Unable to bring NO3 up

[chipmunkofdoom2]

GAC Reactor, mostly just to catch anything nasty that might end up in the tank, I have cut back my lighting on my Chaeto, but I am thinking about just tossing about 50% of it. I have also picked up NeoPhos, but haven't started using it yet. My Hanna Phosphate checker is kinda borderline on trying to land where I need to be, but right now the ICP test says undetectable which probably not good.

Is your chaeto growing? If so, then there is plenty of phosphate present, even if the test results are low.

A member on these forums, JDA, did some testing and discovered that aragonite (live rock and sand) can bind an enormous amount of phosphate. I believe his tests found that one pound of Florida aragonite rock can absorb over 50 ppm of phosphate. Yes, that's 50 ppm. No, I did not mean 0.050 ppm, or 0.500 ppm.

It's possible that when you add nitrate, the chaeto uses what phosphate is present in the water, along with the nitrate. This lowers the phosphate levels in the water. As a result, phosphate becomes unbound from the rock and replaces that which the chaeto absorbs.

Until you can get and maintain measurable nitrates, I would not assume you are phosphate-deficient.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Don't make to many changes to fast. If your Chaeto is growing, you have nutrients available in your tank. Maybe start by taking out 1/4 of the Chaeto first and then wait a week or two. See what happens. If you change too many things at once, the tank may lose some of its stability and your corals might have a negative reaction. If the only thing that is wrong right now is color, I would try to slowly reduce the items that are taking up the nutrients. First, the Chaeto. Then, I might reduce the amount of GAC in the reactor and let a few more of the organics stay in the water. Do this over a month or two as long as nothing looks like it is dying.

It's easier to undo one small change than a lot of small or larger charges.

 

[enzo86]

I might reduce the amount of GAC in the reactor and let a few more of the organics stay in the water.

There so so little GAC in the reactor my guess is that it's doing very little, Its a full-size BRS reactor that has about 2in of carbon in the bottom of it. I'll try and start slowly cutting the Chaeto back until I start getting some Nitrates on the RS Test. The Chaeto is super healthy so I am sure that's probably where everything is going.

 

[Brew12]

I have cut back my lighting on my Chaeto, but I am thinking about just tossing about 50% of it.

Tossing 50% of the chaeto can make it grow faster. If you want to gradually raise nitrates try letting it grow in more and let it get nice and packed.

It will self shade if you do this and will reduce growth.

 

[enzo86]

outside of the Nitrate issues, could anyone provide some additional reflection on these results? Or should I start a new thread?
https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/publicAnalysis/22722

Thanks for the help everyone!!

 

[enzo86]

looking at my Milwaukee MA887 it seems out of whack. RO test at 1.000 SG. the calibration solution that came with the unit that supposed to land at 1.025 comes out at 1.027. I went through the zero process and let the sample sit for 60 seconds for temp before reading. Using my handheld Refractometer if I Set it based on the 1.025 calibration solution, zero falls about 2 points below the bottom line., but my tank test out at about 32 PPT, which right where ICP had it. All that being said I am a little confused on my MA887 which is what I had been using for water changes.

 

[aquaregia]

Has anyone tried Tropic Marin NP Bacto Balance to help with nutrients being too low? I don't know if that's what it is intended to do, but from brief description on website kind of sounds like it.

 

[Havasuviking]

Can anyone please let me know how to dose phosphate and where can I buy some.

 

[Brew12]

Can anyone please let me know how to dose phosphate and where can I buy some.

I keep Neophos on hand and you can get it at BRS as well as many other distributors.

 

[Havasuviking]

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are many threads here on nitrate and phosphate dosing. Search this chemistry forum for the word food and many threads about food grade sodium nitrate and phosphate will show up. I prefer that route to unknown quality in brands like Brightwell or Seachem.