Nutrient control question......
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TD13
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The more robust and diverse your biological filtration, the better. Live rock is a definite leap in the right direction. Be careful though certain types are nutritious for leeching phosphates. A sumo with chaeto, and live rock will tear through some excess nutrients. As far as po4 were always adding it in with food, this link is a bit of a read but may help you understand the how's and whys of po4.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry
This explains coral coloration a bit...
http://reefbuilders.com/2008/09/03/guide-of-sps-coral-coloration-make-them-more-vivid-bright/
Randy Holmes-Farley
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5 ppm nitrate is not enough to restrict the growth of problem algae. 0.04 ppm phosphate is also so much that it isn't restricting growth. 0.00 ppm would, but if it is only that low because the problem algae is taking up a lot, it too isn't being particularly useful in restricting growth.
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Gwitness
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Yeah no doubt about it....so s
Question is should I still be dosing nopox or just let it be for now and go with normal water changes and add more live rock? Or should I just continue to dose nopox only and see what Happens in time...
Randy Holmes-Farley
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A consequence of any organic carbon dosing method (NOPOX, vinegar, vodka, etc.) can, in some cases, be cyanobacteria thriving as some cyano species can take up organic carbon. The pictures look like cyano to me, and if it got worse when you dosed the NOPOX (did it?) then I'd probably reduce the dose or stop it or switch to a different organic carbon source.
I probably would pick more like rock as the answer. Lots of live rock is good , IMO (I have three Brute cans full as my refugia), but I doubt you'll beat cyano that way.
How long has the tank been set up?
I probably would pick more like rock as the answer. Lots of live rock is good , IMO (I have three Brute cans full as my refugia), but I doubt you'll beat cyano that way.
How long has the tank been set up?
Reefer with SeaHorses
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It's pretty well stocked. I only have a few fish right now. 10 to be exact and 2 of those are my Marron and gold stripe clowns that I have had for 3 yeats- the little one just started getting his gold! I have plenty of snails in assorted varieties, crabs- emeralds, hermit, blue leg, red legs- a strawberry crab and a purple lobster. I feed mysis and brine shrimp once a day and the corals just depends on the coral. Some I feed twice a week others only once. I also spot feed the lobster, strawberry crab, and star fish although they do eat what they want from the reef.
Hope I answered all of your questions, if I missed something let me know.
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Gwitness
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So I had a 180 that was set up for over 2 years....I got my new tank and transferred over live rock and water from 180 ....new tank has been running for a couple months now and cyano started once I started nopox again but the reason for me starting nopox again is because nitrates were sticking at 10 and phosphates were at .10 ish.......
Damon
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With organic dosing, the thing is, you have to be able to "effectively" pull the excess out.. Skimming wet is my solution.. I could easily tell when my skimmer wasn't doing a good job(in conjunction with my pellets in my larger system) .. I fought with small amounts of algea here and there, and the water just didn't look" right "to me.. Ever since I upgraded to a larger skimmer, is been clean and clear..
With organic dosing, you still have to go oversized a little on your equipment, and at least wet skim.. If your skimming wet, and have reduced your dosage, then time to look at equipment upgrades if you wish to continue with organic..
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Gwitness
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Glad you posted this because my skinner is oversized and same one I had on my bigger 180gallon tank...I have an asm G4+ skimmer and I used to wet skim on my 180 and dose nopox and I was literally emptying my skimmer cup every two days.....now the same water , same rock, same skimmer, same no pox but in a smaller tank...15 to 20 gallons less....my skimmer barely picks up anything in the cup and I am wet skimming now also???
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I'd personally stop the NOPOX for now.
When I started with vodka I also some some increased cyano. I switched to vinegar and didn't see such an issue, but NOPOX has both vodka and vinegar in it, so switching may or may not help you. If I were to try another organic carbon dosing product, I'd try vinegar.
Damon
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Something is wrong with the skimmer.. Lol, that's obvious.. And actually sort of ironic.. My last skimmer was a g3.. It was what the guy had on my 180 when I purchased it.. I did a mod to the volute and it worked better, but nothing like how the skimmer I have now is doing..
It's been a few months so I'm trying to remember what was the issue when mine did that.. But, there was something I had to do..
But if your skimmer isn't pulling anything, and your dosing pox, is not because there's nothing to skim.. Trust me on that, and it's probably the main factor in your cyano issue.. I could be wrong, but I know that stuff has to go.. And you should be getting some skim.. That's for sure..
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Gwitness
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So the air bubbles are still going like normal in there and bubbling up to collection cup and I mean it will get some in the cup but nothing like before.....maybe I'll take it out and clean it and maybe something is off....I love the asm skimmers and feel like they do a great job, maybe I'm wrong though!! I will definitely check it out though!
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Gwitness
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So do you recommend me starting vinegar? Cause I will definitely try it out if you think it would possibly work better!! What kind of vinegar so I buy to do this?
Damon
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It was I want to say the volute.. I think it's the air hole clogged a lot for some weird reason.. I would get a little skim but nothing like normal.. It's coming back to me now..
Ok, the hole is small and it clogged easily.. So I bored it out.. And it preformed better between cleanings..
But, I will say this.. I have a skimz now, and used reef dynamics in the past.. The skimz, I swear has the largest diameter holes and tubing I have ever seen on a skimmer.. Even compared to a dynamics skimmer.. By far.. It stuck out even more because of the small size with the asm..
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I have no idea if it will work any better with respect to the cyano (since the NOPOX has it as an ingredient and may have already encouraged cyano via the acetate that is in vinegar), but I don't think it would hurt much to try. Other methods, such as GFO or a macroalgae refugium will likely cost more time or money to implement.
use cheap distilled white vinegar. I'd start at about 3x the volume of NOPOX you use now and adjust up or down as needed.
Remember it reduces pH when added, and all organic carbon dosing methods reduce O2.
So I'd add it during the daytime hours and spread out if you can.
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Gwitness
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When adding vinegar and lower in ph and oxygen levels what can that do bad for my tank? Fish? Corals?
Randy Holmes-Farley
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It won't lower pH or O2 more than NOPOX, except that with more vinegar there will be more pH lowering at the immediate time of addition and less pH lowering later when organisms consume the acetate. If you just add it during the day when pH and O2 are naturally highest, you should be OK.
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Gwitness
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So as of now I'm gonna buy more live rock, cure it and then put it in my sump.....and I am not gonna dose any vinegar or anything just to see what happens with my tank for like a month .....and then I'll go from there with the vinegar dosing...and I guess try to make sure my skimmer is working correct.....I really think it is working correct, I just don't know why it's barely getting anything in the cup unless the cyano is using it before the skimmer can take it out of the water....not even sure if that's oosisble
