High nitrates

msujohn · Dec 28, 2015

I'm struggling with high nitrates -15ppm. I'm considering dosing vinegar as an option to reduce them. I currently have a 90 gallon mixed reef with 30 gallon sump, reef octopus 150 skimmer, brs dual reactor ( gfo/gac), and chaeto( although it doesn't grow very well). Through my readings I know I have to reduce my alk (9.0 currently). I'm looking at the brs doser with a digital timer. Any better options? I don't really want to run a system with 0 nitrates/phosphate, I'd prefer nitrates around 1 or 2 ppm. I have both lps and sps. Can I achieve it while dosing vinegar? Any other watch outs or advice?

rayn · Dec 28, 2015

15 isn't really high. A lot of reefers would love 15!

You should be able to dose and get them down to where you want to be. Watch and monitor your nitrate levels and do your maintenance dose once you reach your levels.

msujohn · Dec 28, 2015

I

rayn said:
15 isn't really high. A lot of reefers would love 15!

You should be able to dose and get them down to where you want to be. Watch and monitor your nitrate levels and do your maintenance dose once you reach your levels.

I can't seem to get them any lower and some of my corals aren't coloring up, like id like them.

Reef kid · Dec 28, 2015

I'm looking into the Jebao doser

rayn · Dec 28, 2015

I'm not saying you can't get them down, my last test was 12ppm and I am trying to get them down. It's just that isn't what I consider high in a reef.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/

This is what I follow and have had good luck with.

vic5hands · Dec 28, 2015

Have you tried Bio Pellets works well for me.

msujohn · Dec 28, 2015

vic5hands said:
Have you tried Bio Pellets works well for me.

I have not tried bio pellets. It is another option to consider.

Reefing Madness · Dec 28, 2015

You can vinegar or vodka dose. vinegar seems to not get the cyano going, whereas vodka has done in some tanks.

Macdaddynick1 · Dec 28, 2015

Dude 15 is heaven Ben for the sps

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 29, 2015

msujohn said:
I'm struggling with high nitrates -15ppm. I'm considering dosing vinegar as an option to reduce them. I currently have a 90 gallon mixed reef with 30 gallon sump, reef octopus 150 skimmer, brs dual reactor ( gfo/gac), and chaeto( although it doesn't grow very well). Through my readings I know I have to reduce my alk (9.0 currently). I'm looking at the brs doser with a digital timer. Any better options? I don't really want to run a system with 0 nitrates/phosphate, I'd prefer nitrates around 1 or 2 ppm. I have both lps and sps. Can I achieve it while dosing vinegar? Any other watch outs or advice?

Vinegar dosing sounds like a fine plan, although there are many other ways to reduce nitrate as well. I use a BRS 1.1 mL per min doser for vinegar spread out over many 1 min periods through the day.

ryan paggi · Dec 31, 2015

I have a 30 gal tank and my nitrates are at 32ppm and I can't get them down I have been doing a 5gal water change every week and I am using nopox and can't get them any lower. My sps look ok but my lps are really looking bad

AllSignsPointToFish · Dec 31, 2015

I've used the Red Sea NO3PO4-X with pretty good results. It's basically a mixture of acetic acid (same ingredient as in vinegar) and methanol (the single-carbon alcohol analog to ethanol). This seems to really keep the nitrates and phosphates in control, and I've seen quite a bit of nuisance algae and cyanobacteria recession under this dosing regimen (assuming what I believe is cyanobacteria is actually cyano).

twilliard · Dec 31, 2015

ryan paggi said:
I have a 30 gal tank and my nitrates are at 32ppm and I can't get them down I have been doing a 5gal water change every week and I am using nopox and can't get them any lower. My sps look ok but my lps are really looking bad

No3 is the end result of the cycle from ammonia.
Now you say you cant lower it.
More water changes is needed and from there look at what your feeding.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 1, 2016

ryan paggi said:
I have a 30 gal tank and my nitrates are at 32ppm and I can't get them down I have been doing a 5gal water change every week and I am using nopox and can't get them any lower. My sps look ok but my lps are really looking bad

How long have you been using NOPOX? What dose?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 1, 2016

AllSignsPointToFIsh said:
I've used the Red Sea NO3PO4-X with pretty good results. It's basically a mixture of acetic acid (same ingredient as in vinegar) and methanol (the single-carbon alcohol analog to ethanol). This seems to really keep the nitrates and phosphates in control, and I've seen quite a bit of nuisance algae and cyanobacteria recession under this dosing regimen (assuming what I believe is cyanobacteria is actually cyano).

While it apparently has enough methanol to list on an MSDS, the main ingredients are ethanol and acetic acid. There are DIY recipes around based on the published chemical analysis by NMR.

AllSignsPointToFish · Jan 1, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
While it apparently has enough methanol to list on an MSDS, the main ingredients are ethanol and acetic acid. There are DIY recipes around based on the published chemical analysis by NMR.

Well, that certainly makes sense. I ordered the bottle before I heard about vinegar/vodka dosing, so I thought I'd use up what I bought before switching over to straight vinegar.

By the way, I based what I said on the label, but I had not checked the MSDS.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 1, 2016

Mentioning those is probably a regulatory requirement, while ethanol may not require such a listing.

AllSignsPointToFish · Jan 1, 2016

Maybe, but I find it hard to believe acetic acid is a HON regulated chemical like methanol is

ryan paggi · Jan 1, 2016

I have been using nopox for about 2 months and have gone up to about 4mls and have been at 1.5 for a week now. I had gotten a new fish feeder and I set it up wrong and it was dumping way to much food in while I was gone for a week on vacation. And that was about a month ago.... That just set in now that I'm thinking about it. Would that be it?

Lenny_S · Jan 1, 2016

Have you tested your phosphate level? My nephew was running GFO and carbon dosing. His Nitrates were at 40 ppm and carbon dosing brought them to 15 ppm and stalled for weeks. When we tested his phosphate with the Hanna and Red Sea pro PO4 was 0. As soon as we dosed a tiny amount of phosphate they dropped to .5 ppm in just a few days.
I think if you have no phosphate then the carbon isn't going to help much, the bacteria need all 3, nitrate, phosphate, and carbon.