Dropping nitrates, progression

Mrfresh · Jun 13, 2013

I still can't believe how fast color has come back to the corals.
It seems like in the last 3 days the purple tips in my aqua delight have really come back.
For a while the coral was just green.

I just wish a few of the chalices would color back up as fast as some of the sps.
Also I believe in successful high alk tanks with good color and coral growth
Well I will consider 10.5 dkh high end.

Tomorrow I will bust out the slr and take some real pics to show growth and coloring up.

Thank you for reading

Mrfresh · Jun 15, 2013

I feel like I'm a pessimist. My tank is looking better then it ever has.
I feel like something is going to go wrong.

But for now ill just keep trucking on.

beaslbob · Jun 15, 2013

congrates and sounds good.

To review you lowered nitrates and phoshpates with a combination of chaeto and vodka dosing?

Mrfresh · Jun 15, 2013

Yes.
I have always had a fug on the tank. About 17 gallons

And dosing carbon (vodka).

I would like to throw thanks out to reefing madness for his wisdom on dosing. If I would of done the dosing according to reefkeeping mags charts it would of taken me months to get up to the proper dosing amount to see a noticeable drop in nitrates.

Another factor. I do and have been running ozone on my tank. Before when ny tank was doing bad my orp was in the low to mid 200s. Now my orp sits around 280.

Reefing Madness · Jun 15, 2013

Good to hear everything coming along nicely.

Mrfresh · Jun 15, 2013

Ive been playing around with some of the setting on the camera trying to get the most true color. So hopfully by tonight ill be able to post some progress pics

Reefing Madness · Jun 15, 2013

3Twinklets · Jun 15, 2013

Good to hear about the great results!

Mrfresh · Jun 16, 2013

Lets talk about orp for a min shall we?
Orp normally sat around 240s while I had issue with the tank.
Tank is in a much better place.
Orp is reading 300ish fluxes between 310 to 290

Is it getting higher bc I cut my dose in half?
I noticed when I would dose my orp with in an hour or to would drop about 20 to 30 points lower?

*Don't worry my orp gage is set to turn the system off around 350. I think it's in the 400s or 450 area is where water can become sterile. *

Reefing Madness · Jun 16, 2013

Yea, pretty sure it would have to do with the additional bacteria grown at such a fast rate, then they die off. One reason you need an excellent skimmer while dosing.

Mrfresh · Jun 18, 2013

So my phosphate is still between .08 and .16 according to my red sea pro test kit.
I am thinking about going back to the full dosing amount. 10mls. Any thoughts on this?
The tank corals and everything in general is looking better but not everything has quite bounced back yet.

Reefing Madness · Jun 18, 2013

No. The dosing vodka will primarily eat out Nitrates, it goes after those first, then it goes after phosphates. I've not heard of anyone staying at high rates to drop phosphates. There are other ways of dropping those.