Nitrates high but phosphates low?

Scorchx1245 · Aug 9, 2018

So I've been testing my water lately and noticed my nitrates are slowly on the rise about 5ppm a week. Skimmer broke in a week ago. Kind of a wet skim mildly dark tea colored, have refugium but also growing some GHA on my chaeto in a couple spots?

Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 50ppm
Nitrite 0
Phostphate 0.015
Ca 440
Alk 9
Mag 1325

My sump turnover is kinda low at 4x.
Biweekly water changes 25% and running carbon and GFO. Feeding mysis and a little hit of nori. Every other day.

Should I remove the GFO to help the macro algea grow to eat up the nitrate?
Any thoughts ? Its mixed reef. Couple monti and birdsnest and lps.

40B Knasty · Aug 9, 2018

What size tank, amount of live rock, kind of live rock, and biological media do you have?

Scorchx1245 · Aug 9, 2018

40gallon breeder. I never weighed the rock but I have a bunch of pukani and misc. pieces guessing 70 lbs. And I got about 10lbs in my sump/refugium area. And for bio media theres a couple marine pure balls in between chambers.

eddius_maximus · Aug 9, 2018

Scorchx1245 said:
Should I remove the GFO to help the macro algea grow to eat up the nitrate?

How's your chaeto growth rate currently? YMMV, but in my tank I found the GFO was directly competing with the chaeto, stunting growth. Removing the GFO allowed my chaeto to take hold and flourish.

Scorchx1245 · Aug 9, 2018

Slow lol

eddius_maximus · Aug 9, 2018

Assuming all the other chaeto variables are optimal (lighting, flow, etc), I'd pull the GFO and let the chaeto do its thing.

40B Knasty · Aug 10, 2018

Well I am kind of at a loss on why your nitrates are up. How many fish do you have?

ZaneTer · Aug 10, 2018

Well, he has no phosphate. His value is well within the margin of error and limit of detection. With no available phosphate then nothing is able to grow and consume the nitrate be it algae or bacteria.
Get the GFO offline as soon as possible before you starve your corals.

Scorchx1245 · Aug 10, 2018

2 occ. Clowns, 1 YWG, 1 falco hawk, and 1 (2inch) foxface. Hes going in my 300 system when he outgrows this. One RBTA, 2 sps's birdsnest and monti, hammer, torch, GSP, candy canes, and palys. My only thought is my gf feeds them sometimes and she's a heavy feeder. I'll try removing the GFO. my refugium light maybe lacking aswell.

ZaneTer · Aug 10, 2018

In my personal experience with chaeto I am sure the stuff will grow under candlelight. It’s a weed given enough nutrients and even substandard lighting.

Martin Kuhn · Aug 11, 2018

Did you install some mechanical filters like eg plastic sponges?
In cases yes, remove them.

Scorchx1245 · Aug 11, 2018

No sponges other then the ones covering my powerheads that get rinsed every 3 to 5 days. I change filter socks every week to a week and a half. Thinking I need to change ever 5 days to a week.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 11, 2018

I doubt removing the GFO will drop nitrate faster with phosphate presently at 0.015 ppm, but it might. I wouldn't drive it lower.

You might consider organic carbon dosing.

Scorchx1245 · Aug 12, 2018

So would you say, bio pellets perhaps?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 12, 2018

I prefer soluble organic dosing to biopellets since it is easier to control the timing (related to O2 consumption and pH lowering) and dose, but yes, that can help.

Scorchx1245 · Aug 15, 2018

What organic dosing methods due prefer?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 15, 2018

Vinegar is my preference. It is consumed by a wide array of organisms, including corals and sponges, not just bacteria.

ashr · Aug 17, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Vinegar is my preference. It is consumed by a wide array of organisms, including corals and sponges, not just bacteria.

Just normal vinegar?

I also have the same issue with high No3 around 40-50ppm and low Phos. 0.11-0.14 and cannot get the No3 down.. I have been dosing NoPox for a few weeks but only half recommended dose as I dont wanna got nuts. I have recently started the recommended dose of 3ml per 25g

red sea reefer 170 34g tank

Hapa · Aug 17, 2018

Hey,

I have the same too, Low PO4 and high no3 .
No2 is 0,15 mg/L No3 ~60+

And i dont get the no3 down. I use the Reefer Cups no socket no sponges and i got no idea what to do.

I allready tryed to dose nitrogen, because the nitrifikation doesnt work well if there is no nitrogen availability.
Did you check your no2?
Red Sea Reefer 170