Nitrate (12ppm) and Dosing help.
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jsker
Reefing is all about the adventure
yes, but ok. Once the phosphates get to .02 I would start running a small amount of phosphate minus again.
I will still take the phosminus out for a week and see.
2Wheelsonly
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austinl
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Thanks for the clarification
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austinl
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Well this is starting to become real annoying.
I have been doing 40% water changes and last week I did two. Yesterday I did 2 changes 10 hours apart totalling 40% and my nitrates are still at 12. (Two different test kits)
At this point I'm up for some serious suggestions from anyone as to what I can do.
The daily Carbon dosing seems like a real bust IMO. I'm burning through salt like crazy with the water changes.
Here's a quick recap/system overview
Total vol 100 gallons
Livestock
two tangs
3 chromis
2 clowns
2 conchs
12 snails of various types
5 hermits
Parameters
1.025 SG
7.3-7.6 Alk
420 Cal
1360 Mag
12ppm Nitrate
0.04 PO4
Current dosing has just been Component 1/2/3 home mixed
NP Pro and Pro Bio S at 3 drops each into sump.
All coral feeding has been stopped and fish are fed Reef/herbivore frenzy daily and Nori every two days.
I have been doing 40% water changes and last week I did two. Yesterday I did 2 changes 10 hours apart totalling 40% and my nitrates are still at 12. (Two different test kits)
At this point I'm up for some serious suggestions from anyone as to what I can do.
The daily Carbon dosing seems like a real bust IMO. I'm burning through salt like crazy with the water changes.
Here's a quick recap/system overview
Total vol 100 gallons
Livestock
two tangs
3 chromis
2 clowns
2 conchs
12 snails of various types
5 hermits
Parameters
1.025 SG
7.3-7.6 Alk
420 Cal
1360 Mag
12ppm Nitrate
0.04 PO4
Current dosing has just been Component 1/2/3 home mixed
NP Pro and Pro Bio S at 3 drops each into sump.
All coral feeding has been stopped and fish are fed Reef/herbivore frenzy daily and Nori every two days.
Hey, sorry to say I also have no clue. But lets think logically since you started you are still stuck at 12ppm. That means your system is very stable at nutrient production as well as nutrient consumption/transport level. While its true that you want it down but I would suggest don't chase it too hard. It will come down. The AF products are good but they slowly bring the nutrients down. Also your system is relatively new so it will slowly work its way out through it. But if you still think you want it badly down then increase the doses of Pro bio S and NP Pro but still it will take time to bring it down.
In case you think you need more suggestion lets ask others @120reefkeeper @jsker @GoVols if they can suggest something else.
In case you think you need more suggestion lets ask others @120reefkeeper @jsker @GoVols if they can suggest something else.
GoVols
Cobb / Webb - 1989
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Does your reef look good or are you just trying to bring down your nitrates to a certain #?
Thanks, Freddie
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austinl
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Hey Anirban,
I have to disagree to a point...If I had been doing normal 10-20% water changes every week I would agree.
However given that I have done much larger water changes and sometime twice in a week I have to disagree.
The system is new to a degree, approaching 6 months, however my maintenance is beyond reproach and I keep everything spot on. That said I'm really not trying to chase numbers per say and more concerned with corals browning out and there growth being stunted with the higher nitrates.
Also seeing as my nitrates are higher I have had to/advised to stop some coral feeding which may or may not affect growth colour etc etc.
120reefkeeper
Reef keeping with Military Precision!
Along with increased dosing of Pro Bio s and Np Pro will help some my suggestion would be to increase your biological media. This helped me a ton!!
I have life Bio fil, about 5 liters of Marine pure , and a whopping 15 liters of Siporax! This is in addition to 150lbs of live rock. [emoji6]
The more area you have for the nitrifying bacteria to live the better. [emoji41]
My nitrates plummeted after adding more biological media. [emoji4]
I have life Bio fil, about 5 liters of Marine pure , and a whopping 15 liters of Siporax! This is in addition to 150lbs of live rock. [emoji6]
The more area you have for the nitrifying bacteria to live the better. [emoji41]
My nitrates plummeted after adding more biological media. [emoji4]
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austinl
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Hey Freddie,
I would say it looks ok minus some corals that haven browned a bit or lost colours.
Algae is minimal and really only brown diatoms seems to flare up....my rockscspe is slightly green but I'm starting to think it's green coraline as it's extremely tough and doesn't scrape off.
I will try and get some actual camera shot tomorrow.
Disagree to what? From the first post till now you are stuck at 12ppm with your regular maintenance right. So, whatever you do its there but its not going up or down. Ok, in another way to put this. If you check your NO3 anytime with your regular maintenance schedule what is your reading? If the answer is 12ppm then your system is dialled in to a balance where it balanced out the NO3 at 12ppm.
GoVols
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I'm just trying to help. 6 months is a young tank and everything plays a factor like lighting, Organics etc...
Have you read this thread and seen some of their nitrates?
I just like the Salifert nitrate kit but not I'm going to say it won't match the Red Sea.
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/tank-parameters-of-some-masters.263/
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austinl
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Yes that's true,
But in the last two weeks I have more than doubled the water changes (from 20% to 40%) and it stayed the same....if you double the amount of new water going in it should drop the nitrates
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austinl
Active Member
I appreciate the help Freddie [emoji16] it's why I am here.
I read both of the masters threads great stuff in there. I may pick up a third kit and will try a salifert as well and see what happens.
120reefkeeper
Reef keeping with Military Precision!
Let me quote my own post [emoji6]lol
It will but not for long. Also, if you do the water change at a single big change it will not do the trick. You have to do small water changes. Now, as far the corals concern LPS will be fine but SPS will brown out a bit but they will be more of a shock if you continuously change the levels too fast. So, don't press it but keep it steady.
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austinl
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Hey reefkeeper,
I was looking to add further media to the system and was going to get some siporax to supplement my live rock, has been hard to find where I am though.
I will take a look at the bio fill in the meantime though.
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austinl
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To clarify when I say larger water changes I'm still doing 20% but I would do two in one day about 10 hours apart and I always made sure my parameters matched ie Alk/cal/mag
The SPS were browning before these changes and were believed to be due to the higher nitrates
