So you thought YOUR nitrates were high...

[SakuraSky]

This is true you will need phosphate but that is removed at a much lower rate. You could remove the purigen and chemi pure to reduce your phosphate removal. Then just keep an eye on it and either reduce the carbon dose or add brightwell neophos to boost it a bit.

Thanks, this is helpful.

 

[SakuraSky]

Unless you are looking to keep Lps and Sps I wouldn’t get overly concerned with nitrates. Stability is more important than a number. If your fowlr tank is not suffering from algae blooms or other visible issues and your fish are not suffering, I would concentrate more on preventing your nitrates from rising. Perhaps adding an algae scrubber may be all you need to keep it in check and stock within reason.

Nope just fish only in this tank. I know fish can be healthy with high nitrates esp if they are already in the tank, but exactly I dont want it to be this high for many reasons and id like to add a few small guys (algae blenny etc) The tank seems pretty stable, getting a bit of diatoms now but its not out of control.

 

[SakuraSky]

You can build what i made a sulphur denitrator sock or roll.

Buy some elemental sulfer beads, roll them up in a filter sock and place in the sump. Over time your no3 will drop to zero or 5ppm like mine did from 150 ppm no3.

I made a pipe 3" tower that i filled with sulfer beads and placed in my sump. Its got little holes drilled all over for passive water flow. It worked and in about 2 months of it sitting no3 is 5-15ppm.

Other way is macroalgae with a high powered red led.

Actually I think this would work well with my sump... its got a spray bar that flows into the tray ( but I ordered drawstring filter socks for the bar) since there's no way to do a regular sock. But its got two spots for hose bars, and only 1 is being used right now. I'll look into it thanks for sharing!!
I still might do chaeto in the sump...

 

[SakuraSky]

Well it IS a fish only tank. No inverts or anything. But I still would not want my nitrates so high! I'm working on improving the sump, I've never really liked bio balls.... but don't think I can covert to a refugium type sump. I will definitely be doing lots of water changes

Also wanted to ask, would I replace ALL the bio balls with ceramic media? I took out some balls and have those huge Xport bio blocks in my sump now but the majority is still balls.

 

[SakuraSky]

So now I have a even better idea of what methods to use. Great thread even thought its probably been repeated 100 million times ha. I'm glad I'm not doing a reef tank and don't really have too much to worry about.

So. Long term: Bio pellet reactor & skimmer is looking like a good solution for me. I need this tank to handle a heavy bioload. (Instead of dosing vodka, vinegar)
Water changes. Definitely & obviously.
Chaeto in sump. I may try this out first but its short term and may work more quickly than the bio pellet reactor. I have an extra led fluval smart light im not using right now.

To address the bioballs in the sump... still not sure what to completely do about that or what to mostly replace it with longterm. Maybe just a whole crap ton of Brightwell aquatics Xport Bio blocks. (It says you only need 3 or 4 per 90 gallons) I added all 6. But they do sell the plate blocks which are rated for 1,000g don't know if that's overkill lol
I've attached a picture of my sump.
Or there is the option of getting another sump altogether but I'd like to make this one work.

Either way I'm much more prepared to get this tank ready for its maximum potential

 

[blasterman]

Sugar dosing......cheap and quick

 

[DaddyFish]

Gotcha. I've just started reading about carbon dosing/vinegar/vodka etc. Not too informed on it yet but gathering info, thanks!
Are bio pellets the same as purigen?

No, biopellets are the same as carbon dosing. Just a different form. All methods of carbon dosing require a skimmer to be truly effective over the long term. The bacteria that consume the carbon and nitrates must be removed from the water column before they die and decay, roughly a 4-6 week cycle.

 

[DaddyFish]

Extremely high nitrates (> 80 ppm) will have a cumulative negative effect on your fish over the long term. The first signs are typically lethargy and moderate loss of appetite.
As stated above and I agree, don't panic react, but instead set something in place to manage the increasing nitrates and then water changes to get the levels back down.

And never trust a single test kit. Do a backup test with another kit, and test your mixed fresh saltwater (assuming you are starting with RO water) for a comparison/control result.

 

[DaddyFish]

What are nitrates?

I have plenty to spare if you want some to see for yourself.

 

[SakuraSky]

Sugar dosing......cheap and quick

Hmm interesting, I have heard of it but never looked into that either. I'll find some threads. I'm looking short term and long term so definitely open to it.

 

[SakuraSky]

Extremely high nitrates (> 80 ppm) will have a cumulative negative effect on your fish over the long term. The first signs are typically lethargy and moderate loss of appetite.
As stated above and I agree, don't panic react, but instead set something in place to manage the increasing nitrates and then water changes to get the levels back down.

And never trust a single test kit. Do a backup test with another kit, and test your mixed fresh saltwater (assuming you are starting with RO water) for a comparison/control result.

Luckily everyone is healthy rn and thanks to multiple amounts of info I have a long term plan now and some immediate plans. But not freaking out about it.
I have a backup api kit. It was off the charts. And yes to RO

 

[laverda]

Give your ceramic media a chance to get established before removing to many of your bioballs.

 

[SakuraSky]

Give your ceramic media a chance to get established before removing to many of your bioballs.

Oh absolutely I dont intend to do any major changes quickly

 

[SakuraSky]

Sugar dosing......cheap and quick

I also wanted to ask what you recommend as a safe dose for sugar

 

[Cory]

Sugar dosing grows bacteria on any surface including corals

 

[SakuraSky]

Sugar dosing grows bacteria on any surface including corals

Does it? :/ I've been reading a ton about it and I didn't seem to read that it was a bad side effect. (I do not have corals but much rock) does vinegar do the same thing? I've heard vinegar clogs pumps and vodka dosing can be extra slow. Id like to do some kind of dosing now to get the nitrates down even by 100 ppms or more.

 

[DonTavo27]

I have plenty to spare if you want some to see for yourself.

We can exchange nitrates, to see which one has a greater effect
Last time I tested, I was well over the legal limit! Sps seem to be growing well in my tank above all else.

 

[Jeffcb]

What are nitrates?

bacterial waste?

 

[Cory]

Does it? :/ I've been reading a ton about it and I didn't seem to read that it was a bad side effect. (I do not have corals but much rock) does vinegar do the same thing? I've heard vinegar clogs pumps and vodka dosing can be extra slow. Id like to do some kind of dosing now to get the nitrates down even by 100 ppms or more.

Yes there are scientific articles about it. It seems there is a fine balance about how much to use thats healthy and not. Algae growing next to a coral can kill them due to sugars being released, bacterial overgrowth on the coral and subsequent oxygen starvation causing death. Yiu gotta be careful dosing carbon. I dont know if vinegar is better or safer.

 

[SakuraSky]

So I've randomly looked up on some threads here and a bunch of other places on crushed coral for substrate, cause thats what came with the tank and It circled directly back to nitrates, nitrates, NITRATES. I will keep the CC but I'm going to reduce the amount so its easier to vacuum. I can garuntee thats where a lot of the nitrates are coming from. And the bio balls. I need to get some of the bio balls that are submerged out and replace with live rock. But thats a project for a different day.
Honestly I'd love sand. But not up for that change right now.