Fighting nitrates and phosphates help

brownsalt92 · Feb 5, 2016

I have a 110 about 100 gallons total water volume. I have been fighting po4 no3. I have gotton my nitrates down from a 64+ to a 20 and kept that there I want it around a 5. My po4 I got it down from a 3.06 to a .68 I want that around .02. I can't get it down past that using red sea no3x po4x dosing 10 ml and I also have been using Kent marine phosphate sponge doing for the past 3 days switched it out last night after 48 hours and I have to change it out tommaro night. It didn't drop it any in 48 hrs. Any helpful tips to get these levels down easier? Thanks

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 5, 2016

There are many good methods for nutrient control. I use several at the same time.

I compare the pros and cons of each here:

Phosphate In The Reef Aquarium
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/?p=3184

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

brownsalt92 · Feb 5, 2016

@Randy Holmes Farley both your links won't work. The phosphate one takes me to some music top 5 on r2r

Piranhapat · Feb 5, 2016

Get to the root of the problem. How did it get so high. Are you doing weekly WC. Are you over feeding. Go back to basic. If your doing bad habits start correcting. Are you using Ro/DI. Is your tank over stock with fish. Are you cleaning skimmer is your LR open so current goes through.

Sabellafella · Feb 5, 2016

brownsalt92 said:
I have a 110 about 100 gallons total water volume. I have been fighting po4 no3. I have gotton my nitrates down from a 64+ to a 20 and kept that there I want it around a 5. My po4 I got it down from a 3.06 to a .68 I want that around .02. I can't get it down past that using red sea no3x po4x dosing 10 ml and I also have been using Kent marine phosphate sponge doing for the past 3 days switched it out last night after 48 hours and I have to change it out tommaro night. It didn't drop it any in 48 hrs. Any helpful tips to get these levels down easier? Thanks

3.0 p04? You gotta grab an rodi unit

jetmaker · Feb 5, 2016

Over skim and chaeto in fuge best methods.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 5, 2016

brownsalt92 said:
@Randy Holmes Farley both your links won't work. The phosphate one takes me to some music top 5 on r2r

Click the second line of each. Some folks with phones or certain browsers have issues with the first line of each, which is why I give both formats.

brownsalt92 · Feb 5, 2016

I skim 24/7 I use rodi. bought the tank off my dad re arranged aqua scape and decided to clean sand. He never cleaned sand in a year. 0: that caused all of this I beleave and then the rock soaked it up. Yea weekly wc 10 gallons clean skimmer collector cup once a week and even neck going in to collector cup that stays in sump. I buy rodi from local grocery store and have no phosphate in it I tested with red sea could be a little over feeding. Sea weed and mysis. I also don't have algea that grows. I clean glass once a week. No cheato or anything to aid in the taking po4 out I have matrix in sump and run active carbon in a reactor.

Sully · Feb 5, 2016

I don't think what to your buying at the grocery store is rodi. It may be ro but that's not nearly the same. I could be wrong but if you're getting it from where I think..........that's part of your problem.

jetmaker · Feb 5, 2016

If it's a deep sandbed don't clean but you need chaeto in the fuge to export nutrients.

brownsalt92 · Feb 6, 2016

I gotta change out my phosphate sponge media today and my active carbon out of the reactor should I put the sponge since its granual in the reactor??

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 6, 2016

brownsalt92 said:
I gotta change out my phosphate sponge media today and my active carbon out of the reactor should I put the sponge since its granual in the reactor??

This is Kent Phosphate Sponge? Any place the water flows through it is good. A reactor, a canister, a bag, etc. It need not (should not) tumble like GFO.