Fighting High Nitrates

[Breakthecycle2]

I am having an issue with nitrates and not sure why. My red sea kit was testing between 2-5 ppm. I was having some issues so I took it to my LFS where it was tested with both salifert and API. Both tested between 50-70, which I was blown away by. I have not had fish in my tank for almost ten week and only dose acro power and fuel twice a week. I also do not have a deep sand bed, maybe 1" or so. I did a 60 gallon water change and it only brought the nitrates down to around 40-50. I also have been running biopellets for close to year and it doesn't seem to be doing anything.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are many good ways to reduce nitrate. Do you know the phosphate level? That can impact the choices.

Maybe you aren't using enough pellets.

This has more:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium

Does the tank seem Ok? Algae issues?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

There are many good ways to reduce nitrate. Do you know the phosphate level? That can impact the choices.

Maybe you aren't using enough pellets.

This has more:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium

Does the tank seem Ok? Algae issues?

Im using two cups more then is recommended. I tested between .04-.08 with red sea. My LFS tested .10 with salifert.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I thought you said they got 50-70 ppm?

Nitrate testing is notoriously prone to error.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I thought you said they got 50-70 ppm?

Nitrate testing is notoriously prone to error.

No, phosphates are somewhere between .04-.10. Nitrates were 50-70 ppm.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, I misunderstood your sentence.

If you think nitrate is high, I'd consider swapping out the pellets (which are harder to adjust amounts) and going to soluble organic dosing or growing macroalgae.

 

[Jon Warner]

No, phosphates are somewhere between .04-.10. Nitrates were 50-70 ppm.

Are you using GFO or something to reduce Phosphates?

Remember... low Phosphates limit the ability of Bio-Pellets to reduce Nitrate. GFO/Al based products literally starve the bacteria that consume Bio-Pellets.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

OK, I misunderstood your sentence.

If you think nitrate is high, I'd consider swapping out the pellets (which are harder to adjust amounts) and going to soluble organic dosing or growing macroalgae.

I just started an algae reactor and would like to take the pellets offline, but Im not sure what the procedure is.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Are you using GFO or something to reduce Phosphates?

Remember... low Phosphates limit the ability of Bio-Pellets to reduce Nitrate. GFO/Al based products literally starve the bacteria that consume Bio-Pellets.

I am actually. I run ROWAPHOS.

 

[Jon Warner]

I am actually. I run ROWAPHOS.

I know it sounds crazy... but stop running the ROWAPHOS and your Nitrates will drop. You will have a small temporary rise in PO4.

The bacteria that "consume" Bio-Pellets need 3 things, the Bio-Pellet polymer, N and P.

There are even cases of people with very low PO4 and high NO3, maybe 80ppm and they actually dose P to get their NO3 to drop. You should be fine with just discontinuing the ROWAPHOS.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I know it sounds crazy... but stop running the ROWAPHOS and your Nitrates will drop. You will have a small temporary rise in PO4.

The bacteria that "consume" Bio-Pellets need 3 things, the Bio-Pellet polymer, N and P.

There are even cases of people with very low PO4 and high NO3, maybe 80ppm and they actually dose P to get their NO3 to drop. You should be fine with just discontinuing the ROWAPHOS.

OK I will try it. How long do you think before I see something?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

He said earlier that phosphate was 0.04 to 0.1 ppm. You think that's low enough to limit bacteria growth on the biopellets?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

He said earlier that phosphate was 0.04 to 0.1 ppm. You think that's low enough to limit bacteria growth on the biopellets?

Yeah, that's what confuses me.

 

[Jon Warner]

He said earlier that phosphate was 0.04 to 0.1 ppm. You think that's low enough to limit bacteria growth on the biopellets?

Hi Randy, I'm going to assume there is a source of P introduced constantly, possibly fish/coral food and that barring removal by the ROWAPHOS it can be a sufficient nutrient source for bacterial growth. If the input of P is naturally low... then dosing P with Flourish or a similar product might be appropriate but I'd just start by discontinuing the ROWAPHOS.

This is probably the single most common troubleshooting issue I've seen and have this solution work many times over the last 7 years.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Hi Randy, I'm going to assume there is a source of P introduced constantly, possibly fish/coral food and that barring removal by the ROWAPHOS it can be a sufficient nutrient source for bacterial growth. If the input of P is naturally low... then dosing P with Flourish or a similar product might be appropriate but I'd just start by discontinuing the ROWAPHOS.

This is probably the single most common troubleshooting issue I've seen and have this solution work many times over the last 7 years.

There is not though. I have no fish in my tank. Should i still take the ROWA offline?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I suppose the phosphate measurement may be inaccurate.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I suppose the phosphate measurement may be inaccurate.

Should I take the rowa offline then?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is a fine experiment, but I'm not convinced it will be a useful step.

 

[s.h.moradi]

hi
I think you should:
discontinue the rowa phos
check the po4 with the better checker like HANA
if its around 0/04 ppm you should dose phosphate (Neophos by Brightwell)
do 20 % water changes every other day for 3 times
check your RO TDS it should be zero

 

[Breakthecycle2]

hi
I think you should:
discontinue the rowa phos
check the po4 with the better checker like HANA
if its around 0/04 ppm you should dose phosphate (Neophos by Brightwell)
do 20 % water changes every other day for 3 times
check your RO TDS it should be zero

TDS is zero. I just stopped the Rowa today. I checked Phosphates again, and it's .04.