Old Rock leaching Nitrates?

EpicWin · Mar 11, 2016

Hey guys, I am in need of some advice. About a year and a half ago I took my tank down because of an impending move. While the tank was up I was fighting a nasty dinflagilate outbreak that I just couldn't shake. I figured when the tank came down and after I had run the rock through a HCL 5 day dip it would be a non issue. So lats October I set the tank back up. All rock was white an looked great. Around christmas the tank finally seemed like it was on the other side of the cycle. Well here we are in March and I still am not at 0 nitrates.. My only thought is that the rock is leeching nitrates and phosphates back into the tank and much to my dismay the Dinos are back!!!!!

What should I do?

EpicWin · Mar 11, 2016

should have specified.... Nitrates hang around 10 PPM... I recently added Cheto but no change

Cory · Mar 11, 2016

I doubt the rock is leeching no3, but may be creating no3.

Personally dinos, which i thought i had, come and go with organics in the system. When i wouldnt clean my ats, the algae would startto rot, dinos would grow. Then they dissapeared wheb i cleaned the screen. Same with my sump, come and go with detritus build up. Its known that some species can surivive on organics.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 11, 2016

I agree that nitrate does not bind to rock so does not get released later.

Organics on the rock may decay and release nitrogen that becomes nitrate, but foods contain a large amount of nitrogen and are most likely the important source for you.

Are you using any nitrate reduction methods? There are many effective methods. The article below details them:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium

Kungpaoshizi · Mar 11, 2016

Calcium carbonate absorbs po4 comparable to gfo but also releases the po4 until it reaches equilibrium with the water, it's a constant cycle. Otherwise the nitrate is probably old stuff from within the rocks perhaps?

EpicWin · Mar 11, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I agree that nitrate does not bind to rock so does not get released later.

Organics on the rock may decay and release nitrogen that becomes nitrate, but foods contain a large amount of nitrogen and are most likely the important source for you.

Are you using any nitrate reduction methods? There are many effective methods. The article below details them:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium

I suppose the only methods I am using are Carbon, aggressive skimming and a media reactor filled with Denitrate (this essentially is jut a home for bacteria). I do have a remote deep sand bed that is 10". I cant imagine feeding as my issue because I only have 4 small wrasses in a 200 gal system and feed once a per week. Ive been in the hobby for quite some time but never had an issue like this. Its something in the rocks lol... I think you guys are on to something though in that it could be old organics that were trapped in the rock leeching out..... Im jut not sure what to dol.

Im thinking of running GFO? maybe Biopellets? wait it out? Or start over?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 12, 2016

EpicWin said:
I suppose the only methods I am using are Carbon, aggressive skimming and a media reactor filled with Denitrate (this essentially is jut a home for bacteria). I do have a remote deep sand bed that is 10". I cant imagine feeding as my issue because I only have 4 small wrasses in a 200 gal system and feed once a per week. Ive been in the hobby for quite some time but never had an issue like this. Its something in the rocks lol... I think you guys are on to something though in that it could be old organics that were trapped in the rock leeching out..... Im jut not sure what to dol.

Im thinking of running GFO? maybe Biopellets? wait it out? Or start over?

GFO will only reduce phosphate not nitrate.

Have you measured phosphate?

brandon429 · Mar 12, 2016

How do we know waste in the ten inch sandbed isn't the source

EpicWin · Mar 12, 2016

Shouldn't be waste from 10 inch sanded as its brand new in October from new sand from Dr. Fosters...

EpicWin · Mar 12, 2016

Thoughts on running biopellets to fix the problem
?

Hunter S Thompson · Mar 13, 2016

Since "I don't trust my rock" doesn't help you solve the problem, and your cheato and chemical methods are not working (yet), you might think about just attacking the nuisance. A lot of people have been successful with Algaefix. Donno a lot about it, but it seems to work similar to carbon dosing (as you mentioned with biopellets). Reef2Reef has a great thread on H2O2 dosing...

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef2reef-pest-algae-challenge-thread-hydrogen-peroxide.187042/

brandon429 · Mar 13, 2016

I even like algae fix, am not partial to a given burner. I'm partial to breaking a rule, lifting out a test rock, putting doser X right on the offender out of the tank, burn three mins rinse and put back in

The rationale for that is the alternative...dosing your whole tank and punishing non offenders. Whether or not this action sustains the algae kill doesn't matter that job is for the preventative measures already supposed to be working. Refusing algae is the reset button, determining cause is for growback prevention work. Helps to see them separately, prevention vs hand removal. Not much gets through those two.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 13, 2016

EpicWin said:
Thoughts on running biopellets to fix the problem
?

Biopellets are a fine way to reduce nitrate, although I prefer other methods for a variety of reasons. My article linked above details how they work and the pros and cons relative to other methods.

EpicWin · Mar 13, 2016

Randy, the article is very informative! thanks for taking the time to enlighten us all.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 13, 2016

EpicWin said:
Randy, the article is very informative! thanks for taking the time to enlighten us all.

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

sawdonkey · Mar 13, 2016

EpicWin said:
Thoughts on running biopellets to fix the problem
?

I rely heavily on biopellets and I have for over two years. I run less than 1/2 the recommended amount. They do really reduce nitrates, but do little for PO4 in my experience. It will take a few weeks before you see the impact of pellets.