Confused.........need help!

[Tautog]

So what is your No3?
Any effect yet on your corals?

No3 still high at 40 ppm
Ca 450
Alk 11.2
Mg 1480
Ph 8.0
So, why is Mg so high? and how to reduce? retesting today.

 

[Tautog]

since you are dosing the water w carbon (nopox) to compensate for the nitrate leaking theres no requirement to clean the bed, an offset is in place. I certainly wouldn't assume the test reading is right, but averaged between two hq tests if the nitrates still show 40~ and you want them lowered its down to these three options:

-reduce greatly the bioloading in the system
-add more offsets-carbon dosing etc or algae turf scrubbers. they do work for this need.
-remove the waste leaking the nitrate causing the offsets. verifying the test readings is important, threads that show comparative readings among kits are amazing to see, even kits within the expiration date periods. simply user technique and production differences make a true reading out of reach for us, id be curious to know what your real nitrate is.

No3's still 40 ppm, but Mg is 1480, Alk is 11.2, Ca is 450, Ph is 8.0. Why is Mg so high? How to reduce it?

 

[ksc]

My 100G mixed reef has a 330 lb. Southdown DSB 5-6" deep and it has never been stirred or cleaned in 13 years. When you stir it up you expose the anaerobic and anoxic bacterias to oxygen and kill them. Every 3-6 months I may siphon a very small sectio about 1/4" deep if I see any detritus on top but other than that it has never been disturbed. No sand sifters of burrowers other than nassarius and afew other snails and no digging fish.

Same here. 6 inches of Southdown sand, never touched it in 8 years. I think one of the main problems people have with dsb's is the type of sand they are using now. If the op has sand coarser than Southdown it probably isn't going to work. It's a shame you can't get it anymore.

My problem is too much rock, too much sand, and not enough nitrates. It works if you do it right. I've never cleaned my sump either.

 

[brandon429]

Don't reduce the mg, that's not a big deal level. On chasing params while the tank is running fine I assume, what brand of test kits are these params read from, is it salifert or red sea

 

[Tautog]

Don't reduce the mg, that's not a big deal level. On chasing params while the tank is running fine I assume, what brand of test kits are these params read from, is it salifert or red sea

Red Sea, No3's still over 40 Fish and everything seem fine

 

[brandon429]

good deal just seeing how we were on test quality no prob. the magnesium I wouldn't concern, and even your nitrite isn't a big deal as long as no algae invasions are persisting. those are levels we could tune in time, carbon dosing alone matched to the need+ good skimming could do it, or the deep clean, either way we are dealing with two sources for your nitrate: current tank bioload, and unremoved waste stores. there must be nine different methods to find a nice balance among those, so with nitrate being the only real concern of posted params theres no real rush in my opinion. hook up an Algal turf scrubber, they're touted to cure everything in reefing, check out their algae scrubber threads they're huge.

 

[Diesel]

As @brandon429 said and couldn't do it any better.
Keep up the good thing and No3 will come down slowly.
Try a piece of Chaeto in a small screen cage in the DT in a corner with good flow and light as that will help consume No3 too.

 

[Tautog]

good deal just seeing how we were on test quality no prob. the magnesium I wouldn't concern, and even your nitrite isn't a big deal as long as no algae invasions are persisting. those are levels we could tune in time, carbon dosing alone matched to the need+ good skimming could do it, or the deep clean, either way we are dealing with two sources for your nitrate: current tank bioload, and unremoved waste stores. there must be nine different methods to find a nice balance among those, so with nitrate being the only real concern of posted params theres no real rush in my opinion. hook up an Algal turf scrubber, they're touted to cure everything in reefing, check out their algae scrubber threads they're huge.

Thanks. I'm still dosing NoPox, not dosing anything else. I was looking into controllers, but I like the idea of the Algae Scrubber. My algae went from gray to green, nothing long haired, but lots of green.

 

[Tautog]

As @brandon429 said and couldn't do it any better.
Keep up the good thing and No3 will come down slowly.
Try a piece of Chaeto in a small screen cage in the DT in a corner with good flow and light as that will help consume No3 too.

Thanks, I have it in the fudge, but my local tank has it floating in a cage, and I don't do anything but change water, bay water. No corals, just fish and inverts

 

[Diesel]

Ah bay water.......... have you ever test that bay water on it's parameters?
And if you have fish only and no corals I wouldn't be so worried other than just the PH and temp of that Bay water.
But do you know that sometimes you can bring in parasites with that too other than you run it through a large UV filter before it enters your tank.

 

[ksc]

I think he's talking about a different tank, a native tank.
What kind of sand are you using? DSB's only work well with very fine sand.

 

[Tautog]

Ah bay water.......... have you ever test that bay water on it's parameters?
And if you have fish only and no corals I wouldn't be so worried other than just the PH and temp of that Bay water.
But do you know that sometimes you can bring in parasites with that too other than you run it through a large UV filter before it enters your tank.

Yep, I'm aware, but really never thought any of my local stuff would live. There's shrimp, mud and grass, Bickel fish, pipe fish, Killiefish, crabs, snails, clams, scallops, and a black seahorse. I collected in mid December water was 37. Simple system working well, but no corals, maybe a sponge soon, looking.

 

[Diesel]

Yep, I'm aware, but really never thought any of my local stuff would live. There's shrimp, mud and grass, Bickel fish, pipe fish, Killiefish, crabs, snails, clams, scallops, and a black seahorse. I collected in mid December water was 37. Simple system working well, but no corals, maybe a sponge soon, looking.

Now you got me going and I think we all like to see some pictures.

 

[Tautog]

Now you got me going and I think we all like to see some pictures.

The

 

[Tautog]

The

 

[Diesel]

That's sweet my friend.
@SeahorseKeeper will love to see this too.

 

[Tautog]

Just a update..........still confusing. No3's still high, over 60, but the amount of growth I've seen is unreal. Different corals that I've had for months are teeming, others not so much. My gray algae has mostly disappeared, and has been replaced by green. I guess the UV lite only works to a point. I'm adding bubbles to the DT over nite to help with debris removal. Siphoning crap 3x a day. With all that I'm doing, there's more stuff growing, more stuff coming out of my rock, and sponges growing everywhere. Sponges are good, but how many, and is there anything that eats them? Or leave it alone?
I'm thinking the Algae turf scrubber is the way to go, who makes them or DIY?

 

[Diesel]

Just a update..........still confusing. No3's still high, over 60, but the amount of growth I've seen is unreal. Different corals that I've had for months are teeming, others not so much. My gray algae has mostly disappeared, and has been replaced by green. I guess the UV lite only works to a point. I'm adding bubbles to the DT over nite to help with debris removal. Siphoning crap 3x a day. With all that I'm doing, there's more stuff growing, more stuff coming out of my rock, and sponges growing everywhere. Sponges are good, but how many, and is there anything that eats them? Or leave it alone?
I'm thinking the Algae turf scrubber is the way to go, who makes them or DIY?

great to hear that your tank is doing better.
With your No3 at 60 and everything else doing great I would start dosing some Bacteria to help with that as bacteria love No3's.
You don't want to drop to fast but start slow, I'm using the new Aquaforest pro-bio S.
About your green algae you can dose some H020 (Hydrogen Peroxide) I start using it on advice from our friend @twilliard to threat against cyano in my frag tank but it took care of the green algae too.
See this thread for dosing instructions, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/back-at-it-peroxide-vrs-cyanobacteria.241002/

Sponges are great man, all beneficial as they are filter feeders.
If it gets out of control you can turn some rocks into the light as sponges don't like bright light or get a dwarf Angel and they can go after it,my Bandit and Flame will have so now and then a snack on my sponges but I don't dislike them as spoges come in lots of colors and why not.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Don't know if I would change too much too fast or you'll have new problems. What's your phosphate levels? Nopox can't work if there's no phosphates either. Otherwise it takes time, how long have you been dosing nopox?

 

[Tautog]

great to hear that your tank is doing better.
With your No3 at 60 and everything else doing great I would start dosing some Bacteria to help with that as bacteria love No3's.
You don't want to drop to fast but start slow, I'm using the new Aquaforest pro-bio S.
About your green algae you can dose some H020 (Hydrogen Peroxide) I start using it on advice from our friend @twilliard to threat against cyano in my frag tank but it took care of the green algae too.
See this thread for dosing instructions, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/back-at-it-peroxide-vrs-cyanobacteria.241002/

Sponges are great man, all beneficial as they are filter feeders.
If it gets out of control you can turn some rocks into the light as sponges don't like bright light or get a dwarf Angel and they can go after it,my Bandit and Flame will have so now and then a snack on my sponges but I don't dislike them as spoges come in lots of colors and why not.

Thanks, I thought I would need to start dosing, any recommendations on controllers? My next step?