Nitrate & phosphate

[ry_gon]

I need some advice about nutrients. I have a 1 year old 75 gallon FOWLR. Started with Caribsea dry rock & dry sand.

Filtration:
RO/DI Water with Red Sea salt
~ 10 gallon sump
PinkyFilter for mechanical filtration, changed every 5 days
Red Sea skimmer
HOB fuge with sea lettuce, but over ran with GHA. I will be cleaning out the fuge and adding Chaeto in a few weeks, but want to get phosphate down before then.

In the beginning I was more focused on QT my fish & CUC. Now I’m focusing on correct parameters before getting corals. My nitrates used to be above 75PPM. After 6 months of weekly 30 gallon water changes. My nitrates have gone down to 12.5PPM. I started carbon dosing with distilled vinegar 1.5 months ago. The carbon dosing has helped bring Nitrates down. I use Hanna HR nitrate for testing.

My phosphates are still high. Phosphates are 1PPM - 1.2PPM. The day after a water change my phosphate goes down to 0.84, but a few days later it’s back to 1.2PPM. I feed frozen PE Mysis, and Fish Frenzy. I rarely feed TDO pellets. I use Hanna ULR Phosphate for testing. I dilute my sample for phosphate 50/50 tank water & new saltwater. Then multiply by 2.

I barely turned on my T5s lights 3-4 weeks ago and brown algae has started to grow on the rocks. Is this the “ugly phase” ? Will I have to go through the ugly phase if I get my parameters corrected? Should I turn off the lights or ride it out because the ugly phase has to happen?

Should I use GFO or Biopellets? Which brand of GFO? I’m thinking BRS High Capacity GFO or RowaPhos. Do I need a reactor or is a media bag ok?

 

[PeterEde]

I have read if you feed mysis that you should rinse them first?
I stopped feeding mysis and now feed frozen Brine that seems far less dirty.

 

[thomas_neil]

I need some advice about nutrients. I have a 1 year old 75 gallon FOWLR. Started with Caribsea dry rock & dry sand.

Filtration:
RO/DI Water with Red Sea salt
~ 10 gallon sump
PinkyFilter for mechanical filtration, changed every 5 days
Red Sea skimmer
HOB fuge with sea lettuce, but over ran with GHA. I will be cleaning out the fuge and adding Chaeto in a few weeks, but want to get phosphate down before then.

In the beginning I was more focused on QT my fish & CUC. Now I’m focusing on correct parameters before getting corals. My nitrates used to be above 75PPM. After 6 months of weekly 30 gallon water changes. My nitrates have gone down to 12.5PPM. I started carbon dosing with distilled vinegar 1.5 months ago. The carbon dosing has helped bring Nitrates down. I use Hanna HR nitrate for testing.

My phosphates are still high. Phosphates are 1PPM - 1.2PPM. The day after a water change my phosphate goes down to 0.84, but a few days later it’s back to 1.2PPM. I feed frozen PE Mysis, and Fish Frenzy. I rarely feed TDO pellets. I use Hanna ULR Phosphate for testing. I dilute my sample for phosphate 50/50 tank water & new saltwater. Then multiply by 2.

I barely turned on my T5s lights 3-4 weeks ago and brown algae has started to grow on the rocks. Is this the “ugly phase” ? Will I have to go through the ugly phase if I get my parameters corrected? Should I turn off the lights or ride it out because the ugly phase has to happen?

Should I use GFO or Biopellets? Which brand of GFO? I’m thinking BRS High Capacity GFO or RowaPhos. Do I need a reactor or is a media bag ok?

How often do you feed and how much? Over feeding could be part of the problem. A fuge would definitely help lower the nutrient levels. If you want a quick fix since it’s just a Fowlr Red Sea makes the No3-po4x which will quickly lower no3 and po4. I run a little bit of gfo mixed in with my carbon in my reactor to help manage levels. I personally like the BRS gfo.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Do you have sand?

 

[Blazinlawn2000]

Went through the EXACT same issue with my tank. I used BRS GFO, didn't used the High capacity, but it got my phosphates done to a steady 0.10 ppm. You need to use a reactor for GFO, as it will turn into a brick of material without. Set it for a slow boiling look at the top surface of the GFO. It will exhaust the media fast the first several times you run it. I ended up changing media every 3 days. The media reactor with biopellets is more for nitrate issues in my understanding.

 

[Blazinlawn2000]

Went through the EXACT same issue with my tank. I used BRS GFO, didn't used the High capacity, but it got my phosphates done to a steady 0.10 ppm. You need to use a reactor for GFO, as it will turn into a brick of material without. Set it for a slow boiling look at the top surface of the GFO. It will exhaust the media fast the first several times you run it. I ended up changing media every 3 days. The media reactor with biopellets is more for nitrate issues in my understanding.

Also start with half the dose they recommend so you don't shock the tank.

 

[Idech]

I have a similar setup to yours, except with corals and it's six months old. I have 20 ppm nitrates and 0,07 phosphates. I have to be very careful with feeding or everything will rise quickly.

I’m curious to know why you dilute the sample water with new tank water when testing phosphates ?

 

[ry_gon]

How often do you feed and how much? Over feeding could be part of the problem. A fuge would definitely help lower the nutrient levels. If you want a quick fix since it’s just a Fowlr Red Sea makes the No3-po4x which will quickly lower no3 and po4. I run a little bit of gfo mixed in with my carbon in my reactor to help manage levels. I personally like the BRS gfo.

I feed once a day 1 cube, but there’s always seaweed for the tang

 

[ry_gon]

I have a similar setup to yours, except with corals and it's six months old. I have 20 ppm nitrates and 0,07 phosphates. I have to be very careful with feeding or everything will rise quickly.

I’m curious to know why you dilute the sample water with new tank water when testing phosphates ?

Because phosphate ulr only reads up to 0.90PPM. If I do 100% tank water Hanna gives me a flashing 0.90

 

[ry_gon]

Do you have sand?

Yes I have sand, but just did a rescape and vacuumed the sand.

 

[ry_gon]

Went through the EXACT same issue with my tank. I used BRS GFO, didn't used the High capacity, but it got my phosphates done to a steady 0.10 ppm. You need to use a reactor for GFO, as it will turn into a brick of material without. Set it for a slow boiling look at the top surface of the GFO. It will exhaust the media fast the first several times you run it. I ended up changing media every 3 days. The media reactor with biopellets is more for nitrate issues in my understanding.

Do you use GFO 24/7 or as needed?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Yes I have sand, but just did a rescape and vacuumed the sand.

Did you cure the dry rock and dry sand before using it in your system?

 

[Blazinlawn2000]

Do you use GFO 24/7 or as needed?

24/7....once I got levels down, I just reduced the amount of GFO in my reactor.

 

[ry_gon]

Did you cure the dry rock and dry sand before using it in your system?

Did not cure it

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Did not cure it

I've had rock leach phosphates in the curing process, with no fish no feeding no lights..

 

[ry_gon]

I've had rock leach phosphates in the curing process, with no fish no feeding no lights..

I’m sure that’s whats happening. How long do they leach phosphate?

 

[ry_gon]

24/7....once I got levels down, I just reduced the amount of GFO in my reactor.

Which reactor would you recommend?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I’m sure that’s whats happening. How long do they leach phosphate?

No way to know. I would cure dry rock in r.o water and change the water often, while checking phosphates weekly.. then you know p04 in rock is 0. Since your system is up and running you just gotta run with it...

 

[ry_gon]

No way to know. I would cure dry rock in r.o water and change the water often, while checking phosphates weekly.. then you know p04 in rock is 0. Since your system is up and running you just gotta run with it...

I just placed an order for the BRS GFO & Carbon Reactor - Deluxe with Sicce Syncra 1.5 Pump. Ordered cheap bulk GFO from premium aquatics. I’m thinking of using GFO till I get my phosphate to acceptable levels. Discontinue GFO, add chaeto in my fuge and then use the reactor for carbon.
I have sea lettuce in my fuge right now, but it’s over ran with gha. I don’t want that to happen to the chaeto

 

[Freenow54]

Well you skipped a lot of the process as far as I am concerned. You may be in the middle of cycling hard to tell. What are all your readings? one day to the next? Also you may be causing your own problem by cleaning sand by releasing the cause. I would clean sand more often or not at all until you see results. To me dosing just masks the cause not cure it. As far as the lights I am going through the ugly stage now but it isn't too bad as I followed the suggested process completely. Not bragging just fact. Turning the lights off will stop the growth but it has too happen as far as I am concerned. I left mine on, and am slowly winning the war. Also how many fish? How much do you feed? I am guilty of overfeeding a bit, but overstocking is to me a bad thing everything is relative. Also have you done something different over the last 4 months? Figure it out, and start from day one may help