Double check my thinking please

[Cheesus]

Hey All,

I am having issues with nitrate rising faster than I can export it. I was using gfo so my phosphate was .03 and I suspect that I was inhibiting the bacteria, since as far as I understand it they need both. Nitrate at last test was 70. the month before was 50, month before that was 20.

Thoughts?

 

[blaxsun]

Without knowing your tank size, filtration or bio load it's impossible to speculate - other than you're not effectively removing enough nitrates from your system.

 

[Cell]

High Nitrate - Low Phosphate

Good afternoon, First off, I am only leaving this here as a place for new and intermediate reefers to find some information. I by no means claim to be an expert but am only providing this "trial, error and success" steps that I took to solve a major problem that I do not see discussed very...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Cheesus]

High Nitrate - Low Phosphate

Good afternoon, First off, I am only leaving this here as a place for new and intermediate reefers to find some information. I by no means claim to be an expert but am only providing this "trial, error and success" steps that I took to solve a major problem that I do not see discussed very...

www.reef2reef.com

That is exactly what I needed, thank you.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would be cautionary in your interpretation as I do not think 0.03 ppm phosphate is low enough to be growth limiting to anything that is removing substantial amounts of nitrate.

In other words, allowing phosphate to rise above 0.03 ppm is not particularly likely to reduce nitrate (IMO).

What nutrient export methods does the tank use?

 

[Cheesus]

I would be cautionary in your interpretation as I do not think 0.03 ppm phosphate is low enough to be growth limiting to anything that is removing substantial amounts of nitrate.

In other words, allowing phosphate to rise above 0.03 ppm is not particularly likely to reduce nitrate (IMO).

What nutrient export methods does the tank use?

I’m hoping it is but you know way more than me lol
Right now just a skimmer. I took
Out the gfo. this method worked for me the whole life of the tank (1 year) until now. I haven’t added any fish or changed anything besides dosing kalk. Refug doesn’t work great with my sump. I did a small water change yesterday mainly to clean the sump.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just a skimmer is often to enough to keep nutrients under control. You might look to other methods as well, such as growing macroalgae, organic carbon dosing, etc.

THis has more:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

 

[Cheesus]

I’ll take a look thank you. I do have Nopox on the way just in case. I have been told that vodka may be better though.

Just a skimmer is often to enough to keep nutrients under control. You might look to other methods as well, such as growing macroalgae, organic carbon dosing, etc.

THis has more:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION

 

[Cell]

I’ll take a look thank you. I do have Nopox on the way just in case. I have been told that vodka may be better though.

You can make your own Nopox with vodka and vinegar.

500 mls 5% vinegar
375 mls 80 proof vodka
125 mls RO/DI

Dose per NOPOX directions.

 

[Cheesus]

You can make your own Nopox with vodka and vinegar.

500 mls 5% vinegar
375 mls 80 proof vodka
125 mls RO/DI

Dose per NOPOX directions.

Well that’s nice to have thank you.

 

[nereefpat]

I’m hoping it is but you know way more than me lol
Right now just a skimmer. I took
Out the gfo. this method worked for me the whole life of the tank (1 year) until now. I haven’t added any fish or changed anything besides dosing kalk. Refug doesn’t work great with my sump. I did a small water change yesterday mainly to clean the sump.

Zero water changes?

 

[steelfeather]

What type of mechanical filtration are you using, if any? If you are using filter socks or filter floss how often are you changing it? How often are you doing water changes, how much do you change? Do you have a sand bed? Where is decaying biologicals building up in your tank and are you removing them before they build up in your system?

 

[Cheesus]

Zero water changes?

for the most part yeah. I’ve been doing the reef moonshine stuff.

What type of mechanical filtration are you using, if any? If you are using filter socks or filter floss how often are you changing it? How often are you doing water changes, how much do you change? Do you have a sand bed? Where is decaying biologicals building up in your tank and are you removing them before they build up in your system?

I am using filter floss and change it out weekly. There is a sand bed with clean up crew to keep it moving. I believe some of the issue was the sump. So I cleaned it out yesterday

 

[steelfeather]

for the most part yeah. I’ve been doing the reef moonshine stuff.

I am using filter floss and change it out weekly. There is a sand bed with clean up crew to keep it moving. I believe some of the issue was the sump. So I cleaned it out yesterday

Personally I change my filter socks 2 times a week so the material in them has less time to start decaying. What is in them is not removed untill you change out the floss. Do you vac your sand bed at all?

 

[Dburr1014]

I’m hoping it is but you know way more than me lol
Right now just a skimmer. I took
Out the gfo. this method worked for me the whole life of the tank (1 year) until now. I haven’t added any fish or changed anything besides dosing kalk. Refug doesn’t work great with my sump. I did a small water change yesterday mainly to clean the sump.

What type of mechanical filtration are you using, if any? If you are using filter socks or filter floss how often are you changing it? How often are you doing water changes, how much do you change? Do you have a sand bed? Where is decaying biologicals building up in your tank and are you removing them before they build up in your system?

 

[Cheesus]

Personally I change my filter socks 2 times a week so the material in them has less time to start decaying. What is in them is not removed untill you change out the floss. Do you vac your sand bed at all?

Changing them twice a week could help. I’ve never done that before and it was fine for a long time though. I don’t vac my sand bed because don’t do water changes. I rely on the conch snails and goby/pistol shrimp to turn it over. They do a great job.

 

[steelfeather]

Changing them twice a week could help. I’ve never done that before and it was fine for a long time though. I don’t vac my sand bed because don’t do water changes. I rely on the conch snails and goby/pistol shrimp to turn it over. They do a great job.

Just because your method has worked up until now does not say it will work for years to come. For me I do weekly water changes and vac part of my sand bed here and there. I have trouble keeping my po4 and no3 above 0. You seem to have a build up going on and your current export is unable to keep up with what is going in. Hopefully someone else who uses a similar method to you can help you find the solution to your problem. Best of luck with your tank.