Shall I just give up and quit?

[NewGoby]

Please measure your Nitrates & Phosphates & get back to us with these measurements, Nopox is so awfully efficient, if you even overdose a slight bit, it can really hurt.

I've given up on ANY nitrate & phosphate removal by any non-natural measures (apart from a protein skimmer & argueably WC's.. but the ocean's kinda doing that itself, right?).
Last I measured my phosphates were at 0.54, and I honestly don't even measure nitrates, I once tried to lower both, and it got me a massive bloom of algae.

I now reduce phosphates by 10% water changes weekly, I keep 7 or 8 leathers that I just frag back when they increase in size, as they use phosphates & nitrates & a protein skimmer

This was me 1 year ago - brown algae where I was struggling with brown algae & just before this, I was struggling against cyano's.

Looking back I've come a long way, I recall being very excited but nervous about getting into the hobby, but I've learned a lot from contious research, giving & receiving advice on Reef2Reef has been invaluable to my growth as a hobbiest.

The point of the story is - We all go through hell sometimes, but don't give up, we're all here for you & 1 year from now you'll look back to this point in time and think to yourself that you've come a long way aswell.

 

[BeejReef]

The phospate number I saw from one of your replies, less than .03, is pretty darn low.

Maybe not so much an issue of it being "too low," for the tank, but it may well be too low for carbon dosing to be effective. You may be getting swings when all the P is consumed.

 

[dagrillo]

I had some red cyno at the start of my tank used boyds chem clean and tank came right back after 48 hours. no probs since

 

[NewGoby]

Sorry hadnt seen that you posted your phos & nitrates - but yeah 0.03 phos is nothing imo

 

[Edinburgh_reefer]

If it is Dino I beat it by using a Jaboa 50w uv and increasing my nutrients. I had 0 nitrate 0-0.03 phos but lots of stringy snot with bubbles in it.

 

[Qasim]

The photo was taken like 27 days ago i was measuring 100ppm nitrates and 0.025 phos do you think silicas might have an affect on the issue i replaced my di resin today, i even replaced my RO units

 

[Lasse]

Do you mean 0.025 ppm PO4. Measured with API?. Confirm with a Hanna checker if you can. This can be your problem. It could be to low PO4

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lasse]

I have had Si concentrations above 20 ppm, not such problems. I normally have a Si level om 0.3 ppm

Sincerely Lasse

 

[xiholdtruex]

hows the detritus in the tank? I had a bad cyano problem from all the detritus hidden in the sand and rocks. It is a slow road to recovery but water changes make the world go around. Bio pellets take a bit of time to start to put a dent in nutrients. I would not want to shock the system too much dont want your corals to take it hit.

 

[spiraling]

Do you mean 0.025 ppm PO4. Measured with API?. Confirm with a Hanna checker if you can. This can be your problem. It could be to low PO4

Sincerely Lasse

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have had HORRIBLE cyano / spirulina for about a year. I'm blowing it off rocks/ bottom/ everything almost daily from a thick red blanket covering rocks and corals. I say spirulina because if I put it in H2O2 it does NOT turn pink. Tank is 2 1/2 years old. I removed most sand about 6 months ago.

I started dosing nitrates (Seachem Nitrogen) a few months back because both Nitrate and Phosphate are almost 0. I have Nitrates up to about 4ppm constantly (Red Sea test kit) but still the red blanket persists. The past few days I have added Seachem Phosphorous. It takes about 40 ml per day to keep phosphates > .05 (Hanna ULR converted in apex to phosphates)

I run activated carbon, but no GFO, pellets, or carbon dosing. Skimmer is on, set to skim a bit dry as not to pull out too much.

@Lasse Do you think this will help with spirulina, and if so what do you recommend as ranges to keep for N and P?

 

[Scoral]

Your tank is over populated. That's way too many big fish for a 90 gallon. You are fighting a losing battle. Best way to handle your issue is to lighten up your bio load, good protein skimming, some macro algae and some phosban in a reactor.

 

[Jesses Nano Reef]

Are you using RO water for changes/top offs? That solved a big problem for me early on in the hobby.

 

[Aframereef]

Grow chaeto algae. My No3 always measures zero. Few weeks ago I shut my light off over my chaeto for two weeks. No3 went to 10ppm. Turned the light back on and in a week my No3 was zero once again. I will note I use a 250W MH bulb on my chaeto algae.

 

[morpheas]

Just a thought here but the alkalinity you're reporting of 12.5 is pretty high...

Are you dosing anything? I would consider lowering it quite a tad especially with such low phosphates. Just a thought...

 

[dwest]

The photo was taken like 27 days ago i was measuring 100ppm nitrates and 0.025 phos do you think silicas might have an affect on the issue i replaced my di resin today, i even replaced my RO units

I think you might have amphidinium dinos by looks of your sandbed and the description of your symptoms and system. I would get the $10 microscope and be sure. I also believe your phosphates are almost zero and you probably should invest in a Hannah ulr kit.

Amazon.com: IQCREW 100X-1200X LED Kids Beginner Microscope Toy Set + Slides Preparation Kit: Industrial & Scientific

Buy IQCREW 100X-1200X LED Kids Beginner Microscope Toy Set + Slides Preparation Kit: Microscopes - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Darrell Brady]

I had good luck with using DR Tims refresh an waste away. there is a chart on his website how to use it for dinos an cyano.

 

[VegetarianSkunk]

Cut the nopox dose entirely and siphon as much of the cyano out as possible. Nopox is known to cause cyano and I’ve seen it myself when I was using it as a nutrient control. You could do a simple HOB refugium if you don’t have a sump, even that would work wonders. Just do regular water changes until the numbers and down and everything is stabilised. Don’t dwell on your losses for too long and start fresh

 

[ktaylor88]

I washout my filter socks daily, I use a two set rotation and that’s all I’ve done and it has worked wonders.

 

[Lasse]

@Lasse Do you think this will help with spirulina, and if so what do you recommend as ranges to keep for N and P?

I have never identify which type of cyanobacteria I have had. I know that there sometimes are species (strains ?) that can develop in high nutrient environment but I do not know which type they are. It seems like the cyanobacteria can "fix" its own N and P - not needing dissolved inorganic N or P (NH3/NH4/NO3 or PO4) IME - most cyanobacteria problems arise in low nutrient environment and I´m always recommend to rise the nutrients up to the levels you aim at (2-4 ppm NO3 and 0.05 - 0.1 ppm PO4) This plus mechanical removing and no WC during the battle. No WC seems weird but the theory around that is to lower any trace elements. The cyanobacteria mats consume a lot of things including trace elements. If you take away the mats every day (in the evening) - you export trace elements too. If there is any trace elements of specific interest for the cyanobacteria - it will hit zero first and you maybe get a chance to restore your environment, establish a healthy microbial community and in that way out compete the cyanobacteria. However - this will take time - you need to try for a month or so. Important - if you get signs that it will get worse - not statuesque or better - your tactic for this species/strain of cyanobacteria is wrong. This is for every strategy we use - if it get worse - we are on the wrong path.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Prairie Reef]

i had high nitrate and phosphates, used aquaforest phosphate minus, a bag of carbon and vinegar dosed according to a randy holmes farley post, fed less and all that pulled my numbers almost to zero. my experience anyway.