High nitrate low phosphate, help!

SPR1968 · Apr 13, 2018

Diplomat said:
Thanks. I'm going to take it slowly and follow the dosing calculator.

I'm unsure about which vinegar to get in the UK though?

I have found distilled white Malt vinegar. Is this correct? I haven't started yet until I am sure I have the correct vinegar. Thanks

I’ve always used NoPox for the last 2 years and can recommend it as it’s very good for Nitrate removal, less so for phosphate depending on your bioload etc.

It’s not as cheap as vinegar of course.

You might find below useful which Randy helped me with on a similar question of vinegar or NoPox

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/change-from-nopox-to-vinager.347715/

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

i get packets of sugar from Carl's Jr. It's the perfect dose. I toss one full packet in a day. it feeds everything. i have pods for years

jt17 · Apr 13, 2018

Perhaps the corals are responding to something else? SG is a little low as is Mg. What is your calcium at?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 13, 2018

My experience with sugar was not optimal, and it is not my preferred method. I saw more browning of organisms (corals and anemones) and I've seen somewhat more tendency for cyano in peoples reported effects with sugar than with vodka or vinegar.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 13, 2018

Diplomat said:
Thanks. I'm going to take it slowly and follow the dosing calculator.

I'm unsure about which vinegar to get in the UK though?

I have found distilled white Malt vinegar. Is this correct? I haven't started yet until I am sure I have the correct vinegar. Thanks

I'n not sure what distilled white malt vinegar is exactly, but it may be fine.

While I do not know if it is correct, this article describes differences between malt and distilled white vinegar, but doesn't mention what a distilled white malt vinegar is :
http://www.differencebetween.net/ob...ms/difference-between-white-and-malt-vinegar/

"White vinegar is purified vinegar. It is a type of vinegar that contains only acid and water. On the other hand, malt vinegar is grain-based vinegar. Malt vinegar is gotfrom malting barley. After the barley is malted, it is then fermented to ale, which is then turned into vinegar."

nhlives · Apr 13, 2018

I use nopox and early on supplemented it with GFO. After 6 months I removed the GFO.

light bioload and 60 cube. NO3 requires dosing. Phosphate hangs around .06 ppm.

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

what caused the browning of corals??

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
My experience with sugar was not optimal, and it is not my preferred method. I saw more browning of organisms (corals and anemones) and I've seen somewhat more tendency for cyano in peoples reported effects with sugar than with vodka or vinegar.

is browning of corals a bad thing?? i mean would it kill it? or is it just esthetically bad?

Diplomat · Apr 13, 2018

jt17 said:
Perhaps the corals are responding to something else? SG is a little low as is Mg. What is your calcium at?

I tested the calcium a few back and it was higher than 400ppm but less than 500. I cant remember the exact value, its wrote on a chart on the inside of the cabinet. I will test tonight.

Yeah I've been skimming a little wetter than previously and so the top up water is lowering the SG slightly. I'm testing regular since upping the skimmate but only trying to up the SG by 0.001 per day or two. It was as low as 1.021 as I didn't initially consider the salt effect on wet skimming. Stupidly. Not great for stability I know.

The mag get sucked up quick! I am adding around 2 tablespoons a day to bump it back up.

Diplomat · Apr 13, 2018

SPR1968 said:
I’ve always used NoPox for the last 2 years and can recommend it as it’s very good for Nitrate removal, less so for phosphate depending on your bioload etc.

It’s not as cheap as vinegar of course.

You might find below useful which Randy helped me with on a similar question of vinegar or NoPox

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/change-from-nopox-to-vinager.347715/

Thanks pal! I'll have a good read later on. Thank you.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 13, 2018

rosshamsandwich said:
what caused the browning of corals??

I expect it was an increase in zoox levels.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 13, 2018

rosshamsandwich said:
is browning of corals a bad thing?? i mean would it kill it? or is it just esthetically bad?

Probably just not a pleasing look. There have been suggestions in some settings that the zoox and the coral may compete for certain resources (e.g., trace elements), but I don't know if that's the case here.

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I expect it was an increase in zoox levels.

that means healthier coral, correct? brown, but healthy?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 13, 2018

rosshamsandwich said:
that means healthier coral, correct? brown, but healthy?

I wouldn't assume it means healthy or unhealthy. It was not a low nutrient, low zoox tank to begin with, so it was no zoox deficient. I also did not do a careful dose study. Could be lower doses would be fine. But I have seen what I perceive to be more issues from sugar dosing than other organics. Again, not a careful study, just a perception of the threads I've read over the years.

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

what's the proper dose of vinegar in a 100 gallon tank and how often?

Diplomat · Apr 13, 2018

So found this today at the cash and carry. Says acetic acid of plant origin. 6%.

Is this the stuff I need? Cheers

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

founds what

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 13, 2018

rosshamsandwich said:
what's the proper dose of vinegar in a 100 gallon tank and how often?

The desired dose varies, from none to quite a bit, depending on what you want to accomplish and other tank parameters. I found a happy medium at about 100 mL per day in a system that had a 120 display and another couple of hundred gallons of sump and refugia.