Dosing KNO3?

[StrangeDejavu]

I have a BioCube 29 that has had a GHA problem for months now. I installed a skimmer and started running GFO but all that did was slow it down some. Next step was Vibrant which really did a number on the GHA, but since Vibrant's bacteria strain reduces nitrate and phosphate, my corals began starving. My Sunburst Monti went from vivid orange to a shade of orange so pale it's almost white. I made a thread here about it and everyone said feed more (I feed 2 fish a small portion of LRS once a day). So I did, and basically all i'm doing here is feeding my GHA since it snatches any and all nutrients from the water column immediately.

If I began dosing Vibrant again but started dosing with the KNO3 I have left from my planted tank days, would I be adding fuel to the fire? I'd really like to get my nitrates up some without also adding phosphate.

Edit: I should add that I do weekly 25% WC with Reef Crystals so I believe nitrate is my only limiting factor at this point.

 

[Jason mack]

I have a BioCube 29 that has had a GHA problem for months now. I installed a skimmer and started running GFO but all that did was slow it down some. Next step was Vibrant which really did a number on the GHA, but since Vibrant's bacteria strain reduces nitrate and phosphate, my corals began starving. My Sunburst Monti went from vivid orange to a shade of orange so pale it's almost white. I made a thread here about it and everyone said feed more (I feed 2 fish a small portion of LRS once a day). So I did, and basically all i'm doing here is feeding my GHA since it snatches any and all nutrients from the water column immediately.

If I began dosing Vibrant again but started dosing with the KNO3 I have left from my planted tank days, would I be adding fuel to the fire? I'd really like to get my nitrates up some without also adding phosphate.

When I had an out break of gha my lFS told me too just slowly raise magnesium too 1600-1700 ppm .. gha died out and I slowly let mag drop again .. it's not been back since ..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you have a hair algae problem, I don't think adding nitrate is generally going to be helpful.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

If you have a hair algae problem, I don't think adding nitrate is generally going to be helpful.

That's what I was afraid of, I just wasn't sure about how much of a nitrate consumer GHA was vs PO4.

When I had an out break of gha my lFS told me too just slowly raise magnesium too 1600-1700 ppm .. gha died out and I slowly let mag drop again .. it's not been back since ..

Any negative effects on coral? I have Kent M on hand so that should be easy enough. Gonna look into this some more.

 

[Jason mack]

That's what I was afraid of, I just wasn't sure about how much of a nitrate consumer GHA was vs PO4.



Any negative effects on coral? I have Kent M on hand so that should be easy enough. Gonna look into this some more.

No none that I noticed .. I never lost a coral or fish through it .. but maybe #RandyHolmesFarley could tell us if doing that is a problem

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That's what I was afraid of, I just wasn't sure about how much of a nitrate consumer GHA was vs PO4.


Any negative effects on coral? I have Kent M on hand so that should be easy enough. Gonna look into this some more.

Most algae use roughly the same ratio of nitrate and phosphate, and that ratio is considerably more nitrate than phosphate.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

Most algae use roughly the same ratio of nitrate and phosphate, and that ratio is considerably more nitrate than phosphate.

I've always wondered about the ratio, thanks for shedding light on that before I made things worse.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[Jason mack]

Most algae use roughly the same ratio of nitrate and phosphate, and that ratio is considerably more nitrate than phosphate.

#RandyHolmes-Farley .. can you tell what the downside is if any , of raising magnesium upto 1700 too kill of gha .. please !!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The most likely downside is it probably won't work for hair algae. Lethargic snails is the other thing folks encounter.

 

[dirtdobber06]

If you are still fighting gha take out one small rock and spray it with peroxide. Let it sit 3 min, then rinse and return it to the tank. If the gha goes away off that rock...read some other threads about using peroxide. I battled bryopsis and gha for so long until I discovered peroxide method.