Nopox dosing expected timeline?

lba4590 · Apr 28, 2021

I have a 120g tank and about 30 or so gallons in my sump. Nitrates were 0-2ppm for about 5-6 months. Tank is now 9 months old and have only added 2 small fish in the last 3 months. It has been slowly climbing since about February. Now nitrates are around 40 give or take, and phosphates remaining steady (from the start) between 0.06-0.07. I have some “easy” sps, all are slowly dying. Everything else seems ok for now.

Started dosing nopox but was having major issues with my doser... wouldn’t stay primed and dosing was inconsistent. Think I’ve fixed it, but I’m still only dosing 3ml/day and have been for several weeks but haven’t seen a change. No negative effects either. Also worth noting that I really don’t have any algae issues in my DT but do have cyano in my sump. Im not sure when to bump up the dose, or how to really monitor if it’s working because I’m not sure what timeline to expect. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

T-J · Apr 28, 2021

Are you doing regular water changes? If so, how much?
With only 2 small fish in a tank that size, are you overfeeding? What are you feeding? That may be the source.

lba4590 · Apr 28, 2021

T-J said:
Are you doing regular water changes? If so, how much?
With only 2 small fish in a tank that size, are you overfeeding? What are you feeding? That may be the source.

No I have a lot more fish than that! Just mentioned the 2 gobies added since the sudden spike in nitrates. I have 3 large fish and 10 small fish. I do feed heavily because I have some high maintenance fish (wrasses, copperband, anthias) that need frequent feedings. Usually LRS reef frenzy, frozen mysis, all frozen food, about 3 times a day (not adding a lot at a time). Trying to minimize water changes as much as possible but yes I’ve been doing them about once a month.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 28, 2021

lba4590 said:
I have a 120g tank and about 30 or so gallons in my sump. Nitrates were 0-2ppm for about 5-6 months. Tank is now 9 months old and have only added 2 small fish in the last 3 months. It has been slowly climbing since about February. Now nitrates are around 40 give or take, and phosphates remaining steady (from the start) between 0.06-0.07. I have some “easy” sps, all are slowly dying. Everything else seems ok for now.

Started dosing nopox but was having major issues with my doser... wouldn’t stay primed and dosing was inconsistent. Think I’ve fixed it, but I’m still only dosing 3ml/day and have been for several weeks but haven’t seen a change. No negative effects either. Also worth noting that I really don’t have any algae issues in my DT but do have cyano in my sump. Im not sure when to bump up the dose, or how to really monitor if it’s working because I’m not sure what timeline to expect. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

For some folks, the decline in nitrate takes a long time, weeks. If you do not see it in a few weeks and you believe the kit, i'd up the dose.

Clownfishy · Apr 28, 2021

Just my point of view but if/when increasing dosing, do it VERY slowly especially with your phosphates at that level. They can drop fast and you end up hitting zero and potentially leading to Dinos (ask me how I know this!!!!). I have observed excatly what Randy mentioned. My phophates dropped quite quickly but my Nitrates took a while. What test kits are you using?

Trouble1375 · Apr 28, 2021

Be VERY careful with NOPOX on a doser. We had a pump head go bad and dumped way too much in and we had to do an emergency 90% water change to save our tank.

T-J · Apr 28, 2021

Trouble1375 said:
Be VERY careful with NOPOX on a doser. We had a pump head go bad and dumped way too much in and we had to do an emergency 90% water change to save our tank.

That goes along with anything on a doser. Empty 1000ml of Alk into the tank and boom, goner.

Trouble1375 · Apr 28, 2021

T-J said:
That goes along with anything on a doser. Empty 1000ml of Alk into the tank and boom, goner.

I only keep enough in the dosing bottles for a couple days at a time now and NoPox is no longer welcome in our system. We'll just deal with our 10 Nitrate and .08 Phosphate

lba4590 · Apr 28, 2021

Clownfishy said:
Just my point of view but if/when increasing dosing, do it VERY slowly especially with your phosphates at that level. They can drop fast and you end up hitting zero and potentially leading to Dinos (ask me how I know this!!!!). I have observed excatly what Randy mentioned. My phophates dropped quite quickly but my Nitrates took a while. What test kits are you using?

Oh interesting, I had no idea! I will keep an eye out. I’m using Hanna ULR for phosphate, Red Sea for nitrate

Clownfishy · Apr 28, 2021

Great to hear you are using the Hanna checker, that is what I am using and found it to be consistent.

lba4590 · May 4, 2021

Quick update, phosphates are now 0.03 and nitrate is still a steady 30-40ppm. Help! Do I need to dose phosphate? Could the biomedia in my sump (ceramic rings and no name porous balls) be an issue? Should that be removed? Diatoms starting to form on the sand now!

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 5, 2021

The phosphate value is fine.

Cjeippert · Jun 3, 2021

Is there any automated nitrate and phosphate analyzers? Like trident for alk cal mag and ph probes? I enjoy the accuracy and numerical reading of the Hanna, but not the 30 min to perform the nitrate test. The salifert tests I have for nitrate are very hard for me to see the color and relate it to the paper chart

T-J · Jun 3, 2021

Cjeippert said:
Is there any automated nitrate and phosphate analyzers? Like trident for alk cal mag and ph probes? I enjoy the accuracy and numerical reading of the Hanna, but not the 30 min to perform the nitrate test. The salifert tests I have for nitrate are very hard for me to see the color and relate it to the paper chart

The new HR Hanna Nitrate test will be released next month. You can pre-order it now. Runs just like the alk test.

Cjeippert · Jun 3, 2021

T-J said:
The new HR Hanna Nitrate test will be released next month. You can pre-order it now. Runs just like the alk test.

For me That hanna alk test is best on market. Exact number, no color match and reads instantly. Extremely consistent and no powder mess.

thatmanMIKEson · Jun 3, 2021

T-J said:
The new HR Hanna Nitrate test will be released next month. You can pre-order it now. Runs just like the alk test.

??

lba4590 · Jun 4, 2021

T-J said:
The new HR Hanna Nitrate test will be released next month. You can pre-order it now. Runs just like the alk test.

Thanks! Just preordered

thatmanMIKEson · Jun 4, 2021

lba4590 said:
Thanks! Just preordered

its already out, right ? what is the model #

MaxTremors · Jun 4, 2021

thatmanMIKEson said:
its already out, right ? what is the model #

I don’t think until July. The low range one is out, but it’s quite a process to do the test, this new one will be less accurate for low range, but if you run nitrates over 5ppm, I’d wait and get the HR version.

thatmanMIKEson · Jun 5, 2021

MaxTremors said:
I don’t think until July. The low range one is out, but it’s quite a process to do the test, this new one will be less accurate for low range, but if you run nitrates over 5ppm, I’d wait and get the HR version.

ok i was looking at the long process one, but the new one is set to start shipping in july 2021it is