Nitrate control options..

[Shad Quill]

So here's what I think is happening. I cleaned my algae scrubber the other day and I think because of the lack of algae immediately after cleaning it my nitrates spiked at 20 ppm. I did a water change and tested the following day and got 5 ppm. The thing that is getting me is the chaeto in the refugium is dying off instead of picking up the slack of the freshly cleaned algae scrubber, which I think is contributing to my slowly rising nitrate again..

Another negatively contributing factor is I started the tank a little over a month ago and used dead rock and I'm sure it has a while before its mature. I'm sure this is leeching phosphates and doing nothing yet to help with nitrates.

My question is what sort of solution would you recommend that I could keep in place long term?
I'm considering bio pellets but I've never used them and have heard horror stories...

Also, why is my chaeto dying off when there are consumable nitrates available?

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

sulfur denitrator is a good option to rid of nitrates.
chaeto may have phos and nitrates but does it have strong light to help it grow (5000-6000 kelvin)

 

[Shad Quill]

sulfur denitrator is a good option to rid of nitrates.
chaeto may have phos and nitrates but does it have strong light to help it grow (5000-6000 kelvin)

It does. I'm using a maxspect celestial 35a. I'll start researching denitrators. Thanks for the input.

 

[TomLi]

how long has the chaeto been in the sump it may or turned asexual

 

[Shad Quill]

It has only been in for about 3 weeks.

how long has the chaeto been in the sump it may or turned asexual

 

[Shad Quill]

how long has the chaeto been in the sump it may or turned asexual

Is it possible that it was in the other guys refugium long enough prior to me getting it that it happened here

 

[TomLi]

I cant see 3 weeks having that issue what light are you using also dry rock has a lot of dead organic matter so if it wasn't cured before putting it in your system and with out a skimmer your going to keep experiencing a rise in nitrates until you build up enough bacteria and the tank settles in

 

[Shad Quill]

I cant see 3 weeks having that issue what light are you using also dry rock has a lot of dead organic matter so if it wasn't cured before putting it in your system and with out a skimmer your going to keep experiencing a rise in nitrates until you build up enough bacteria and the tank settles in

Here's a picture of my sump... I'm using a maxspect celestial 35a light over the chaeto.
I agree.. I think the biggest culprit of my nitrate issue is the dry rock I used.. I dont think I cured it long enough. I had it during for about 8 weeks.

 

[rockskimmerflow]

Why are we stressing about 20 ppm nitrate?? Before you go invest in a nitrate reactor, just know that many systems I run were started with minimally cured dry rock, do not run an algae scrubber or refugium, and all run low on nitrate despite heavy feeding. Once your tank is full of growing organisms, nitrates are in short supply I find. Only nutrient I manage is phosphate through moderate GFO use. As long as my phos is low, but detectable I'm ecstatic if I can get a 5 or 10ppm nitrate reading. Usually I struggle to stay above 0. Just ride it out. Never seen an acro strip from a nitrate spike, at worst brown out a bit. Now, a phosphate spike... thats another story...

 

[TomLi]

Very nice set up let the dry rock settle out build up some more bacteria try to trim some of the dying chaeto also whats your lighting sch on the chateo I run just reverse I never saw benefit to 18-24 hours I acutlly lowered mine because my nitrates are undectable and I'm raising them and still getting great growth it also does better when it tumbles for me every couple weeks I throw out a 5 gallon bucket

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I also would not stress over 20 ppm NO3. I have been having the opposite issue (0.2 ppm NO3). If your chaeto is not growing, you most likely have a limitation in a required element. What is your PO4 at? If your PO4 is .03+, I would try a bit of Iron. It is the usual suspect for slow/no algae growth.

Dennis

 

[Ash321]

Here's a picture of my sump... I'm using a maxspect celestial 35a light over the chaeto.
I agree.. I think the biggest culprit of my nitrate issue is the dry rock I used.. I dont think I cured it long enough. I had it during for about 8 weeks.

Side note that is one heck of a sump set up

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are many good nitrate reduction options. I discuss them here:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium

 

[Shad Quill]

Po4 is 0.17

I also would not stress over 20 ppm NO3. I have been having the opposite issue (0.2 ppm NO3). If your chaeto is not growing, you most likely have a limitation in a required element. What is your PO4 at? If your PO4 is .03+, I would try a bit of Iron. It is the usual suspect for slow/no algae growth.

Dennis

 

[madweazl]

So here's what I think is happening. I cleaned my algae scrubber the other day and I think because of the lack of algae immediately after cleaning it my nitrates spiked at 20 ppm. I did a water change and tested the following day and got 5 ppm. The thing that is getting me is the chaeto in the refugium is dying off instead of picking up the slack of the freshly cleaned algae scrubber, which I think is contributing to my slowly rising nitrate again..

Another negatively contributing factor is I started the tank a little over a month ago and used dead rock and I'm sure it has a while before its mature. I'm sure this is leeching phosphates and doing nothing yet to help with nitrates.

My question is what sort of solution would you recommend that I could keep in place long term?
I'm considering bio pellets but I've never used them and have heard horror stories...

Also, why is my chaeto dying off when there are consumable nitrates available?

Carbon dosing is great for reducing nitrates. On another note, there is no sense in having competing systems for nitrate/phosphate reduction; I'm referring to your use of a refugium and algae scrubber. Remove one and focus on making the remaining system work well. In regard to cleaning the algae scrubber, that wouldnt create the spike in nutrients unless you sterilized the screen and were starting from scratch.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Po4 is 0.17

Definitely try dosing a bit of iron then. Iron dosing is considered very safe and your macros will thank you for it.

Dennis

 

[PatW]

Your chaeto could be dying for a couple of reasons.

Chaeto needs three things: nitrates, phosphates and light.

When I ramped up my lights in the display tank, The algae in the display tank out competed the chaeto in the sump with its cheap little light source. And it died.

So I got a high powered kessel refugium light and the chaeto thrived.... until the phosphates were depleted. Then the chaeto died.

So I dosed phosphates and the chaeto thrived.

Bulk Reef Supply has a series of you tube videos going over chaeto in refugium sin excruciating detail.

 

[Ash321]

Your chaeto could be dying for a couple of reasons.

Chaeto needs three things: nitrates, phosphates and light.

When I ramped up my lights in the display tank, The algae in the display tank out competed the chaeto in the sump with its cheap little light source. And it died.

So I got a high powered kessel refugium light and the chaeto thrived.... until the phosphates were depleted. Then the chaeto died.

So I dosed phosphates and the chaeto thrived.

Bulk Reef Supply has a series of you tube videos going over chaeto in refugium sin excruciating detail.

Sorry to jump on this thread! But
How much phospate does chaeto need to grow mine is at 0.03 but nitrate at 50 ppm and using a 5500k task led light

 

[madweazl]

Your chaeto could be dying for a couple of reasons.

Chaeto needs three things: nitrates, phosphates and light.

When I ramped up my lights in the display tank, The algae in the display tank out competed the chaeto in the sump with its cheap little light source. And it died.

So I got a high powered kessel refugium light and the chaeto thrived.... until the phosphates were depleted. Then the chaeto died.

So I dosed phosphates and the chaeto thrived.

Bulk Reef Supply has a series of you tube videos going over chaeto in refugium sin excruciating detail.

Does it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry to jump on this thread! But
How much phospate does chaeto need to grow mine is at 0.03 but nitrate at 50 ppm and using a 5500k task led light

That amount of phosphate and nitrate is fine for macroalgae to thrive.