Nutrient Saturated Systems

[Neptune1707]

Yeah, lately been chasing numbers on my Red Sea Max-500 (135g)....add several new fish, nitrates/phosphate must have got out of whack....algae appeared. Rock was clean as whistle when I only had a few fish. So I think I as long as you have way to export nutrients and keep algae in check....I wouldn't worry about exact numbers. I firmly believe that constant parameters what ever they are is key. My office nano tank took a dive this summer when we lost air conditioning. That was in July....lots of algae growth, dead fish, ammonia spikes....after doing a good 50% water change before thanksgiving I came back to a tank with everything open and thriving and algae is disappearing. I am using Red Sea NoPoX to keep tank in check. Currently only have clown and bi-color basslet. Tank is looking swank now Gonna let it settle down till first of year then look to add some new corals and maybe couple more small fish. Home tank is still a work in progress....the NoPoX is working, just more water, gonna do extra water changes and filter sock changes. Skimmer has been in overdrive. Bacteria should be catching up soon since it's been about a month now since I last added last batch of fish....tangs....heavy polluters

 

[sghera64]

I just posted my experience with 10PPM Phosphates [LINK] under the Reef Chemistry forum. Phosphate level naturally resorted themselves within 1 month. At the time, I was dosing calcium nitrate to maintain about 1-2 ppm NO3 because if I don't, it drops to non-detect levels (<1PPM Nyos). After the phosphate levels returned to normal, I continue/d to add Na3PO4 to maintain 0.030 ppm (30ppb PO4 via Hanna ULR Phosporous Checker).

So, I have a question to those with an interest in john.m.cole3's original post. Is anyone chemically dosing nitrate and phosphate? I don't mean feeding heavy. I mean adding chemicals like KNO3, Ca(NO3)2, Na3PO4, etc. to artificially elevate their nutrient levels?

 

[Cabinetman]

I've just learned this valuable lesson myself. Stability rules in reef tank success. Great thread. Let's see some more pics of reefs with elevated nutrients.

 

[MaiReef]

+1

Balance and consistency! (the consistency side might really be more important)

Have you measured the amount of ligth you have on your refiugium where the macro-algae was? (Can you measure?)

I actually have since upgraded my lighting and with the rotating scedule my macros are doing well. I have no way of measure, but now I have a par 38 socket led and a 10 watt plant grow spotlight.

 

[rock_lobster]

Is it even possible is the question... I feed my tank at least once a day heavily. Sometimes 2-3 large whole shrimp chopped up at time and it's only 16 gallons. Haven't done a water change in 6 months and both nitrate and phos are 0. For me algae growth/coral just accelerate I guess you would have to dose nitrate and phosphate just like alkalinity but you would have to constantly increase it if you were targeting a number say 100.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I did not read the whole thread yet...but what is the minimum that constitutes "elevated nutrients"?

 

[Tori]

I did not read the whole thread yet...but what is the minimum that constitutes "elevated nutrients"?

Nitrates of 100 and phosphate of 1 was used as an example in the original post.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I did not read the whole thread yet...but what is the minimum that constitutes "elevated nutrients"?

Nitrate over 10 ppm or phosphate over 0.1 ppm are substantially elevated over natural levels. Whether that causes a problem or not depends on many factors.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I wish I had a nitrate or phosphate test kit.... I would suspect some of my tanks would be a perfect match for this topic.

 

[Paul B]

Nitrate over 10 ppm or phosphate over 0.1 ppm are substantially elevated over natural levels. Whether that causes a problem or not depends on many factors.

So Randy you would assume mine are relatively high with nitrate at 160 and phosphate at 2.0

 

[Cabinetman]

So Randy you would assume mine are relatively high with nitrate at 160 and phosphate at 2.0

Those are high. What's your tank look like? What you have for coral?

 

[john.m.cole3]

Most folks here on R2R know about Paul's reef. It's been up and running for almost 45 years now. The same tank for almost half a century speaks volumes in this hobby. He's dropped a few grand marinier bottles i there over time but the reef lives on!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So Randy you would assume mine are relatively high with nitrate at 160 and phosphate at 2.0

Higher than the ocean.

 

[Paul B]

Those are high. What's your tank look like? What you have for coral?

I got some. There is a couple of pictures of my tank on post #12

Higher than the ocean.

Randy, your just jealous of my nitrate. I am trying to get them a little higher so the fish can just get stuck in one place and don't have to swim.

 

[Paul B]

My Pico, Nano micro mini holds three tablespoons of NSW and uses a skimmer with ozone along with Vodka dosing. It also has a lighted, heated refugium and controller. Right now it is battling a romaine lettuce algae bloom which I treated with "Tidy Bowl" . I added a CUC of 3 amphipods. The seahorse outgrew it so now can only keep his lips wet. Soon I will take out my diatom filter and do some maintenance along with a 3 drop water change.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Careful changing that much water at once. I heard you were only supposed to do a 2 drop WC on a 3 tsp total volume system

 

[Midrats]

@Paul B you are the best brother!

 

[sghera64]

My Pico, Nano micro mini holds three tablespoons of NSW and uses a skimmer with ozone along with Vodka dosing. It also has a lighted, heated refugium and controller. Right now it is battling a romaine lettuce algae bloom which I treated with "Tidy Bowl" . I added a CUC of 3 amphipods. The seahorse outgrew it so now can only keep his lips wet. Soon I will take out my diatom filter and do some maintenance along with a 3 drop water change.

Pure flapdoodle (word of the day). And I like it!

 

[TRPlacek]

My Pico, Nano micro mini holds three tablespoons of NSW and uses a skimmer with ozone along with Vodka dosing. It also has a lighted, heated refugium and controller. Right now it is battling a romaine lettuce algae bloom which I treated with "Tidy Bowl" . I added a CUC of 3 amphipods. The seahorse outgrew it so now can only keep his lips wet. Soon I will take out my diatom filter and do some maintenance along with a 3 drop water change.

I don't care who you are, That there is funny