Need help with NOPOX dosing

[Reefingmama]

Hi, we have a 120g tank with sump and we started SLOW dosing NOPOX. Our nitrates were all the way up to 60 about 2 months ago. We started with literally 2ml of nopox, went to 4, then 6 etc until we started to see a drop in nitrates then kept it at the amount, 32ml, until we got to the nitrates we wanted to be at. Now we hover between 2-4 nitrate and I’ve slowly backed off nopox to 21ml. I want to figure out our “maintenance dose” but I’m unsure how to know what that is. Any advice? I’m worried if I keep it at 21ml it will bottom us out.

 

[Biglew11]

page 7
no3 above 10ppm 3ml per 25 gallons
no3 2.5 -10 ppm 2ml per 25 gallons
no3 1 -2.5 1ml per 25 gallons
https://www.redseafish.com/wp-conte...714-NEW-Manual-Algae-Complete-GB-_2019a-1.pdf

 

[Reefingmama]

page 7
no3 above 10ppm 3ml per 25 gallons
no3 2.5 -10 ppm 2ml per 25 gallons
no3 1 -2.5 1ml per 25 gallons
https://www.redseafish.com/wp-conte...714-NEW-Manual-Algae-Complete-GB-_2019a-1.pdf

So I should drop it all the way to 8? That seems drastic. Nothing good happens fast in a reef. I try not to make sudden changes

 

[Biglew11]

i'd drop it slowly unless your nutrients bottom out. you could also dose nutrients back if they do bottom out. if one or both, nitrates or phosphate bottom out the bacteria will have nothing to feed on and slowly die off anyway.

 

[Reefingmama]

i'd drop it slowly unless your nutrients bottom out. you could also dose nutrients back if they do bottom out. if one or both, nitrates or phosphate bottom out the bacteria will have nothing to feed on and slowly die off anyway.

When you say slowly do you mean days or weeks?

 

[Biglew11]

I'd drop it based on what the nutrients are doing. If they drop to zero you need to dose them back or decrease nopox. Extra surface movement to keep oxygen levels up.

It's the bacteria dying and depleting oxygen that's causes problems with slowing down the nopox.

 

[Dan_P]

Hi, we have a 120g tank with sump and we started SLOW dosing NOPOX. Our nitrates were all the way up to 60 about 2 months ago. We started with literally 2ml of nopox, went to 4, then 6 etc until we started to see a drop in nitrates then kept it at the amount, 32ml, until we got to the nitrates we wanted to be at. Now we hover between 2-4 nitrate and I’ve slowly backed off nopox to 21ml. I want to figure out our “maintenance dose” but I’m unsure how to know what that is. Any advice? I’m worried if I keep it at 21ml it will bottom us out.

You could take the empirical approach and slowly reduce the dose, a step once a week, until the nitrate level starts to climb. When it does, boost the dose to the previous level.

Unless you are in a hurry, take couple months to lower the dose to 0 mL. You will discover what your system needs along this journey. The week between step changes will let your system respond to the lower dose AND for you to notice the change in nitrate level and respond.

 

[Reefingmama]

You could take the empirical approach and slowly reduce the dose, a step once a week, until the nitrate level starts to climb. When it does, boost the dose to the previous level.

Unless you are in a hurry, take couple months to lower the dose to 0 mL. You will discover what your system needs along this journey. The week between step changes will let your system respond to the lower dose AND for you to notice the change in nitrate level and respond.

I think that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m definitely not in a hurry and want stability. I figured I will drop by one or two ml every couple days while testing and see what it does to the parameters. Ideally I would love to be off nopox but I don’t care if we need to use it long term. Whatever is best for the tank.