Stripped water and biopellet question.

[Caseyoidae]

I set up a brs reactor about a month ago and loaded it up with a couple cups carbon and a few spoonfuls of gfo thinking it would clear up the water and get rid of a little cyano. I admit, I didnt really think this through. took it off two weeks ago after noticing some burnt tips and retracted polyps. My alk shot up from it’s usual 10.5 to 12.1. I’ve been slowly dropping back down (11 right now but consumption cut in half)
I do not have no3 or po4 test but I’m assuming I bottomed out nutrients and am trying to build back up. Aside from testing for them which I will begin when I get test kits is this the prescribed course of action?

I dropped white light intensity, have been feeding quite heavily a couple times a day( reef frenzy, nori, pellets and flake) I started dosing reef energy at a low dose, started some reef roids today. Also began 7 hour period during the day with skimmer off. ( over the course of 2 weeks)
I found another thread on here with a similar instance however I am carbon dosing with a biopellet reactor that is pretty big, a skimz unit that has a couple cups pellets in it and has been running for 6 months. Loaded with pineapple sponges.tank has uv unit also.
The photos shows blue tort which has had zero polyp extension for two weeks, pc rainbow and a milli with burnt tips. Waters still crystal clear no algal growth except this string stuff (diatoms? ) on corals sand and glass which I read could be another sign of low nutrients.
Thanks!

 

[Caseyoidae]

Any ideas?

 

[EmdeReef]

You shouldn't carbon dose if you have biopellets, that will definitely strip nitrates .

Burnt tips are often a sign of high alk and low nutrients. It may take a while of stability (weeks, months) for the corals to recover and they may never recover unfortunately. If you want to keep alk that high, you need to have higher nutrients, otherwise let it drop to ~7 and keep there.

 

[Caseyoidae]

The bio pellets are my only carbon dosing. Well not technically I guess. So just keep feeding like crazy and try to get them up? I run high alk for the ph buffer at night really as I have no room for a fuge.

 

[EmdeReef]

The bio pellets are my only carbon dosing. Well not technically I guess. So just keep feeding like crazy and try to get them up?

I would disconnect the biopellet reactor until you stabilize your nitrates. Then maybe take some pellets out and test your nitrates frequently. You can dose amino acids or continue dosing other coral foods but bacteria in an oversized biopellet reactor is likely to outcompete corals. I would continue with a reduced photo period as well.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

The bio pellets are my only carbon dosing. Well not technically I guess. So just keep feeding like crazy and try to get them up? I run high alk for the ph buffer at night really as I have no room for a fuge.

If nutrients are your problem, you should not be dosing any organic carbon at all. It sounds like you're confusing organic carbon dosing with granular activated carbon.

Organic carbon dosing is the practice of dosing organic carbon, in the form of biopellets, sugar, vinegar, vodka, or RedSea's NOPOX. Organic carbon dosing is designed to lower nutrients. Organic carbon dosing does nothing for water clarity and may actual make it worse if you cause a bacterial bloom.

Granular activated carbon is a media designed to absorb yellowing pigments and other contaminants from your water. Granular activated carbon is not a form of carbon dosing. It will not lower your nutrients at all, and it will not strip the water of nutrients. The granular activated carbon mixed with GFO could have stripped the nutrients, but that's because the GFO, not because of the granular activated carbon. Granular activated carbon may strip the water of trace elements if used excessively, but that is outside the scope of this post.

If your problem is low nutrients, you should stop all carbon dosing. This means stop using the biopellets.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Thanks, I wasn’t confusing the two. I was referring to the Red Sea reef energy being a carbon source. So should I just unplug the biopellet reactor? Or completely take it out? I cut 2 hours off my light cycle just now. Probably take it out so all that bacteria death doesn’t fowl up the tank ..

 

[Caseyoidae]

And should I continue to feed heavier than normal with Red Sea reef energy? Should I also leave my skimmer off 7 hours a day?

 

[Caseyoidae]

I pulled it. It’s probably way to big for my 40 gallon.

 

[Caseyoidae]

i re-read this. I was a little confused on what carbon granules and gfo pull from the water. Thanks for clearing that up! Do you guys think I should find an alternate carbon source in the future like nopox when the time comes? I’m considering ditching biopellets all together

If nutrients are your problem, you should not be dosing any organic carbon at all. It sounds like you're confusing organic carbon dosing with granular activated carbon.

Organic carbon dosing is the practice of dosing organic carbon, in the form of biopellets, sugar, vinegar, vodka, or RedSea's NOPOX. Organic carbon dosing is designed to lower nutrients. Organic carbon dosing does nothing for water clarity and may actual make it worse if you cause a bacterial bloom.

Granular activated carbon is a media designed to absorb yellowing pigments and other contaminants from your water. Granular activated carbon is not a form of carbon dosing. It will not lower your nutrients at all, and it will not strip the water of nutrients. The granular activated carbon mixed with GFO could have stripped the nutrients, but that's because the GFO, not because of the granular activated carbon. Granular activated carbon may strip the water of trace elements if used excessively, but that is outside the scope of this post.

If your problem is low nutrients, you should stop all carbon dosing. This means stop using the biopellets.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any ideas?

Nitrate and phosphate kits will be handy.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Going to order tomorrow. Will salifert be okay? I also see Red Sea and found this.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Looks like I may want the Hanna 736 ulr phosphorus. And Salifert nitrate

 

[Caseyoidae]

Alk at half dose is still reading 11.6 So I went from 22ml each two part to 4ml. Hanna ulr phosphorus and Salifert nitrate are headed my way. Clownfish beginning to resemble footballs.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Results are in. 9ppb phos and 25+? nitrate. What do you guys think the best course of action is. Very little alk consumption. It was 11.5 dkh so I unplugged dosing pump overnight. Probably 11.2 now. Doing 5 gallon water change for starters. Thanks!!

 

[Caseyoidae]

Salinity 34.6
Ph 8.15- 8.3
Temp 77.7
Cal 440
Alk 11.4
Phos 9ppb / .028ppm
Nitrate 30
Thinking crazy high nitrates may have been the culprit all along? Would a nopox regimen starting at a fraction of the recommended dose be a good idea? I’ll start normal feeding again and monitor no3 and alk daily. Skimmers back on 24/7

 

[Caseyoidae]

Alk consumption is back to where it was. 1dkh per day. Tested at 10.5. Dosing half of what I was before to let it slowing fall. I think my new target will be 8.8