High nitrates no matter what

[Quietman]

It's what I use yes. So I don't want to overly influence you. There are many recipes using either vinegar/alcohol/sugar etc out there but at the end of the day I just like not having to think about it and the convenience of the NoPox. Saving 10 bucks a year really isn't worth it to me.

 

[brandon429]

You shouldn’t be testing for nor reacting to nitrate in that tank, there is nothing wrong with it. Pics show it’s doing well

When you say dusting rocks, that detritus is your nitrate reserve, along with all bioload and feed input. You can’t downscale two of those three causes.

but you can clean your tank to lower nitrate, vs let it leak into the water and then bind it somehow. Your target should not be a nitrate reading it should be cloud management, active feeding and strong export so that clean protein is circulated in the tank but not sinked. The way to maximize that reef is opposite of your current direction.


rip clean your tank if you want the safest lowest nitrate reserves


then it will be hungry for renewed feeding. in the current direction you’ll wind up reducing feed and protein input in the name of a potentially unverified nitrate reading-opposite of the recommended path.

 

[Eleni18]

It's what I use yes. So I don't want to overly influence you. There are many recipes using either vinegar/alcohol/sugar etc out there but at the end of the day I just like not having to think about it and the convenience of the NoPox. Saving 10 bucks a year really isn't worth it to me.

Thank you. I agree. I think I will try this

 

[Eleni18]

You shouldn’t be testing for nor reacting to nitrate in that tank, there is nothing wrong with it. Pics show it’s doing well

When you say dusting rocks, that detritus is your nitrate reserve, along with all bioload and feed input. You can’t downscale two of those three causes.

but you can clean your tank to lower nitrate, vs let it leak into the water and then bind it somehow. Your target should not be a nitrate reading it should be cloud management, active feeding and strong export so that clean protein is circulated in the tank but not sinked. The way to maximize that reef is opposite of your current direction.

Thanks. So how would I do that? Apart from "dust" on the rocks and some-not much-film froming on the glass, my sand is relatively clean, diamond goby helping a lot.

 

[Quietman]

Good luck! As others have said, you do need to make sure other husbandry following good practices and if your tank looks good, be careful changing anything too much or too fast. Carbon dosing isn't a substitute for good housekeeping nor is it a guaranteed success for your livestock. I just find it to be a very efficient method of nitrate control.

 

[Vakko]

Dust off the rocks, clean your sand bed, make sure you have enough flow, replace your filter media more frequently...

 

[Quietman]

Full disclosure...I do not run a refugium or macroalgae, I do not use filter socks but will run a sponge when I clean my tank weekly in adddition to 10% weekly WC. I also use GAC but that's not really relevant to N/P. For export I only use a skimmer and carbon dosing (along with manually cleaning rock/substrate). Without the dosing I would be at 15-20 ppm and increasing (at least that what it was before I started dosing)...with dosing and Phosguard I've kept my tank <.03/<5 ppm P/N for months but it does require weekly testing and some adjustments. Just want you to be able to compare apples to apples if you're looking at using this as a nutrient export method.

 

[dwest]

There are numerous threads that nitrates at your level are not a problem. I would not worry about it.

High Nitrates & SPS

Why are high nitrates not good for SPS corals? Trying to educate myself so i can be a better reefer and sps keeper.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[waterskiguy]

If you reduce your po4 export (raise levels), it should naturally reduce your no3 levels. Although, your numbers aren't bad.

 

[Eleni18]

Full disclosure...I do not run a refugium or macroalgae, I do not use filter socks but will run a sponge when I clean my tank weekly in adddition to 10% weekly WC. I also use GAC but that's not really relevant to N/P. For export I only use a skimmer and carbon dosing (along with manually cleaning rock/substrate). Without the dosing I would be at 15-20 ppm and increasing (at least that what it was before I started dosing)...with dosing and Phosguard I've kept my tank <.03/<5 ppm P/N for months but it does require weekly testing and some adjustments. Just want you to be able to compare apples to apples if you're looking at using this as a nutrient export method.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Deano the reefer]

Hey there. I have had my ups and downs with nitrates as well. I have a 210 reef and run a fuge with calurpa taxifolia. Dangerous i know but it scrubs the water clean. Anyway, i had it go sexual once and went to over 100 on my nitrates. I keep the fuge light on all the time now because thats what usually makes it go sexual btw. I also dose nopox daily...its wonder juice! N03 is now maintained at 3. Some is good. I would do these things.
1. Reduce your feeding...too much food my friend. I feed once every 2 days.
2. do more of a wet skim in your skimmer
3. If you don’t have a sump runs an oversized canister filter. Hang ons are junk for the saltwater hobby. Not near enough media
4. Do your 20% water change like you are too.
5. i would carbon dose with nopox as well. Just get yourself a jaebo doser...they are inexpensive and you will fall in love with the time and headache it saves!

Uou are doing good...its the figuring it out that makes this hobby so rewarding to chin up and enjoy. It not a problem but an opportunity everytime!

 

[2Wheelsonly]

You said that you run a phosphate remover, what are your P levels? If there’s a severe lack of phosphates it screws with the ability to break down nitrates.

I would bank on this being your problem, I ran into the same thing and posted a thread about it. I had a nitrate spike due to some clean-up, all suggestions pointed to po4 being too low for no3 to be consumed. I dosed po4 for a good 4 weeks and my nitrates went from 50 to 5-10 where they have always sat for the last 4 years.

Make sure your po4 reading is accurate!

 

[atlfishes]

I saw ( i think at BRS) where the nitrogen content of pellets/flakes is much higher than frozen. Frozen is higher in PO4. Easy place to start.

 

[Eleni18]

So....the bottom line is: I should clean and dust...which I do almost every day, and raise phosphates? So remove the phosphate minus mesh bag? You think my phosphates are too low in relation to nitrates? OK......So I should let PO4 rise before thinking about dosing nopox? Or do both?

 

[waterskiguy]

So....the bottom line is: I should clean and dust...which I do almost every day, and raise phosphates? So remove the phosphate minus mesh bag? You think my phosphates are too low in relation to nitrates? OK......So I should let PO4 rise before thinking about dosing nopox? Or do both?

I would take the phosphate remover offline before doing anything else. Most times that will take care of the problem itself.

 

[Eleni18]

I would take the phosphate remover offline before doing anything else. Most times that will take care of the problem itself.

OK, I did that a few hours ago
Thanks

 

[WallyB]

I been in your situation. For years.

Two years if you count just my new tank restart.

Could never get Nitrates below 20. Usually was stuck between 25-50.

This was with Algae scrubber (macro), a refuge, ceramic bio-media and even Aqua Forest -NP and Bios S, more flow, no-sand bed, etc.

I also was chasing a Lower P and solved that with Regular GFO.

I was seriously considering Carbon Dosing and maybe even the NoPox version for Nitrate.
The NoPox crash stories scared me, and that once you start you just can't stop. Skimmer must be very good to remove the waste.

Then a month or so ago as recommended by a reef buddy, I stopped the Flakes.

I used to do frozen and Flakes, so now I moved to Frozen and Pellets. Mostly Frozen since fish are still adapting to pellets and some like Copperband won't touch pellets.

Finally after stopping the Flakes (which I think was my pollutant) my Nitrates are now around 5 for the first time ever.

At Nitrates (5ppm) and Phosphates (just around 0.1) my SPS look the best ever, and I have no intentions to lower N or P anymore. Goal is to keep both stable.