Urgh seriously.

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

It’s been forever and it’s sad when I can’t even find my own thread (someone smack me upside the head), but hey I found it lol. Anyway life’s been rough and hectic so havnt been on as much but hey it’s life right

So on to better things, 240 is still being a teenager and won’t mature up. :|. One minute it consumes alk and calcium like crazy the next nothing. Tuesday according to my log I tested at 460 calcium and 8 on alk. (So I didn’t dose) tested again with lfs both times for accuracy and the next day 6 alk and 320 cal. I dosed 1.5 tablespoons of alk and 2 tablespoons of calcium one in the morning and one at night. Tested later that day and still was at 6 on alk and 400 calcium. So I did another tablespoon of alk and half of one for calcium. Now yesterday my calcium is 500 and alk is 9. Seriously. That was also confirmed by lfs and a new api test kit and old test kit. So ended up doing 60 gallon water change and tested later and things didn’t change much. Now after testing today alk is down to 6 again and 340 on calcium. So I went from 500-340 in one day, but I will dose only 1.5 table spoons and see if I get to 440. Will dose 1.5 of alk, but here is what’s strange one day it uses nothing at all. The next day it consumes substances likes it’s goinf out of style. (I hope you guys realize I don’t mean drugs). Secondly, my nitrates are super super low but phosphates are just under .25. Soo I can’t keep dosing up my nopox I will deplete my nitrates. So can I put some phosguard in there (while dosing nopox?) the directions once again are written in a language I have no idea. It’s says not to use a gfo, but phosguard isn’t a gfo and it will lower phosphates but not nitrates and I’m still feeding corals twice a week with reef roids and fuel and coral feed. All water parameters are pretty much in check except when my tank has a substance probelm. I have never in my life or career seen anything like this. Everyone at my lfs is stumped and corals havnt been growing as fast but still growing. This is why I’m doing water changes, maybe I have too much trace elements or something gosh pick an opton Im out of ideas.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Okay simply can I use phosguard in conjunction with nopox? Anybody know more than me on this, both directions are so vague that it makes it impossible to un wrap a candy bar. Help #reefsquad

 

[EmdeReef]

Hello,

Okay simply can I use phosguard in conjunction with nopox? Anybody know more than me on this, both directions are so vague that it makes it impossible to un wrap a candy bar. Help #reefsquad

Yes you can. Nopox won’t have much of an effect on phosphates.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Here are the directions @Lasse @Brew12 and #reefsquad tried to add on last post and it timed out on me. As you can see the directions for nopox shows that since I made my reef an addict by using nopox lol (darn substance abuser), I can’t stop. But my phosphates are close to .25 and my nitrates are close to 2 maybe or lower. So upping the dosage of my nopox is a nope. So wanted to use the phosguard to help bring phosguard down. Ideas?

 

[EmdeReef]

Hello,

Here are the directions @Lasse @Brew12 and #reefsquad tried to add on last post and it timed out on me. As you can see the directions for nopox shows that since I made my reef an addict by using nopox lol (darn substance abuser), I can’t stop. But my phosphates are close to .25 and my nitrates are close to 2 maybe or lower. So upping the dosage of my nopox is a nope. So wanted to use the phosguard to help bring phosguard down. Ideas?

Nopox is just a source of organic carbon like vodka or vinegar - in a way fuel for bacteria growth. As bacteria reproduce, nitrate and a substantially smaller percentage of phosphate are taken up in the process. Bacteria grow and reproduce very fast requiring constant fuel (carbon). The bacteria is then removed via skimming.

If you discontinue dosing there will be a die-off of bacteria which may temporarily lower O2 - although I’ve usually not seen this being an issue in a tank with normal flow. The biggest side effect will be an increase in nitrate over a few days or a week or two...in short it’s perfectly fine to discontinue cold turkey. Your reef isn’t addicted lol

Phosguard is aluminum oxide. Basically it binds phosphate in water which is then removed once you discard the media. Phosguard won’t affect your nitrates.

 

[Sarah24!]

Nopox is just a source of organic carbon like vodka or vinegar - in a way fuel for bacteria growth. As bacteria reproduce, nitrate and a substantially smaller percentage of phosphate are taken up in the process. Bacteria grow and reproduce very fast requiring constant fuel (carbon). The bacteria is then removed via skimming.

If you discontinue dosing there will be a die-off of bacteria which may temporarily lower O2 - although I’ve usually not seen this being an issue in a tank with normal flow. The biggest side effect will be an increase in nitrate over a few days or a week or two...in short it’s perfectly fine to discontinue cold turkey. Your reef isn’t addicted lol

Phosguard is aluminum oxide. Basically it binds phosphate in water which is then removed once you discard the media. Phosguard won’t affect your nitrates.

Hello,

Well lol I’m not trying to lower nitrates they are already between 2-5 if that. But nopox is suppose to negate nitrate and phosphate. The reason I was asking is because it is very specific in the directions that I posted. That you can not mix other aka chemicals or media, such as carbon or phosguard or whatever it is we use to lower nitrates because it will have a reaction.

My phosphates for some reason are .25 or maybe a tad higher. I’d prefer my nitrates be around 5 and lower phosphates. What’s weird is my substance consumption which gets old testing daily to see where your tank is at.
For example my sps are doing amazing and some lps terrible. Even with me spot feeding them twice a week with reef roids helps all the corals I don’t want to help.
But on the bright side I have some hair algae. It’s
Not much but wow it travels fast/

 

[Lasse]

The theories behind NOPO-X and other dissolved organic carbon sources (DOC) are that they will promote growth of heterotrophic bacteria. This will - according to the theories - entail a consumption of both P and N in a special relationship. x atoms of P require y atoms of N. Consequently, the recommendations not to use other methods that remove N or P individually. IMO - this is not the whole truth. The addition of DOC -in many aquariums - will promote the removal of more N than P (according to the right ratio) because it also promotes denitrification. The bacteria will use NH4 too (it is the favorite compared to NO3) - resulting in less production of NO3.

If the ratio between N and P is like it is in your case - there is two ways to lower the P. Either you increase NO3 by adding it or you decrease P by simply removing it. IMO - you can use Phosguard in order to get the PO4 down and still use NOPO-X. But I would stop NOPO-X for a while and try to see if the LPS recover. I prefer PO4 around 0.05 ppm but LPS not doing well, normally - in my system - means a lack of nutrients.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Hemmdog]

Nopox is just a source of organic carbon like vodka or vinegar - in a way fuel for bacteria growth. As bacteria reproduce, nitrate and a substantially smaller percentage of phosphate are taken up in the process. Bacteria grow and reproduce very fast requiring constant fuel (carbon). The bacteria is then removed via skimming.

If you discontinue dosing there will be a die-off of bacteria which may temporarily lower O2 - although I’ve usually not seen this being an issue in a tank with normal flow. The biggest side effect will be an increase in nitrate over a few days or a week or two...in short it’s perfectly fine to discontinue cold turkey. Your reef isn’t addicted lol

Phosguard is aluminum oxide. Basically it binds phosphate in water which is then removed once you discard the media. Phosguard won’t affect your nitrates.

+1
Your tank isn’t addicted lol. Just quit the Nopox. Add phosguard or gfo, both work well. Gfo can also help remove other heavy metals that may have accumulated in your system over time. I find it very beneficial to run a small amount for a week or two every few months.

Also lay off the reef roids if your high on phosphates.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

@Lasse thank you kindly for the advice and explanation. When I’m low on nutrients to my understanding, I’m too low on nitrates and aka phosphates per say. I know my trace elements are accurate and magnesium are good, so if I stop or even sing off of them then nutrients will improve. I do feed the fish 6 frozen food cubes a day along with flake food, and garlic guard. The food may seem much but for 14 fish they have it gone in under 20 seconds, (I dump it in stages of three to allow them time to eat and wave makers are off.

Now assuming things are normal if I have cyano it means my import and export are off balance. Which means I don’t have enough of (x whatever that is), to keep nutrients low enough to avoid cyano. This has also been the problem, I have very small out breaks of cyano, and small amounts of hair alage (that’s simply too much po4).

So if I slow or reduce the nopox, nitrates will rise which is good because lps and softies like dirtier water, sps not so much. In this web of simple nightmares is my sps do amazing and most of my lps as well. Yet some lps such as scolies, my blue and green hammer and blasto etc usually suffer. It’s not a slow die off either which is odd, they have been in my tank since day one so almost 19 months now. Then one morning I wake up and one of the scolies lost all tissue, or the Blasto will die off one by one. But my tracofelia does excellent my zoas do great and lime green candy canes do amazing. The other is my frogspawn it’s grow crazy and the hammer isn’t within touching range, but use to be nice and open. It suddenly stopped it’s not dying, but not happy. It’s also the same with my stinging Duncan, it’s doing amazing and again all of these went in since day one. So that’s why I’m confused etc.

@Hemmdog wouldnt feeding reef roids twice a week (put nutrients back in), but also raise nitrates but not phosphates? I’m super tired so maybe I have it backwards or they raise both but I spot feed each coral except the hammer and frogspawn, they don’t like that so then I dump some right above them.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

@Lasse thank you kindly for the advice and explanation. When I’m low on nutrients to my understanding, I’m too low on nitrates and aka phosphates per say. I know my trace elements are accurate and magnesium are good, so if I stop or even sing off of them then nutrients will improve. I do feed the fish 6 frozen food cubes a day along with flake food, and garlic guard. The food may seem much but for 14 fish they have it gone in under 20 seconds, (I dump it in stages of three to allow them time to eat and wave makers are off.

Now assuming things are normal if I have cyano it means my import and export are off balance. Which means I don’t have enough of (x whatever that is), to keep nutrients low enough to avoid cyano. This has also been the problem, I have very small out breaks of cyano, and small amounts of hair alage (that’s simply too much po4).

So if I slow or reduce the nopox, nitrates will rise which is good because lps and softies like dirtier water, sps not so much. In this web of simple nightmares is my sps do amazing and most of my lps as well. Yet some lps such as scolies, my blue and green hammer and blasto etc usually suffer. It’s not a slow die off either which is odd, they have been in my tank since day one so almost 19 months now. Then one morning I wake up and one of the scolies lost all tissue, or the Blasto will die off one by one. But my tracofelia does excellent my zoas do great and lime green candy canes do amazing. The other is my frogspawn it’s grow crazy and the hammer isn’t within touching range, but use to be nice and open. It suddenly stopped it’s not dying, but not happy. It’s also the same with my stinging Duncan, it’s doing amazing and again all of these went in since day one. So that’s why I’m confused etc.

@Hemmdog wouldnt feeding reef roids twice a week (put nutrients back in), but also raise nitrates but not phosphates? I’m super tired so maybe I have it backwards or they raise both but I spot feed each coral except the hammer and frogspawn, they don’t like that so then I dump some right above them.

Not necessarily. Frozen food releases more ammonia than dry and that increases nitrates, dry foods like flake/pellets/reef roids are bound together with phosphate therefor increasing your phosphates. If I use a big scoop of reef roids my 90 rises scary fast, like 0.03 to 0.1 phosphate. I use that stuff very sparingly.

 

[Sarah24!]

Not necessarily. Frozen food releases more ammonia than dry and that increases nitrates, dry foods like flake/pellets/reef roids are bound together with phosphate therefor increasing your phosphates. If I use a big scoop of reef roids my 90 rises scary fast, like 0.03 to 0.1 phosphate. I use that stuff very sparingly.

Lol oh now they tell me after I buy the dumb food. No wonder, because I feed reef roids twice a week and it’s 4 times 1/4 teaspoon full. So basically 1 teaspoon twice a week and I spot feed. Lovely

 

[Hemmdog]

Lol oh now they tell me after I buy the dumb food. No wonder, because I feed reef roids twice a week and it’s 4 times 1/4 teaspoon full. So basically 1 teaspoon twice a week and I spot feed. Lovely

That would do it lol

 

[HCl+NaHO=]

No idea what this thread is about. But on the R2R app, whenever this thread is bumped it posts this pic

Anyone else kind of done with checking out this dude’s hairy sweaty armpit

 

[Hemmdog]

No idea what this thread is about. But on the R2R app, whenever this thread is bumped it posts this pic

Anyone else kind of done with checking out this dude’s hairy sweaty armpit

That’s @tdlawdo , the man is a saint, i’d stare at that pit all day.

 

[crusso1993]

@tdlawdo

 

[Lasse]

Frozen food releases more ammonia than dry

how do you mean it does that way? The normal protein content of frozen natural food (per weight unit) like adult artemia, cyclops and mysis is around 12 - 13%. Of this is around 16 % pure nitrogen that can be converted to NH4/NH3. The most used dry foods contain up to 48 % proteins (per the same weight unit) -> pure nitrogen - 16 %. It means that of 1 g artemis - around 0.12 g is proteins and the N content of that is around 0,02 pure nitrogen and can result in max 0,026 g NH4. A dry food containing 40 % proteins - 1 g -> 0,4 g protein -> 0,064 g pure N -> 0,08 g NH4 as max. 3 times more.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Hemmdog]

how do you mean it does that way? The normal protein content of frozen natural food (per weight unit) like adult artemia, cyclops and mysis is around 12 - 13%. Of this is around 16 % pure nitrogen that can be converted to NH4/NH3. The most used dry foods contain up to 48 % proteins (per the same weight unit) -> pure nitrogen - 16 %. It means that of 1 g artemis - around 0.12 g is proteins and the N content of that is around 0,02 pure nitrogen and can result in max 0,026 g NH4. A dry food containing 40 % proteins - 1 g -> 0,4 g protein -> 0,064 g pure N -> 0,08 g NH4 as max. 3 times more.

Sincerely Lasse

Hmm that makes sense. I have no other way to correlate the PO4 increase other than me feeding dry food prior to testing. If I feed mysis I don’t have any phosphate increase, if I feed any sort of dry food it’s always a measurable PO4 increase.

 

[Sarah24!]

No idea what this thread is about. But on the R2R app, whenever this thread is bumped it posts this pic

Anyone else kind of done with checking out this dude’s hairy sweaty armpit

Hello,

This is my thread and it’s about just about anything you can think of want to talk about. It does mainly focus on my 240 reef and my soon to be 425 and of started when my nephews urinated in my sump. this is the pic that should show up for my thread lol.

 

[NY_Caveman]

this is the pic that should show up for my thread lol.

LOL, or this one

 

[tdlawdo]

No idea what this thread is about. But on the R2R app, whenever this thread is bumped it posts this pic

Anyone else kind of done with checking out this dude’s hairy sweaty armpit

Lol...why is it bumping that arm???