Lion-o
Member
Hey all,
I have a 300g FOWLR system that I've been battling the nitrates in for a while now. I consistently measure 0 phosphates/nitrites/ammonia, but 40+ nitrates. We do water changes, on average about 25g a week... obviously not enough to fix the nitrate issue.
The tank was purchased used and came with a wet/dry waterfall sump. It is by no means my dream sump as I believe it is undersized for the tank and has limited work space due to the wet/dry design. However, I'm trying to work with what I've inherited.
Due to my very high quality photography, I labeled the sump. It goes as follows :
zone1: waterfall wet/dry box. Currently contains bioballs and marinepure ceramic balls. Topped with a prefilter sponge (changed out weekly) to capture large particles. This and the bubbling in the container prior are the loudest parts of my tank. That salt spray you see i clean off about once a week, I was just lazy prior to taking the picture :facepalm:
Z2: many more marinepure ceramic balls, and our skimmer. I plan to buy a new skimmer when the big sales hit this year, cause they're pricy for a big tank
Z3: just a tiny zone between two baffles. There is a black spongey thing in here aiming to capture bubbles but it doesn't work great.
Z4: Currently in here I just have two heaters and my pump for dual canister media filter.
Z5: return pump
Z6: media filters (currently unplugged because the pump died prior to me checking on it last weekend. Used to run carbon and gfo. Then pulled the gfo because with vodka dosing, was getting 0 phosphates anyway)
As mentioned I am currently vodka dosing and up to 10mL a day as of this weekend. I included a pic of the tank to show off my obvious algae issues (even in the low quality old iphone pic) and the rough amount of live rock. I currently have 4 fish in there, 3 in QT being added soon, and working up to lionfish. So bioload won't be getting any lighter.
Here are my ideas for improving the situation, in no particular order.
1) Continue vodka dosing and buy a new skimmer when I can
2) I already purchased XPORT-NO3 denitrification media (I figured why not... it's cheap). It looks very similar to the marinepure ceramic stuff, so I'm not really sure how it will help. I plan to stick as much as I can in the ol' GFO canister once I get my warrantied pump cover replaced. The rest will go in the sump after the ceramic balls.
3) Get the 8x8x4 marine pure block which advertises denitrification as well. I don't think I realized when I purchased the balls that they were only helpful for nitrification, whereas the block can do both. I could also get the 'rocks' but i think the block option would be fine. I would then stack the balls on top, in the wet dry, or in zone3/4.
4) Clear out Z1. Get a custom filter sock plate apparatus thingy made (similar to the plate holding the socks in this sump http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/emera...sWNS26XTVEeTNBytVbDVfQqtZt2joIwIKYaArTO8P8HAQ ). Idea being I have a lot of 'crud' accumulated in my sump that doesn't seem like a good thing, AND I could maybe cut down on some waterfall noise.
5) Remove the plastic bioballs and just stack all the ceramic balls in Z1. But I'd still have issues of crud accumulating.
After all the research and experience I have, those are the things running through my head. Would love to hear more ideas or feedback from people smarter than me, I know we have a lot of chemists, DIYers, and the like lingering on these boards
thanks in advance,
danny
I have a 300g FOWLR system that I've been battling the nitrates in for a while now. I consistently measure 0 phosphates/nitrites/ammonia, but 40+ nitrates. We do water changes, on average about 25g a week... obviously not enough to fix the nitrate issue.
The tank was purchased used and came with a wet/dry waterfall sump. It is by no means my dream sump as I believe it is undersized for the tank and has limited work space due to the wet/dry design. However, I'm trying to work with what I've inherited.
Due to my very high quality photography, I labeled the sump. It goes as follows :
zone1: waterfall wet/dry box. Currently contains bioballs and marinepure ceramic balls. Topped with a prefilter sponge (changed out weekly) to capture large particles. This and the bubbling in the container prior are the loudest parts of my tank. That salt spray you see i clean off about once a week, I was just lazy prior to taking the picture :facepalm:
Z2: many more marinepure ceramic balls, and our skimmer. I plan to buy a new skimmer when the big sales hit this year, cause they're pricy for a big tank
Z3: just a tiny zone between two baffles. There is a black spongey thing in here aiming to capture bubbles but it doesn't work great.
Z4: Currently in here I just have two heaters and my pump for dual canister media filter.
Z5: return pump
Z6: media filters (currently unplugged because the pump died prior to me checking on it last weekend. Used to run carbon and gfo. Then pulled the gfo because with vodka dosing, was getting 0 phosphates anyway)
As mentioned I am currently vodka dosing and up to 10mL a day as of this weekend. I included a pic of the tank to show off my obvious algae issues (even in the low quality old iphone pic) and the rough amount of live rock. I currently have 4 fish in there, 3 in QT being added soon, and working up to lionfish. So bioload won't be getting any lighter.
Here are my ideas for improving the situation, in no particular order.
1) Continue vodka dosing and buy a new skimmer when I can
2) I already purchased XPORT-NO3 denitrification media (I figured why not... it's cheap). It looks very similar to the marinepure ceramic stuff, so I'm not really sure how it will help. I plan to stick as much as I can in the ol' GFO canister once I get my warrantied pump cover replaced. The rest will go in the sump after the ceramic balls.
3) Get the 8x8x4 marine pure block which advertises denitrification as well. I don't think I realized when I purchased the balls that they were only helpful for nitrification, whereas the block can do both. I could also get the 'rocks' but i think the block option would be fine. I would then stack the balls on top, in the wet dry, or in zone3/4.
4) Clear out Z1. Get a custom filter sock plate apparatus thingy made (similar to the plate holding the socks in this sump http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/emera...sWNS26XTVEeTNBytVbDVfQqtZt2joIwIKYaArTO8P8HAQ ). Idea being I have a lot of 'crud' accumulated in my sump that doesn't seem like a good thing, AND I could maybe cut down on some waterfall noise.
5) Remove the plastic bioballs and just stack all the ceramic balls in Z1. But I'd still have issues of crud accumulating.
After all the research and experience I have, those are the things running through my head. Would love to hear more ideas or feedback from people smarter than me, I know we have a lot of chemists, DIYers, and the like lingering on these boards
thanks in advance,
danny
