FOWLR - NOPOX Equivalent Not Reducing Nitrates

[BigMax]

Question for chemists / users:

I have been dosing a NOPOX equivalent (37.5% Vodka, 50% Vinegar and 12.5% DI water) for 11 weeks in my 350 gallon tank. I have a Reef Octo 220 9" Skimmer and I'm getting a lot of light brown skim. It's a 25 year old tank and I've let the nitrates become way to high ~550ppm. I have been dosing 35ml per day and have seen no drop in nitrates.

I know I'm due for a substantial water change, but regardless I curious as to why there is no impact from the NOPOX? Such as the bacteria required can't thrive in that environment? Phosphate is obviously very high as well.

Any thoughts?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Most likely just not enough dosed.

There's a whole thread on this specific topic:

Looking for thoughts on organic carbon dosing and nitrate

It is frequently claimed that it takes a long time (sometimes weeks) for organic carbon dosing to reduce nitrate. Do folks believe that is true, and if it is, why would it be true? Are most folks just starting to dose too slowly? Bacterial number increase is sometimes cited as a reason, but...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[jda]

I only really ever dosed OC on a FOWLR. It was great. I would recommend that you do a quick gravel vac on about half of the tank the next time that you change water - this can help get the inert gunk out of there and you might be able to get some anaerobic bacteria growing to help with the nitrate. Do the other half in a few months.

I got the no3 down to where the coralline started to grow well again and all of that. I had a few trash type of corals like Blue and Red mushrooms that were suffering and they started to multiply like crazy (until I got a Golden Puffer). Turbo snails were working well again once the no3 got down. I could put urchins back in the tank.

This is just me pondering, but most of the additives that you see are for reef tanks where the manufacturer might want very slow addition to not harm tanks. You do not have to be that safe, but you do need to make sure that your growing bacteria population does not use up all of the oxygen.

I used pure sugar for mine. I just upped the dose by a 1/8 teaspoon every few days in 300g system until the skimmer looked like this every day. Emptying this cup made me want to puke. I never wanted to see cloudy water. Always wanted lots of oxygenation. A second skimmer helped me too.

 

[BigMax]

I only really ever dosed OC on a FOWLR. It was great. I would recommend that you do a quick gravel vac on about half of the tank the next time that you change water - this can help get the inert gunk out of there and you might be able to get some anaerobic bacteria growing to help with the nitrate. Do the other half in a few months.

I got the no3 down to where the coralline started to grow well again and all of that. I had a few trash type of corals like Blue and Red mushrooms that were suffering and they started to multiply like crazy (until I got a Golden Puffer). Turbo snails were working well again once the no3 got down. I could put urchins back in the tank.

This is just me pondering, but most of the additives that you see are for reef tanks where the manufacturer might want very slow addition to not harm tanks. You do not have to be that safe, but you do need to make sure that your growing bacteria population does not use up all of the oxygen.

I used pure sugar for mine. I just upped the dose by a 1/8 teaspoon every few days in 300g system until the skimmer looked like this every day. Emptying this cup made me want to puke. I never wanted to see cloudy water. Always wanted lots of oxygenation. A second skimmer helped me too.

Thanks .... that's a very good recommendation.