NOPOX for Cyano

[Nasabeau]

So, Roast me if you want, I know I started off wrong, but here we go. When I started my first 75 gallon salt water tank and set it up with a canister filter and a couple of power heads, I got bad advice and used tap water to mix my first batch of water (2 months ago). I quickly learned that tap water was not good and invested in an RODI unit began with doing water changes every other week (25%). Upon getting my test kits I found phosphates around 0.5ppm, and nitrates around 30-40ppm. A few weeks (week? god I have no idea anymore) ago I added a skimmer. in those two months, I have stocked my tank with assorted snails as algae showed up, I got a single hermit crab, and have added 6 different fish at this point. my Nitrates and phosphates held their level very consistently. my ammonia is 0, as are my nitrates, and my KH and calcium are WNL. I started slightly hyposaline, for reasons discussed in other threads, and slowly brought it up to 35ppt where it is stable now. my Diatom came and went, but now I have an outbreak of what I believe to be cyano. the obvious culprit being the high nitrates and phosphates. over the last three weeks I increased WC to every week but still saw no change in nitrate and phosphate. The fact I am seeing no change tells me that the problem is that original tap water, and that if I could remove that nitrate and phosphate, weekly/biweekly WC would maintain the range I want (although that may not be how it works? My understanding is if the numbers remain stable it means I am putting in as much as I am taking out, so the net is 0). This is where I stumbled across NoPox, a solution that claims to remove nitrate and phosphate from the tank over time. thus a plan formed. on my next water change I can vacuum the sand to remove as much of the cyano as possible, then begin dosing with nopox to treat the underlying problem that lead to the cyano. once I achieve the level I want, I can stop adding the nopox and continue with water changes to manage the nutrients in the tank. the major problem is as I read about nopox, it seems one of the most common side effects is cyano outbreak. can anyone shed some light on my plan, where I may be going wrong, or if this is a good course of action?

 

[JumboShrimp]

I have never used NoPox, but your plan seems to make common sense. For a longer term solution, you may want to look into a sulphur denitrator— I plan to buy one to eliminate very high phosphates and nitrates in my FOWLR; people say they work extremely well. Best wishes!

 

[attiland]

I have never used NoPox, but your plan seems to make common sense. For a longer term solution, you may want to look into a sulphur denitrator— I plan to buy one to eliminate very high phosphates and nitrates in my FOWLR; people say they work extremely well. Best wishes!

The plan might work but it is a new tank. BRS has good info on this. Don’t fix it. Clean it and it will go.

 

[Nasabeau]

The plan might work but it is a new tank. BRS has good info on this. Don’t fix it. Clean it and it will go.

I'm sorry, I am not familiar, what is BRS? I intend to clean it with a gravel vac probably today or tomorrow depending on how long helping my dad with his computer takes. I need to get the nitrates and phosphates down anyway if I want any hope of getting shrimp coral anemones or the like to survive, all of which I would like to have. are you saying the nitrates and phosphates will sort themselves?

 

[Reefahholic]

NOPOX can be dangerous if you don't dose it right. It can deplete the oxygen and kill the fish.

If you wanna use a safer method, use ChemiClean. It will zap it. However, you need to understand why you're getting Cyano. Sometimes it just comes and goes, but other times the underlying issue/s need correction.

If you dose ChemiClean...make sure to do EXACTLY what the instructions tell you. I find it to be quite mild, but with excellent results.

 

[Nasabeau]

NOPOX can be dangerous if you don't dose it right. It can deplete the oxygen and kill the fish.

If you wanna use a safer method, use ChemiClean. It will zap it. However, you need to understand why you're getting Cyano. Sometimes it just comes and goes, but other times the underlying issue/s need correction.

If you dose ChemiClean...make sure to do EXACTLY what the instructions tell you. I find it to be quite mild, but with excellent results.

I would definitely start with probably quarter dose of NOPOX, I had read about the o2 problem and most people recommend start way low and scale up only if needed. I have an airstone I might throw in too just to make sure that water gets good and oxygenated. I also want to stress I do not intend for this to be a long term solution. I did just add the skimmer and my pH got up above 8 which made me happy (been hovering 7.8-7.8, not I'm at 8.2ish). while dosing I was also going to try and leave the top open more (I worry because my coral angel is a known jumper, but that glass top only lets so much air through, hence the need for the skimmer). The thing is I am Fairly sure the cyano is because of the nitrates and phosphates that have been with my tank from the start, which is why I want to try and lower them, but I also know it may just be part of the ugly period and will resolve on its own, that's why I am kinda hesitant to do anything other than cleaning, but I feel like its just getting worse, and given I have parameters I know aren't good for the tank... idk, I guess getting more experienced opinions is why I'm here XD. I will look into chemiclean. I have been doing TONS of research on nopox and GFO because I am REALLY hesitant to put chemicals in with my fish. if I can, I prefer to balance things in a more natural way and leave chemicals as a "break glass in case of emergency" kind of thing.

 

[Reefahholic]

I would dose the Chemiclean and do a large water change afterwards to give it the final blow. 50-75% will be good to knock those N&P numbers in half.

 

[attiland]

I'm sorry, I am not familiar, what is BRS? I intend to clean it with a gravel vac probably today or tomorrow depending on how long helping my dad with his computer takes. I need to get the nitrates and phosphates down anyway if I want any hope of getting shrimp coral anemones or the like to survive, all of which I would like to have. are you saying the nitrates and phosphates will sort themselves?

They will. And ultra low is an outdated approach as per many long time reefers. I am not long time reefer but I agree with their view.

Check BRS YouTube channel they have lot of good advise

There is one on Cyano on this list

 

[Nasabeau]

I would dose the Chemiclean and do a large water change afterwards to give it the final blow. 50-75% will be good to knock those N&P numbers in half.

A water change that large terrifies me. part of the problem is I mix in 30 gallon trash cans, and one is usually enough to have a tiny bit of waste water after pumping for a 25% change. I'd have to mix 2 different bins (which I do have, but I usually use one to take out water and one with the fresh mix) and make sure I didn't mess anything up, match temp and salinity and pH.... thinking about it gives me heartburn. If I did that, I don't think I would dose chemiclean though. so far the cyano has stayed on the sand and mostly left my rocks alone, so just removing it with the water change with a water change that large would probably be enough to knock it out? maybe?

 

[Nasabeau]

They will. And ultra low is an outdated approach as per many long time reefers. I am not long time reefer but I agree with their view.

Check BRS YouTube channel they have lot of good advise

There is one on Cyano on this list

I will definitely check that channel out! I put a nitrate and a phosphate remover pad in my canister in place of one of the two sponges, but they didn't seem to help much. that said, they're still sponges so I've just been cleaning them with my regular maintenance.

 

[Nasabeau]

They will. And ultra low is an outdated approach as per many long time reefers. I am not long time reefer but I agree with their view.

Check BRS YouTube channel they have lot of good advise

There is one on Cyano on this list

I should also say, I am not shooting for super low numbers, there are some people out here trying for zero nitrate and that just boggles my mind, but I think 40 is probably higher than I want. I spoke with a guy who got a masters in aquarium science, his recommendation was no more than about 20-30 on nitrates, and phosphates just as low as you can reasonably get them, so I'm not out here trying to get my nitrates below 1 or anything, but I'm guessing the fact that they're hovering around 40 is why I have a cyano problem XD

 

[attiland]

I should also say, I am not shooting for super low numbers, there are some people out here trying for zero nitrate and that just boggles my mind, but I think 40 is probably higher than I want. I spoke with a guy who got a masters in aquarium science, his recommendation was no more than about 20-30 on nitrates, and phosphates just as low as you can reasonably get them, so I'm not out here trying to get my nitrates below 1 or anything, but I'm guessing the fact that they're hovering around 40 is why I have a cyano problem XD

I my tank the 20ppm nitrate pairs up with 0.2ppm without doing anything about it. They are always going hand in hand like this. Mind the measurements are not perfect