor all together.

You're not the first person telling me this about bio pellets. I'm going to just give up on it and just try liquid form. Let's see what happens

 

[ColoredRock]

Where do your nitrates sit at

my Phos is .004-.006 every week..Before dosing nopox I was 1-2PM phos... YES 1-2.. ugh..

Nitrates hover n the 19's ugh.. would like to get them down.. have media reactors that I can put in play but dont want to if I dont need to.

Nitrates and aptasia .. and a litle bit of diatomes (but just added a sandbed 2 weeks ago... the things we do for love.. wife could not stand the bare bottom..)

 

[Heres_doe_]

Well i added vinegar few hours ago as the chart says. Once i get my nitrates down to the desired number i want do i keep dosing last dosage i was at or do i cut back by 50% to maintain numbers?

 

[Dorsetsteve]

I’m not sure why you’d want the reduce those numbers.

 

[Big E]

Well i added vinegar few hours ago as the chart says. Once i get my nitrates down to the desired number i want do i keep dosing last dosage i was at or do i cut back by 50% to maintain numbers?

You have to cut back due to trying to stabilize to a flat level, other wise your nitrates will continue to drop. You may have to slightly adjust up or down from that 50% cut. From my experiences in using vinegar you will tend to drop more than the 50% and over time you'll need very little.