Help me with my after crash planning

[ChrisQ0904]

I have a 180g that recently crashed, all corals lost but fish seem to be pulling through. I believe this was do to a huge bacterial bloom from my DIY denitrator.

Long story short I had chaeto when I started the tank but then it went too clean and all the chaeto died. After that my nitrates crept up to 25 and I had a hard time bringing them down. That ultimately led to setting up a denitrator and a few days after my first flush my tank turned a little hazy until to how it looks now where I can barely see into it.

Before I get my tank clear again I want to work on my new game plan to maintain low nitrates. I want to cross out the chaeto option because I can never keep it alive in this tank, and would like to try something different than the denitrator. I have never had a nitrate issue or a tank this big, so I am not sure what the best method is for nitrate control and why I’m reaching out for help as to what is a good/reliable method.

Thanks in advance

 

[Diesel]

Can you post a picture from that so called denitrator you have been using?

Btw, never heard of a bacteria bloom that crashed a tank.

Maybe by as you mentioned in your other thread by flushing that denitrator thing you spiked something in the tank that ultimate resulted in crashing.

 

[KrisReef]

My best luck keeping nitrates low is a result of the activity of live rock and a skimmer, and keeping my fish on a lean diet. I feed them heavier when I want to increase Nitrate (and Phosphate).

How much live rock do y0u have in your 180 system?

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Can you post a picture from that so called denitrator you have been using?

Btw, never heard of a bacteria bloom that crashed a tank.

Maybe by as you mentioned in your other thread by flushing that denitrator thing you spiked something in the tank that ultimate resulted in crashing.

It's the tank on the right with the egg eggcrate in it. The pic was taken before I had it filled. There's a thread on the other forum of with others who use the same system. It's based off the natureef denitrator.

 

[Diesel]

What’s in it or what fuels it?

Btw, in your picture, is the lifereef skimmer working or turned off?
What’s the depth of the water the skimmer is in.

 

[ChrisQ0904]

What’s in it or what fuels it?

I was given bacteria from a local reefer so I seeded with his bacteria and you dose diluted methanol to feed.

I believe where i went wrong was that i used too much bacteria to seed and therefore added too much bacteria to the DT.

 

[Diesel]

Methanol or ethanol?

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Methanol or ethanol?

Methanol diluted with RODI to 50%

 

[Diesel]

Ok you know methanol is a highly toxic alcohol, more toxic than ethanol.
Methanol is the simplest alcohol, consisting of a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group. It is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor similar to that of ethanol (drinking alcohol). Methanol is however far more toxic than ethanol.
Although I never have done this methanol methods I like to see what others think of this.
Comes to mind my old Vodka dosing schedule from long time ago.



#reefsquad
@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[ChrisQ0904]

I did not know all of that, but most of it. Either way, I dont plan on using it once this clears up. It worked for others with big tanks, but I am not wanting to go through this again so just trying to figure out a better nitrate exporting method for bigger tanks.

 

[Diesel]

Coming back to your skimmer??

I have a lifereef and it’s dialed perfectly but running it 24 hrs as most do it will strip my much needed nutrients fast from the water
For that I have it just running firc6 hours only during the night.

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Coming back to your skimmer??

I have a lifereef and it’s dialed perfectly but running it 24 hrs as most do it will strip my much needed nutrients fast from the water
For that I have it just running firc6 hours only during the night.

Not sure if it’s because I’m tired but I’m not fully following you here.... I run my skimmer 24hrs as well but I run it on the dry side and as with all/most lifereef skimmers this thing pulls out some nasty stuff and maybe fills 1/4 of the collection cup each week. Maybe I need to run it more wet??

What do you mean by firc6?

 

[Diesel]

I run mine only for 6 hrs, that’s it and I have a 202g.
Still I have to dose nitrates (sodium nitrate) but only 8ml a day vs 60 when my skimmer was running 24hrs.

Also it seems your skimmer is set to deep I the water which results less contact time from sir and water.

 

[kireek]

I am not familiar with the methanol or ethanol methods.Didn't even know that was a thing.Currently I dose white household vinegar and cheap vodka in my tanks.It does the trick for me.Provided that I keep track of my numbers while using them.