Nitrite/Phosphate issues?

[Outatime]

Hi All

About 2 weeks ago I moved my 32g tank inhabitants into a 130.4g Waterbox, I moved all the rock, water and livestock but replaced the sand with new.

Not had any live stock issues and corals for the most part look good but my water chemistry is a little off. These are my results as of half hour ago
Alk: 7.2
Ph: 7.9
Nitrate: 2.5
Nitrite: 25
Phos: 0.56
Ammonia 0

I have been running Rowaphos in the sump but it's slowly going up, last record was .22, nitrates have dropped from 10 to 2.5 and my nitrites are going up from last recorded 14 to now 25. Did I cause a mini cycle? I have been using microbactor7 thinking it might help a little bit doesn't seem to.

Have several fish inc clowns, royal gramma, gobys and a bunch of lps corals and anemones. They seem ok for now. I did a 20% water change yesterday but should I hold off on more for the tank to establish, anything I can add to it that won't tip it over the edge?

Thank you

Stu

 

[Rmckoy]

Hi All

About 2 weeks ago I moved my 32g tank inhabitants into a 130.4g Waterbox, I moved all the rock, water and livestock but replaced the sand with new.

Not had any live stock issues and corals for the most part look good but my water chemistry is a little off. These are my results as of half hour ago
Alk: 7.2
Ph: 7.9
Nitrate: 2.5
Nitrite: 25
Phos: 0.56
Ammonia 0

I have been running Rowaphos in the sump but it's slowly going up, last record was .22, nitrates have dropped from 10 to 2.5 and my nitrites are going up from last recorded 14 to now 25. Did I cause a mini cycle? I have been using microbactor7 thinking it might help a little bit doesn't seem to.

Have several fish inc clowns, royal gramma, gobys and a bunch of lps corals and anemones. They seem ok for now. I did a 20% water change yesterday but should I hold off on more for the tank to establish, anything I can add to it that won't tip it over the edge?

Thank you

Stu

Hi stu .
slow down on the water changes
Ive had the the same issue with my 230 when I upgraded from a 90 to the 230
I am having a very hard time keeping nitrates and rowaphos isn’t working as good as it used to for removing phosphates .
perhaps from the levels being elevated they will continue leaching from the rocks ,

 

[taricha]

Can you clarify your nitrite reading? Is that like ppb on a hanna checker?

 

[Pistondog]

Hi All

About 2 weeks ago I moved my 32g tank inhabitants into a 130.4g Waterbox, I moved all the rock, water and livestock but replaced the sand with new.

Not had any live stock issues and corals for the most part look good but my water chemistry is a little off. These are my results as of half hour ago
Alk: 7.2
Ph: 7.9
Nitrate: 2.5
Nitrite: 25
Phos: 0.56
Ammonia 0

I have been running Rowaphos in the sump but it's slowly going up, last record was .22, nitrates have dropped from 10 to 2.5 and my nitrites are going up from last recorded 14 to now 25. Did I cause a mini cycle? I have been using microbactor7 thinking it might help a little bit doesn't seem to.

Have several fish inc clowns, royal gramma, gobys and a bunch of lps corals and anemones. They seem ok for now. I did a 20% water change yesterday but should I hold off on more for the tank to establish, anything I can add to it that won't tip it over the edge?

Thank you

Stu

Wait and let things stabilize. You dont want nitrates to drop to zero. Longer term, think do you plan on nutrient export other than water changes?

 

[Outatime]

Can you clarify your nitrite reading? Is that like ppb on a hanna checker?

Hi, thank you yes sorry I was using a Hanna checker ppb.

I would welcome any advice on exporting nutrients, I only really have a skimmer, what would you recommend? Would a reef mat roller help? Or bio balls?

Thank you again, will definitely slow down water changes for now.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Hi, thank you yes sorry I was using a Hanna checker ppb.

I would welcome any advice on exporting nutrients, I only really have a skimmer, what would you recommend? Would a reef mat roller help? Or bio balls?

Thank you again, will definitely slow down water changes for now.

A refugium is one of the best ways.

 

[Outatime]

A refugium is one of the best ways.

Sorry I should have said I do have Chaeto in my sump with a grow light as well.

 

[shadyraro]

Why didn’t u transfer the old sand? I would’ve taken all or some of the old sand as there’s good bacteria in there, then merge it with the new sand.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Assuming the values are all accurate, then to lower phosphate you either you need to

1. Use a phosphate only export method
or
2. dose nitrate (or ammonia) to boost nitrate while simultaneously using a balanced export method (such as macroalgae)

The nitrite is no concern and I'd stop measuring it.

 

[Outatime]

Hi Randy , thank you, I am using Rowaphos, would you recommend anything different to use? If I dose Nitrate /Ammonia would that not cause problems with the inhabitants? Thanks again

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy , thank you, I am using Rowaphos, would you recommend anything different to use? If I dose Nitrate /Ammonia would that not cause problems with the inhabitants? Thanks again

GFO (as Rowaphos is) is a fine way to go.

Dosing nitrate or ammonia in appropriate amounts when it is low doesn't negatively impact organisms.

 

[Outatime]

Thank you again, once the phosphate remover has done it's job and at an acceptable level should it be removed from the tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you again, once the phosphate remover has done it's job and at an acceptable level should it be removed from the tank?

If it gets used up and phosphate rises again, time to replace it. If phosphate is staying where you want it , then leaving it there to possibly absorb more in the future is fine.

 

[Outatime]

Thank you again, ok so did a test last night, my phos has dropped to 0.06 but my Nitrates are now only 0.9 which seems pretty low, thinking I should dose with NeoNitro?

 

[taricha]

Go easy on too many changes quickly. Having low but detectable nitrate is not a problem. If you decide later you want to bump it up if it stays like that for a couple of weeks then that is probably fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd just feed more.

 

[Outatime]

Would that not cause ammonia issues?

 

[mark2781]

Hi All

About 2 weeks ago I moved my 32g tank inhabitants into a 130.4g Waterbox, I moved all the rock, water and livestock but replaced the sand with new.

Not had any live stock issues and corals for the most part look good but my water chemistry is a little off. These are my results as of half hour ago
Alk: 7.2
Ph: 7.9
Nitrate: 2.5
Nitrite: 25
Phos: 0.56
Ammonia 0

I have been running Rowaphos in the sump but it's slowly going up, last record was .22, nitrates have dropped from 10 to 2.5 and my nitrites are going up from last recorded 14 to now 25. Did I cause a mini cycle? I have been using microbactor7 thinking it might help a little bit doesn't seem to.

Have several fish inc clowns, royal gramma, gobys and a bunch of lps corals and anemones. They seem ok for now. I did a 20% water change yesterday but should I hold off on more for the tank to establish, anything I can add to it that won't tip it over the edge?

Thank you

Stu

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Would that not cause ammonia issues?

Definitely not