Nitrate help

[Jonathan Schor]

The tank is a 40 gallon breeder with plenty of live rock. It's an LPS dominated mixed reef. I have a pair of clowns, a sailfin gobi, hippo tang, and a bicolor anthias.

In the sump I'm running a GFO reactor and carbon reactor. Also have a filter bag of biolife fil. Sump holds about 6 gallons.

Last parameters:
pH 8.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Phos 0.04
Nitrate 50
Alk 7.7
Calcium 460
Mag 1350

I'm not currently dosing. Just adding -np (2 drops) and pro s(2 drop) daily.

 

[Anirban]

With all those fishes your system bioload is heavy. So, grab some siporax possibly 2 litre and put them in sump. Let them sit there for 1-2 months while you keep dosing the Pro bios. It should slowly bring down the nutrient. In the mean time take your GFO reactor offline or use a very little GFO. This will help you to reduce the NO3 further. Pro bio S and NP Pro work pretty slowly and also it need some good amount of surface area to host and work.
Can you post couple of pictures of your system?

 

[Jonathan Schor]

 

[Jonathan Schor]

Some pictures above

 

[Anirban]

I will say add some siporax and keep dosing the probiotics. It will slowly work. Also, in your case if you dont run GFO it will help as available PO4 will be converted with NO3 by the probiotics. It will take time to come down from 50ppm.

 

[Jonathan Schor]

Thanks. I'll give it a try. I already have some life bio fil in the sump. Will add siporax as well.

 

[120reefkeeper]

The other strange thing is that the pH has been dropping a bit. Was alway rock stable at 8.2-8.3. Now running 7.9-8.1.

Before you ran Aquaforest salt what brand did you use and what was your Alkalinity of that salt?? [emoji6]

 

[120reefkeeper]

I agree with Anirban . If your having nitrate issues more media is your answer. I have 2OL of siporax, life Bio fil and Marine pure spheres in my sump. Continue dosing the Pro Bio s and NP Pro. It will work and with the added media you'll see it go down. [emoji4]

 

[Jonathan Schor]

Before you ran Aquaforest salt what brand did you use and what was your Alkalinity of that salt?? [emoji6]

I used tropic Marin regular salt. All was somewhere around 8.5 to 9

 

[120reefkeeper]

I used tropic Marin regular salt. All was somewhere around 8.5 to 9

The Aquaforest salt runs lower dkh. From my experience I usually see dkh between 7.0 to 7.6 depending on which Aquaforest salt I'm using.

This could be part of why your PH is running a little lower also. I wouldn't be concerned about it, anything above 7.8 IMHO is fine.

 

[Jonathan Schor]

Finally starting nitrate dropping. I added siporax, biolife fil, and added a refugium with chaeto. Stopped the GFO.

Next question is when to start dosing so I can stop weekly water changes. Kh dropping from 7.45 to 730 in a week. Any suggestions?

 

[Anirban]

It all depends where you want to keep it. If you want to keep it at current level then test all 3 Alk, Ca and Mg. If you are happy with the level then slowly start the 3 component dosing and keep measuring the Alk. Once your daily dosing keep the Alk steady you are good.

 

[Jonathan Schor]

Are there target numbers that Aquaforest recommends?

 

[Anirban]

They recommend to keep a lower Alk like 7-8dkh but it all depends on your taste.

 

[Jonathan Schor]

I've need using the aquaforest system for 3 months now. Finally got the nitrates down to between 1 and 5. Needed time and had the help of adding a refugium. I've need doing biweekly to weekly water changes. Started dosing 1/2/3. Parameters are pretty stable at KH 6.7/Mg 1500/Ca 450. I usually kept the to Kh a little higher to 7-7.5. Is this necessary? How would I do that? I don't want to put the component out of balance.

 

[Anirban]

Which salt you use? To bring up the kH you can use KH buffer and slowly bring it up to where you want and then keep dosing the 1/2/3 same amount as you do now.

 

[Jonathan Schor]

I use AF reef salt. I'll have to mix up some buffer solution to bring it up. Thanks.

 

[Ernie Aungon Nebit]

Hi @Anirban, what's the difference between KH Buffer and KH Plus? are both used to increase dkh?

Thanks!

 

[120reefkeeper]

Kh buffer is a dry powder for mixing your own . KH Plus is premixed and is also used for increasing your DKH

 

[Ernie Aungon Nebit]

It's confusing. I thought KH Buffer is to lessen the alkalinity level.

Thanks!