Desperate plea for help.

[truckTech95]

Anybody got an update on this? I’m experiencing a similar problem with nutrient levels perpetually rising. Currently my N03 is around 15 and p04 is .06. I HAVE TOO do 50% weekly water change to maintain these numbers any less and they will sky rocket nitrates 20 ppm+ and phosphates above .1 and up.

 

[twentyleagues]

Anybody got an update on this? I’m experiencing a similar problem with nutrient levels perpetually rising. Currently my N03 is around 15 and p04 is .06. I HAVE TOO do 50% weekly water change to maintain these numbers any less and they will sky rocket nitrates 20 ppm+ and phosphates above .1 and up.

Going to need quite a bit more info to help. Heavy stocking, heavy feeding, any consumers in the tank like macro or corals how many, tank size? That is common with nitrate removal via water change small water changes dont move the needle much its not a 1:1 ratio.

 

[Dburr1014]

Anybody got an update on this? I’m experiencing a similar problem with nutrient levels perpetually rising. Currently my N03 is around 15 and p04 is .06. I HAVE TOO do 50% weekly water change to maintain these numbers any less and they will sky rocket nitrates 20 ppm+ and phosphates above .1 and up.

Going to need quite a bit more info to help. Heavy stocking, heavy feeding, any consumers in the tank like macro or corals how many, tank size? That is common with nitrate removal via water change small water changes dont move the needle much its not a 1:1 ratio.

And export besides water changes.
I.E. Filters, skimmers, ect.

 

[truckTech95]

And export besides water changes.
I.E. Filters, skimmers, ect.

Going to need quite a bit more info to help. Heavy stocking, heavy feeding, any consumers in the tank like macro or corals how many, tank size? That is common with nitrate removal via water change small water changes dont move the needle much its not a 1:1

And export besides water changes.
I.E. Filters, skimmers, ect.

okay tank is a 60 gallon cube, it has a Fiji cube over flow glued to the back of it, which I run filter floss in, I do have a reef octo hang on the back skimmer that I have set to the wettest skim I could get it to. 4 fish in the tank, clown, 6 line wrasse a gramma and a scopas tang. I don’t feed much. Maybe go through a cube of frozen mysis every 3-4 days. Spread out across the few days of course not a whole cube at one go. Far as coral go, I have several frags but there far from grown out so I have to imagine there not big consumers of anything.

 

[Dburr1014]

okay tank is a 60 gallon cube, it has a Fiji cube over flow glued to the back of it, which I run filter floss in, I do have a reef octo hang on the back skimmer that I have set to the wettest skim I could get it to. 4 fish in the tank, clown, 6 line wrasse a gramma and a scopas tang. I don’t feed much. Maybe go through a cube of frozen mysis every 3-4 days. Spread out across the few days of course not a whole cube at one go. Far as coral go, I have several frags but there far from grown out so I have to imagine there not big consumers of anything.
________________________________


How big is that tang?

Have you tried to take out the floss and run? How often do you change it? That can be a nitrate factory.

 

[twentyleagues]

okay tank is a 60 gallon cube, it has a Fiji cube over flow glued to the back of it, which I run filter floss in, I do have a reef octo hang on the back skimmer that I have set to the wettest skim I could get it to. 4 fish in the tank, clown, 6 line wrasse a gramma and a scopas tang. I don’t feed much. Maybe go through a cube of frozen mysis every 3-4 days. Spread out across the few days of course not a whole cube at one go. Far as coral go, I have several frags but there far from grown out so I have to imagine there not big consumers of anything.
________________________________


How big is that tang?

Have you tried to take out the floss and run? How often do you change it? That can be a nitrate factory.

This.
I usually only run mechanical filtration for a day or 2 after I use coral snow. In the past if I needed or wanted my nitrates higher I'd leave it in for a couple extra days. Any more I dont need to worry about that, I am more likely to pull it after 8-10 hrs as my nitrate hover around 15 and after 2 days I see nitrate start to creep up to the 17-18 range. Years ago I realized running mech filtration didnt help with anything besides maybe keeping the glass clean longer easy enough to clean the glass daily. Corals seemed happier with the particles staying in the water column.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Anybody got an update on this? I’m experiencing a similar problem with nutrient levels perpetually rising. Currently my N03 is around 15 and p04 is .06. I HAVE TOO do 50% weekly water change to maintain these numbers any less and they will sky rocket nitrates 20 ppm+ and phosphates above .1 and up.

Those skyrocket numbers are fine and I don’t recommend excessive water changes.

If you want nitrate to keep from rising, I’d use organic carbon dosing.

 

[truckTech95]

Those skyrocket numbers are fine and I don’t recommend excessive water changes.

If you want nitrate to keep from rising, I’d use organic carbon dosing.

Thanks for the in put, I guess my question is- how high is high? I can let this go and monitor the levels but I feel like if I do that then it will continue to rise indefinitely. Surely there has to be a stopping point where it finds its top end.

 

[truckTech95]

okay tank is a 60 gallon cube, it has a Fiji cube over flow glued to the back of it, which I run filter floss in, I do have a reef octo hang on the back skimmer that I have set to the wettest skim I could get it to. 4 fish in the tank, clown, 6 line wrasse a gramma and a scopas tang. I don’t feed much. Maybe go through a cube of frozen mysis every 3-4 days. Spread out across the few days of course not a whole cube at one go. Far as coral go, I have several frags but there far from grown out so I have to imagine there not big consumers of anything.
________________________________


How big is that tang?

Have you tried to take out the floss and run? How often do you change it? That can be a nitrate factory.

The tang is maybe 3-3 1/2 inch smaller one, the floss gets changed daily cause it’s cheap and easy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the in put, I guess my question is- how high is high? I can let this go and monitor the levels but I feel like if I do that then it will continue to rise indefinitely. Surely there has to be a stopping point where it finds its top end.

Consumption of them will generally rise as the concentration rises and is likely to hit a plateau, but I cannot say where that will happen.

I will say that some great tanks that nearly anyone would be envious of have nutrients in the 1 ppm phosphate and 100 ppm nitrate range.

But lowering them is a fine plan, and it is always a matter of increasing export relative to feeding.

These have more in ways to lower them:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

Nitrate is an ion that has long dogged aquarists. It is typically formed in aquaria through the digestion of foods, and in many aquaria it builds up and can be difficult to keep at natural levels. In the past, many aquarists performed water changes with nitrate reduction as one of the primary...

www.reefedition.com

Phosphate in the Reef Aquarium

The phosphorus atom is one of living matter's basic building blocks. It is present in every living creature and in every reef aquarium's water. Unfortunately, it is often present in excess in reef aquaria, and that excess has the potential to cause at least two substantial problems for...

www.reefedition.com

 

[truckTech95]

One more question for ya Randy, I’ve been looking into Tropic Marin’s Bacto balance for carbon dosing, do you have any experience using this product? If so did you find it to work as advertised? I’ve thought about vinegar and vodka dosing I just don’t trust myself enough to do it correctly or continue to use those DIY methods long term. And I think I would have better luck with an off the shelf product. I understand the line up from the Q&As with Lou on BRStv, I just want to know if people are having success with it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

One more question for ya Randy, I’ve been looking into Tropic Marin’s Bacto balance for carbon dosing, do you have any experience using this product? If so did you find it to work as advertised? I’ve thought about vinegar and vodka dosing I just don’t trust myself enough to do it correctly or continue to use those DIY methods long term. And I think I would have better luck with an off the shelf product. I understand the line up from the Q&As with Lou on BRStv, I just want to know if people are having success with it.

I’ve never used it, and tend to avoid secret ingredient products.

Some folks report it doesn’t prevent bottoming out nutrients.