Nitrate control

[radav88]

it's simple as can be, especially if you're buying one. Here's the unit I used, it's an IceCap product. There are also videos on youtube of how to make one for yourself. Only extra tip I'd add is to sand the mesh with coarse sandpaper before installing it, the rough surface will start growing algae more readily.

I use the exact same ATS and it works great. I just cleaned mine and the algae it grows looks exactly like yours.

 

[vetteguy53081]

While I use a large algae scrubber which helps, my best success has been doing daily 2 gallon water changes which takes about 6-8 minutes and worth it

 

[ArtisticReef]

I’m doing 30% changes , 50 is a bit steep no

I’m dosing 25ml currently (5ml per ltr) , got slime coming of my rocks and the hair algae is just disgusting, cuc arrives tomorrow

CUC will take a while with extreme algae. Try ziptieing a tooth brush to a tube and scrub/syphon into a filter sock. Good luck.

 

[EVOL_LOVE]

I had impossibly high nitrates for months and it drove me nuts. I figured out the flow in my tank wasn't moving the detrius off my rocks. I took the rocks out and put them into a small tote with fresh saltwater and blasted it with a maxi jet with an air tube attached. This makes micro bubbles which help scrub the rock clean and then I dunk the rocks in clean water and put them back into my tank. I went from 80ppm nitrates down to 3ppm.

 

[Reefer Brent]

While I use a large algae scrubber which helps, my best success has been doing daily 2 gallon water changes which takes about 6-8 minutes and worth it

Pit crew times! What are your secrets?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pit crew times! What are your secrets?

Daily water changes
Aminos and traces twice a week
Poly filter and chemiPure blue in the sump

 

[Totroc3]

I do 25% weekly water changes but still had high nitrates. I was dosing Nopox and didn’t get much of a nitrate reduction so I switched to vodka and it has been amazing. I also have an algae turf scrubber and an oversized skimmer. My fish eat a lot which is why I do all of the above.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Best bulb for fuge? Needs be cheap

$10 shop light

 

[schooncw]

I do 25% weekly water changes but still had high nitrates. I was dosing Nopox and didn’t get much of a nitrate reduction so I switched to vodka and it has been amazing. I also have an algae turf scrubber and an oversized skimmer. My fish eat a lot which is why I do all of the above.

I am confused, as to why Vodka would be either better or worse than NOPOX, Elimi NP, Bacto Energy, etc. Can someone please address this?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am confused, as to why Vodka would be either better or worse than NOPOX, Elimi NP, Bacto Energy, etc. Can someone please address this?

IMO, there's no evidence for any organic generally being better than any other that is easily metabolized, but there are no good comparative studies.

One can get slimes and such from most organics, and if that happens, switching to a different one or a different way of dosing may be appropriate.

 

[blazn]

I had NO3 at 75+ and then added a DIY denitrification reactor utilizing vodka dosing and now I'm able to completely control my NO3 level. Currently, I'm maintaining a 8-10 N03 level with 5ml vodka/day on a 120+ gallon system. The reactor I built is based on the 'Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer': https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/poor-mans-nutrients-control-donovans-nitrate-destroyer.302685/. I highly recommend it.

 

[scotty333]

Couple of tests run

Po4 .15 no change
No3 75-100
Clacium Was 300 this morning and now 330 ( dosing ) , it’s not raising but keeps dropping which is very confusing and frustrating!

 

[BillFish Coral Lover]

Sweet !
I’ll dump my dsb then and pop one in its place

Careful with eliminating sand beds. Just a little at a time or it can throw off the entire system.

 

[Totroc3]

I am confused, as to why Vodka would be either better or worse than NOPOX, Elimi NP, Bacto Energy, etc. Can someone please address this?

I wish I could tell you but the difference was quite noticeable. I had used NoPox at the recommended highest dose without any results for3 months. I was using it on all 3 of my display tanks. When I switched to vodka and followed the guidelines by fellow reefer Miami Reef, all 3 tanks experienced a big Nitrate drop with my smallest tank hitting 0. Needless to say I slowed the dosing down.

 

[bezj]

Try this. It 100% works.
J

 

[MBruun]

I also use the DND "Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer" and agree with @blazn - full control and hardly no maintenance

 

[scotty333]

Calcium’s shot up overnight after reading 330 constantly and dosing more
Today is 850
Kh is 9
Mag 1470

 

[Naekuh]

YIKES you went from 330 to 850 in 1 day?

850 Ca, and 1470 Mg, im gonna take a guess, and say you might have precipitate soon, and you'll see white deposits on your pump / power heads.

Possibly even white cloudy water.

 

[scotty333]

been dosing over 3 days results 330-300-330 then 850
No precipitation yet

 

[VintageReefer]

Low nitrate / phosphate readings with a scrubber are not always accurate. I tested yesterday
Nitrate - 1.7
Phosphate - 0

I over feed Fish and corals daily. I don’t do water changes, I don’t run a skimmer or socks. I can’t do any less work than I am and my values are consistently low over the last 2 years. The corals are doing great.

My guess is the corals absorb what they need, the scrubber algae takes the excess and very little nutrients are leftover causing these low values, but in reality everything is getting what they need. There just is very little leftover in the water to show up on a test kit