Nitrates 0. Phosphates .06 (1 Viewer)

[steved350]

So I’m running an SPS dominate tank and want to dirty it up a little. Not really trying to increase the PO4 but would like to get the nitrates to around 5-6. My current equipment is a GFO reactor, bio pellets and a large Refugium. I feed pellets twice a day and 3-4 different frozen cubes once a day. I don’t want to feed anymore than I am now because they won’t eat it all. My question is should I take the biopellets offline or reduce them? I’ve never had a tank that chews up nitrate so fast before so I’m kind of in a new realm.


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[reeftopia]

feel your pain cannot seem to raise my nitrates even dosing, but it sure shows up on the glass.

 

[aquaman30k]

If biopellets are your only source of Nitrate export, you can try reducing the quantity in the reactor and tuning your skimmer to dial in the export of nitrates. Or you can also leave everything as is and try dosing ME Corals Nitrate https://mecoral.com/product-category/nitrate/ which is a blended product of Sodium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate and Calcium Nitrate.

 

[FarmerTy]

If biopellets are your only source of Nitrate export, you can try reducing the quantity in the reactor and tuning your skimmer to dial in the export of nitrates. Or you can also leave everything as is and try dosing ME Corals Nitrate https://mecoral.com/product-category/nitrate/ which is a blended product of Sodium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate and Calcium Nitrate.

+1, my first step would be reducing the number of pellets. For reference, my entire 300 gallons total volume uses about less than a cup of pellets to keep it at 5ppm nitrates.

I have 19 fish and feed a metric ton every night. [emoji3]

 

[gm357]

Add fish...

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[saltyanimals]

I have the same problem. My Red Sea Nitrate Pro test shows clear water and 0.0 read. I can't get my nitrates up either. Also running biopellets, small-med fuge, but no GFO. Zero algae in DT except glass film algae, but my chaeto grows fine which is good sign theres some stuff in the water. But my tougher SPS does't grow well. Stags yes, but my purple bonsai like yours does not.

I've ordered and will start dosing Reef Energy B next week to put some aminos in the water, but big feeding doesn't get my nitrates up either. If it doesn't come up with the B dosing in a few weeks, I may reduce biopellet volume. I'm 9 fish in a four ft tank, but don't want to crowd just yet because I have small 2 tangs in it so they have room to grow. Maybe I'll throw in a KFC wing in the tank to dirty it up. lol

 

[zeeGGee]

I’m using stump remover to keep my nitrates at 10ppm-15ppm, mixed reef tank.


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[FarmerTy]

Biopellets are super efficient. First thing to do is read the directions from the manufacturer and then cut their recommended amount by 1/4 and that's probably what you should run. If no nitrates, then remove more pellets until you have a detection around 5-10ppm.

 

[saltyanimals]

Thanks. Might do exactly that and reduce pellets. I think I have an oversized pellet reactor anyways and resisted the urge to put more in. I read about the stump remover and that was an option that I read, but just more crap to put in tank.

 

[FarmerTy]

Thanks. Might do exactly that and reduce pellets. I think I have an oversized pellet reactor anyways and resisted the urge to put more in. I read about the stump remover and that was an option that I read, but just more crap to put in tank.

I dosed stump remover for awhile. It was effective in bringing up nitrates. I saw better color in my corals at the same nitrate level by reducing my biopellets and adding more fish. On top of more nitrates, with fish poop, you'll get ammonia too which corals can directly uptake as well in small quantities and particulate matter that they can catch and eat too.

 

[saltyanimals]

Took advice here and reduce my pellet volume by 1/2. Also put skimmer on apex to turn off at nights so I don't strip the water. I was worried about how turn skimmer off at nights might affect tank such as pH, but the Apex pH graphs don't show any impact at all. Will see if I can get nitrates up in a couple weeks.

 

[mittens]

stump remover. rock solid nitrate 12 even after wc. mushrooms super happy and open

 

[Tangs]

I want to reduce my Nitrates. Looks like I should get some of those biopellets.

 

[Tangs]

Plan is to get some bio pellets on Wednesday When I am off on one of my Niagara trips. I always stop at an awesome marine aquarium store along the way that carries almost everything for the hobby in Hamilton. I plan on putting the bio pellets in a nylon mesh sack and then place in a back hanging power filter. I have sponges in it now that I rinse out once a month. So those will be gone and replaced with bio pellets and hopefully help reduce my Nitrate level.

 

[Reefahholic]

My favorite subject. NO3 & PO4

 

[Mtaswt]

I’m using stump remover to keep my nitrates at 10ppm-15ppm, mixed reef tank.


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What stump remover are you using?

 

[zeeGGee]

What stump remover are you using?

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[jeremy]

Plan is to get some bio pellets on Wednesday When I am off on one of my Niagara trips. I always stop at an awesome marine aquarium store along the way that carries almost everything for the hobby in Hamilton. I plan on putting the bio pellets in a nylon mesh sack and then place in a back hanging power filter. I have sponges in it now that I rinse out once a month. So those will be gone and replaced with bio pellets and hopefully help reduce my Nitrate level.

You might want to do some research on Bio pellets. That is not how they work at all!!!

 

[steveb]

Plan is to get some bio pellets on Wednesday When I am off on one of my Niagara trips. I always stop at an awesome marine aquarium store along the way that carries almost everything for the hobby in Hamilton. I plan on putting the bio pellets in a nylon mesh sack and then place in a back hanging power filter. I have sponges in it now that I rinse out once a month. So those will be gone and replaced with bio pellets and hopefully help reduce my Nitrate level.

Typically bio pellets are used in a reactor and the effluent from the reactor is set near a skimmer intake.

You might also look at vodka and/or vinegar dosing or red sea nopox.

Here is a link to an article published by Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley a while back.. it does a good job of explaining the ins/outs of carbon dosing..

Reefkeeping Magazine - Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium

and an article on vodka dosing

Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com

Using bio-pellets is another form of carbon dosing.. that is the pellets are the carbon source used by the bacteria.

 

[printed3dparts]

Just to add on this, biopellets become surfaces for bacterial growth which consumes them. That's the main reason that they're spheres (largest surface area for same volume). If they're not tumbling they will most likely clump together which will reduce their surface area and defeat their purpose (even if they don't clump together they're still losing a lot of their surface).

If you don't want to buy the expensive reactors (i don't blame you) there are a lot of ways to make a DIY reactor (which is what i did when i was trying them).

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