What can I do to....

[renato120]

reduce nitrates? I have a 120g large bioload. I have been doing large water changes but it doesnt seem to work. Im at 20ppm now, and this is right after a water change. I feed once a day. Water changes are not doing the job. Any other way to reduce nitrates safely? Thanks.

 

[twilliard]

There are many ways to achieve this
A diverse refugium
Carbon dosing
These are 2 popular ways

 

[renato120]

There are many ways to achieve this
A diverse refugium
Carbon dosing
These are 2 popular ways

I never dose carbon. What is a diverse refugium?

 

[twilliard]

It's a refugium with many species of macro algaes
This is the approach I use sometimes works too good as I have to dose no3

 

[renato120]

It's a refugium with many species of macro algaes
This is the approach I use sometimes works too good as I have to dose no3

Ok! How do I dose carbon? Is it safe to do it? I have enough space in my sum to start a fuge. Im going to buy a light and some cheato.

 

[twilliard]

Carbon dosing is something out of my knowledge area but [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] will have answers.
That is a good start for a refugium just remember cheato is only 1 uptake as each macro will live off of other elements from one another.

 

[renato120]

How about an algae turf scrubber?

 

[Breadman03]

It's fairly straight forward. There are three primary sources: vodka, vinegar, and bio pellets. I had bio pellets in a cheap reactor with little results, though many have good results. After looking around and seeing so many big names with great success with vinegar or vodka, I began with using vinegar and took nitrates from about 100 to undetectable on API test kite with under a gallon of vinegar on a ~250 gallon system.

I don't have the bookmark on my phone, but search for vinegar dosing chart and you will find a pretty dog chart that breaks it down by tank size and time frame. Remember that it is a guide and that your system will likely vary from the chart a little.

 

[renato120]

It's fairly straight forward. There are three primary sources: vodka, vinegar, and bio pellets. I had bio pellets in a cheap reactor with little results, though many have good results. After looking around and seeing so many big names with great success with vinegar or vodka, I began with using vinegar and took nitrates from about 100 to undetectable on API test kite with under a gallon of vinegar on a ~250 gallon system.

I don't have the bookmark on my phone, but search for vinegar dosing chart and you will find a pretty dog chart that breaks it down by tank size and time frame. Remember that it is a guide and that your system will likely vary from the chart a little.

How safe is it? In case I overdose will it be bad? My tank is pretty nice now finally lol

 

[Breadman03]

It's quite safe. You just have to gradually ramp up and down. You will also want good skimming because the carbon feeds bacteria that then get skimmed out of the system.

 

[4FordFamily]

Carbon dosing is when I got dinoflagellates, the first time I had ever had them. Not sure if that's related or not but it sucks :/

 

[reefwiser]

Sulfur denitrator, Carbon Dosing

 

[jsker]

I have been carbon dosing with biopellets for 2 weeks now with a a small reactor at about a 1/4 dose that the manufacture recommends. I am gradually dosing and have notice my algae growth slowing down. I would say in another two weeks I should really see a difference. I am watching and testing so that I do not get my nitrates to low though. I would be happy with 4 ppm.

 

[Diesel]

Can you show a picture of your tank an corals?
Sometimes a No3 of 20ppm aint that bad as long you keep your bacteria level going.
By just dosing some bacteria you will lower the No3 too.
But if your tank looks nice why fix your No3!!!!

 

[MikeyAl]

20 ain't bad. How long has your tank been running.

I think there are more posts about reducing nitrates than on anything else (heck I've posted a few myself). Then everyone recommends something a d hobbyists go out and spend a ton of money unnecessarily.
Pick something - ATS, GFO, car on dosing, whatever and stuck with it.

Don't kill yourself because you show 20ppm. How are your tank inhabitants doing? Anything dying?

 

[renato120]

Can you show a picture of your tank an corals?
Sometimes a No3 of 20ppm aint that bad as long you keep your bacteria level going.
By just dosing some bacteria you will lower the No3 too.
But if your tank looks nice why fix your No3!!!!

Sorry for the delay I wasnt home

 

[renato120]

20 ain't bad. How long has your tank been running.

I think there are more posts about reducing nitrates than on anything else (heck I've posted a few myself). Then everyone recommends something a d hobbyists go out and spend a ton of money unnecessarily.
Pick something - ATS, GFO, car on dosing, whatever and stuck with it.

Don't kill yourself because you show 20ppm. How are your tank inhabitants doing? Anything dying?

Tank is been running for 8 months. Before that was a 60g that I upgrade it for this one. No changes yet! Everything looking pretty healthy.

 

[morpheas]

Healthy happy colorful corals i see with my inexperienced eye... If it ain't broke don't fix ir [emoji6]

 

[spartanman22]

I agree leave it be for now, everything looks healthy. I've vodka dosed for extended periods of time on previous tanks. I tried vinegar but found it too way more vinegar than vodka so I switched back to vodka. It works very well just do what others have said and take it slow.

 

[maroun.c]

What is you phosphate reading ? If your phosphate is 0 carbon dosing won't be very effective.