High Nitrates - Immediate Removal?
- Thread starter Xxero
- Start date
Xxero
New member
:lmao: That's a definite option that I am willing to give a try. I'm doing my best to be as patient as I can with what I have recently put into place. It's been a little over a month since adding a DSB, and last weekend I added 10 more pounds of LR to the DT. I'm going to give things another few weeks or so and see what happens.
I don't even really care anymore. Everything looks and seems happy, therefore so am I.
Thanks a bunch guys! :bigeyes:
Rybren
Well-known member
A number of posts back, you mentioned that your Phosphates were nearly undetectable. Your chart listed them at 0.25. That is not nearly undetectable and is considerably higher than the generally recommended levels of <0.03. You also mentioned using the API Phosphate test kit. You might want to cross check those numbers with a better kit, or even a Hanna ULR if you can find someone who has one.
Luckily, the levels are on their way down and the carbon dosing should help bring them down even further.
Luckily, the levels are on their way down and the carbon dosing should help bring them down even further.
Xxero
New member
Parameters as of yesterday:
SG = 1.025
pH = 8.3
alk = 12 dkh
cal = 475
mag = 1460
ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate (Red Sea Test) = 30
nitrate (API) = 30
phos = < 0.25
Phosphates are undetectable using my API kit because the lowest reading is 0.25. I would like to say that it's zero, but I know that is not the case. I would like to purchase a Hanna Low Range phosphate checker anyway, so I'll probably go ahead and just buy one. Aren't they lucky? Having the monopoly on macro phosphate level checkers? :lmao: Maybe it's time to invest in Hanna stock?
Phoshate levels are dropping...Nitrates stay the same, yet their determination seems to grow daily. Time will tell.
Thanks. :bigeyes:
SG = 1.025
pH = 8.3
alk = 12 dkh
cal = 475
mag = 1460
ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate (Red Sea Test) = 30
nitrate (API) = 30
phos = < 0.25
Phosphates are undetectable using my API kit because the lowest reading is 0.25. I would like to say that it's zero, but I know that is not the case. I would like to purchase a Hanna Low Range phosphate checker anyway, so I'll probably go ahead and just buy one. Aren't they lucky? Having the monopoly on macro phosphate level checkers? :lmao: Maybe it's time to invest in Hanna stock?
Phoshate levels are dropping...Nitrates stay the same, yet their determination seems to grow daily. Time will tell.
Thanks. :bigeyes:
Xxero
New member
I just added up my total amount of water changes since the beginning of this little endeavor:
In a 40g breeder, I have changed 95 gallons of water in the last 56 days trying to knock down these nitrates.
To me (and call me crazy here), but I think it's safe to say that water changes don't do @#$%! towards nitrate removal. :bigeyes:
In a 40g breeder, I have changed 95 gallons of water in the last 56 days trying to knock down these nitrates.
To me (and call me crazy here), but I think it's safe to say that water changes don't do @#$%! towards nitrate removal. :bigeyes:
garygonzales
Member
im in the same boat as you ..been doing water changes also with no affect to nitrates ..im well over 100,,....so i know where your coming from....not sure what to do either..
Xxero
New member
There's 40 pounds of Live rock that's been in there for almost a year, and I added another 10 pounds just a couple of weeks ago. I plan on adding a little bit more, but more for aesthetics than anything else.
I'm hoping the vinegar dosing will reinvigorate the system's bacteria and blow my mind on the next nitrate test. I know it's blowing up my skimmer! :lmao:
Xxero
New member
Grapes Gone Wild!
Grapes Gone Wild!
I'm bored, so I thought that I'd update:
So I removed the Grape Caulerpa Algae. (Who knew that was coming?) The stuff would be great in a separate/remote refugium. But down in the sump refugium, it gets kind of scary during harvest time. You have to be really careful trying to harvest because grapes and little fragments float around and travel everywhere. I do not want this stuff in the display tank, and I felt like it was just a matter of time before I missed a piece or two.
I had to remove most all of the rock that was in there. I originally wanted the Caulerpa because of its growth rate and ability to root...It did both very, very well! :facepalm: I left one piece of rock for the Emerald crab, and a flaccid looking bale of Chaeto:
The deep sand bed is maturing quite nicely:
And I added about 11 more pounds of Live Rock, giving me 50+ pounds in the display:
I tested my nitrates on Wednesday, and guess what? Both tests read 30. *sigh*. I will be starting Week 3 of vinegar dosing this weekend, and I have upped my water changes to 10g weekly. I have high hopes with the carbon dosing, and I already like the changes that I see.
Snail Power!!! :bigeyes:
Grapes Gone Wild!
I'm bored, so I thought that I'd update:
So I removed the Grape Caulerpa Algae. (Who knew that was coming?) The stuff would be great in a separate/remote refugium. But down in the sump refugium, it gets kind of scary during harvest time. You have to be really careful trying to harvest because grapes and little fragments float around and travel everywhere. I do not want this stuff in the display tank, and I felt like it was just a matter of time before I missed a piece or two.
I had to remove most all of the rock that was in there. I originally wanted the Caulerpa because of its growth rate and ability to root...It did both very, very well! :facepalm: I left one piece of rock for the Emerald crab, and a flaccid looking bale of Chaeto:
The deep sand bed is maturing quite nicely:
And I added about 11 more pounds of Live Rock, giving me 50+ pounds in the display:
I tested my nitrates on Wednesday, and guess what? Both tests read 30. *sigh*. I will be starting Week 3 of vinegar dosing this weekend, and I have upped my water changes to 10g weekly. I have high hopes with the carbon dosing, and I already like the changes that I see.
Snail Power!!! :bigeyes:
garygonzales
Member
i am like you too doing lots and lots of water changes but its doing nothing for my nitrates..but putting stress on all my corals and fish...so i stopped doing big water changes...im also dosing nopox,,,and heard it can take a long time before it all kicks in...so im just letting it go for awhile and see how it goes ...
I was in a similar situation myself here, tank roughly a year old, 80ppm nitrates, I didn't bother measuring the rest. I started dosing nopox, and it took about 5 to 6 weeks to drop significantly. On week 5 or 6 ( I can't recall now ) I was down from 80 to somewhere below 20. I use the API test strips, so getting an accurate reading isn't really possible.
Some rough stats on my tank are, 75 gals of total water volume, 2 clowns, 2 green chromis. CUC is 7 or 8 hermits, some other snails. I do have a really large population of stomatella snails, and by this time the tank has a BILLION (ok it's not that many) of the mini brittle stars.
I guess my point of sharing this is, that I didn't really see any results until near the end of the 6 weeks, and it all came at once. And keep in mind this is anecdotal, I didn't write any of this down or anything.
What I'm more interested in myself, is what causes this condition to begin with. In looking at pix of your tank, you're far more fastidious than I am. My theory is that when the worms and pods start to expand in population, you get more ammonia in your tank (of course), well, this is a self fueling cycle, when you grow coraline or feed, it's going to contribute to their growth, which is going to fuel the cycle. If you're NOT carbon dosing, the likelyhood that you're going to produce nitrates seems higher, so guess what? High nitrates. How do you get rid of it? Short of removing all of the worms and pods, nothing. Water changes don't do it, that's for sure.
Keep in mind, this is just a theory, and I've been lurking here on RC for some time now, and haven't seen anyone else put this forth. So it's possible I'm a crackpot. :fun2:
Some rough stats on my tank are, 75 gals of total water volume, 2 clowns, 2 green chromis. CUC is 7 or 8 hermits, some other snails. I do have a really large population of stomatella snails, and by this time the tank has a BILLION (ok it's not that many) of the mini brittle stars.
I guess my point of sharing this is, that I didn't really see any results until near the end of the 6 weeks, and it all came at once. And keep in mind this is anecdotal, I didn't write any of this down or anything.
What I'm more interested in myself, is what causes this condition to begin with. In looking at pix of your tank, you're far more fastidious than I am. My theory is that when the worms and pods start to expand in population, you get more ammonia in your tank (of course), well, this is a self fueling cycle, when you grow coraline or feed, it's going to contribute to their growth, which is going to fuel the cycle. If you're NOT carbon dosing, the likelyhood that you're going to produce nitrates seems higher, so guess what? High nitrates. How do you get rid of it? Short of removing all of the worms and pods, nothing. Water changes don't do it, that's for sure.
Keep in mind, this is just a theory, and I've been lurking here on RC for some time now, and haven't seen anyone else put this forth. So it's possible I'm a crackpot. :fun2:
garygonzales
Member
i heard that as well..nopox and any thing carbon takes a while before it kicks in,so thats good to know...thanks,,hope i get the same results....did you do water changes regularly as well....
Xxero
New member
Thank you so much, Oldbones! I never did.
But since you reminded me, I just did a quick test on an LFS sample and it read 5.0!!! I believe you may have just solved my problem. Every time that I top off or mix new water, the water that I am adding has a 5.0 nitrate level. Argh. Looks like the LFS needs to change their filters, and it looks like I need to quit procrastinating my RO/DI unit purchase.
This has happened to me in the past with a different LFS, and I found that it's a sensitive subject to bring up with them. They deny the crap out of it, and act somewhat offended that you had the gall to question their water in the first place. Hopefully it won't go like that this time because I will be bringing this up on my next visit. I've been purchasing that water for almost a year! :headwallblue:
I even made an Algae Turf Scrubber today. Aw well. I guess it can only help things along.
Seriously, thanks again! I'll keep things updated. :bigeyes:
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