slavetonet
New member
Continuing my experiment......
Day 1 ) Reading of 5ppm Nitrate, Phosphate 0.2ppm - No visual sign of diatoms and algae on rocks looking pale for reference.
Day 2 ) Initial reading 2.5ppm Nitrate - re-dosing 10ml to bring it up to + 5ppm Nitrate, Phosphate 0.1ppm - Diatoms starting to appear all over my sand substrate and algae on rocks looks like greening up.
Day 3 ) Nitrate reading 2.5ppm - Diatoms took off and is all over my sand substrate. Phosphate about the same 0.1 ppm and algae on rock s turn dark brown. I think I have brown hair algae. Will take a photo for CP to id.
Day 4 ) Nitrate reading undetectable - Diatoms disappear on sand substrate. Phosphate about less than >0.1ppm - RedSea test kit sux.. can't read lower. I will order a Hanna Checker + regent.
Re dose again 5ml KNO3 this time.
Day 5 ) Nitrate reading 2.5ppm - Diatoms is back again. Phosphate is less than >0.1ppm almost yellow reading with test kit. Brown Algae continue to be healthy brown, but not really growing to my eyes.
Day 6 ) re-dose 5ml KNO3 as Nitrate was 0ppm undetectable. Phosphate less than > 0.1ppm. Diatoms still on sand bed, but have somewhat lessen. Looks like algae starting to thin out a bit, but still looking brown and green lush colour. Note -I have no fish in the aquarium to eat algae and minimum clean up crews to affect the algae.
Day 7 ) Same as Day 6 results, waiting for my Hanna Checker.
Day 8 ) re-dose 5ml KNO3 as Nitrate was 0ppm undetectable. Phosphate is 0.03ppm with Hanna checker. Diatoms still on sand bed, but have somewhat lessen. Looks like algae starting to thin out a bit, but still looking brown and green lush colour.
Day 9 ) Nitrate tested at 2.5ppm, Phosphate I didn't bother to test with Hanna Checker.
Diatoms have gone away in mass, but it is still traces on the sand bed. Looks like algae starting to die off a fair bit now, I am getting alot of algae floating in the water column with only wavemaker running and zero fish to eat algae. Under just the blue lighting, I can see the algae as redish colour. I have seen that before when I dose hydrogen peroxide to get rid of algae. It's the same sign that they are dying.
I have re-dose another 5ml of potassium nitrate - which should bring it up to about 5ppm Nitrate.
Day 10 ) I will not test anything tomorrow, but will report back on Day 11 to see if my nitrate reading have lower or stay at 5ppm. I will test phosphate on Day 11 with Hanna Checker.
Ditto fast forward 7 days to
Day 17 ) My Nitrate was measured at 2.5ppm and I have not dose any additional KNO3 into my aquarium. Phosphate reading is 0 ppm using hanna checker.
Protein skimmer is skimming less now - The skimate is only lightly brown instead of dark brown. Instead of empty cup every 2nd day. It is now 4 days it is required to empty cup.
I am still continue to feed my tank with reef-roid and it seems like I am P limited now as N isn't dropping much now. Happy to stay undetectable reading for N and P.
Hopefully in 2 weeks I can start to add fish back into the aquarium.
Day 1 ) Reading of 5ppm Nitrate, Phosphate 0.2ppm - No visual sign of diatoms and algae on rocks looking pale for reference.
Day 2 ) Initial reading 2.5ppm Nitrate - re-dosing 10ml to bring it up to + 5ppm Nitrate, Phosphate 0.1ppm - Diatoms starting to appear all over my sand substrate and algae on rocks looks like greening up.
Day 3 ) Nitrate reading 2.5ppm - Diatoms took off and is all over my sand substrate. Phosphate about the same 0.1 ppm and algae on rock s turn dark brown. I think I have brown hair algae. Will take a photo for CP to id.
Day 4 ) Nitrate reading undetectable - Diatoms disappear on sand substrate. Phosphate about less than >0.1ppm - RedSea test kit sux.. can't read lower. I will order a Hanna Checker + regent.
Re dose again 5ml KNO3 this time.
Day 5 ) Nitrate reading 2.5ppm - Diatoms is back again. Phosphate is less than >0.1ppm almost yellow reading with test kit. Brown Algae continue to be healthy brown, but not really growing to my eyes.
Day 6 ) re-dose 5ml KNO3 as Nitrate was 0ppm undetectable. Phosphate less than > 0.1ppm. Diatoms still on sand bed, but have somewhat lessen. Looks like algae starting to thin out a bit, but still looking brown and green lush colour. Note -I have no fish in the aquarium to eat algae and minimum clean up crews to affect the algae.
Day 7 ) Same as Day 6 results, waiting for my Hanna Checker.
Day 8 ) re-dose 5ml KNO3 as Nitrate was 0ppm undetectable. Phosphate is 0.03ppm with Hanna checker. Diatoms still on sand bed, but have somewhat lessen. Looks like algae starting to thin out a bit, but still looking brown and green lush colour.
Day 9 ) Nitrate tested at 2.5ppm, Phosphate I didn't bother to test with Hanna Checker.
Diatoms have gone away in mass, but it is still traces on the sand bed. Looks like algae starting to die off a fair bit now, I am getting alot of algae floating in the water column with only wavemaker running and zero fish to eat algae. Under just the blue lighting, I can see the algae as redish colour. I have seen that before when I dose hydrogen peroxide to get rid of algae. It's the same sign that they are dying.
I have re-dose another 5ml of potassium nitrate - which should bring it up to about 5ppm Nitrate.
Day 10 ) I will not test anything tomorrow, but will report back on Day 11 to see if my nitrate reading have lower or stay at 5ppm. I will test phosphate on Day 11 with Hanna Checker.
Ditto fast forward 7 days to
Day 17 ) My Nitrate was measured at 2.5ppm and I have not dose any additional KNO3 into my aquarium. Phosphate reading is 0 ppm using hanna checker.
Protein skimmer is skimming less now - The skimate is only lightly brown instead of dark brown. Instead of empty cup every 2nd day. It is now 4 days it is required to empty cup.
I am still continue to feed my tank with reef-roid and it seems like I am P limited now as N isn't dropping much now. Happy to stay undetectable reading for N and P.
Hopefully in 2 weeks I can start to add fish back into the aquarium.
