How does high Nitrates affect SPS corals?

[Mattik]

It depends a lot on the type of corals you have. IME mille's are pretty tough and can live through many a tank crash. Monti caps are similar. However, birdsnests, stylos and some other monti's can have a rough time when params get out of line.

That said, I have seen my coral growth greatly improve as I have added tools to get N and P under control....even though I have never had measurable levels to begin with.

 

[stanlalee]

Ok, I think one of my test kits is bad. I have done a total of 3 water changes since Sunday night and my one test kit still reads 50, which cant be right. I have done 20% water changes each time which totals about just over 100 gallons of water for 170 gallon tank.

I bought a Seachem test kit to compare to my Sera Test kit. The Seachem is showing me in the range of around 20-25 but the Sera is still showing 50. The thing I dont like about the Sera test kit is that you have no in between colors. So you have a color for 0, 10, 25 and 50. I just cant imagine that doing all those water changes, I havent impacted my nitrates at all according to the Sera Test kit.

Any thoughts?

thats VERY typical. Your better off doing one large 60%+ water change at once then doing several 20% water changes if the goal is to instantly reduce nitrates. One 20% change wont put a dent in nitrates and the little reduction from a 20% water change were probably back up in the day or two you started the next. Doing frequent small water changes will help long term but for a rapid reduction do one huge water change.

 

[sedor]

is 20 nitrates just as bad for SPS?

Short answer is yes. Of course you will have people that claim its just fine, but in the ocean the nitrate level is very low in most areas that SPS live and grow. With a hobby grade test kit, the best case scenario would be to not be able to detect any NO3 whatsoever and very little PO4.

 

[Ken Good]

I aim for between 5 to 10.

Ken

 

[wfgworks]

Ok, so those that have Shallow beds, you do clean them? I havent touch mine since starting my tank up in Nov. 09. How do you clean the bed without removing sand at the same time?

I have read on RC where many dont. I was hoping I wouldnt have to maintain it much with a good cleanup crew.

I went to one of my LFS and the guy recommended starting a refugium which I was planning to add in the next month or so. I pick up some Macro Algea and got the refugium running.

What I have done:
-I plan to start doing weekly water changes as I was doing monthly
-Dosing Vodka
-Added a refugium

 

[Paulca916]

Ok, so those that have Shallow beds, you do clean them? I havent touch mine since starting my tank up in Nov. 09. How do you clean the bed without removing sand at the same time?

What I have done:
-I plan to start doing weekly water changes as I was doing monthly
-Dosing Vodka
-Added a refugium

I use a gravel cleaner like once every 2 months.
When you do a water change use it to clean sand while you remove water.
Now if you don't have enough time to do the whole bottom of your tank because you dont remove enough water I recomend doing it every month.
You can also do it weekly just take out the amount of water you need and if your done cleaning the sand then just syphon the rest of the water out and continue to do your water change.
As to what you have done:
(Weekly water changes) are good :thumbsup:

(Dosing vodka)-I would use this as a last resort as I feel it should be used on older established system where large water changes won't bring down your PO3 level's ( Read more articles on dosing vodka)
I know 2 of my local vetern reefer's who have been doing it and both are getting a wierd black algae growth one has been getting burnt tip's on some of his SPS do to the volume of dosing being a little to high.
They both are lowering the volume of dosing to try to correct this.
I would get your PO3 down to around 5 ppm by doing 25% W/C every other day then do your weekly water changes part of your problem might have been doing monthly and not doing big enough changes to do any good.

(Added a refugium) Another good choice :thumbsup: .
I Incorporated and deep sand bed also I grow Cheato and mangrove's to help export nutrients.
All and all bt next month your coral's should be alot happier,
For what it's worth I normally do a weekly 20% to 25% water change.
I got busy and missed doing one for the last 3 week's I relized this and checked my NO3 and NO4 level's after mixxing 30 gallon's of water.
NO3= 1ppm (ELOS test kit)
NO4= 0.18 (Hanna phosphate checker HI-713)

I had got up to 50 ppm on NO3 6 month's ago did the 25% W/C every other day until it was down to 0 ppm.
Now I do like I said weekly to bi weekly 20% to 25% W/C.
No vodka dosing needed so far (Other than dosing myself)

 

[gasman059]

Some of your choices for dealing with your problem are right on the money, IMO adding a fuge unless its the size of a swimming pool will not make a dent in your problem.

IMO refugiums are an extremely interesting microfauna and pod enevironment but not as good as nutrient export as they have been portrayed unless the size is significantly larger than what we usually use.

 

[Nanook]

Nitrates of 20 in my 1200 gallon system=browning SPS and no growth. YMMV.

 

[twiggyb]

Nitrates of 20 in my 1200 gallon system=browning SPS and no growth. YMMV.

Your frags have gained some color already in my tank, thanks again! I really appreciate it! Do you happen to know all the species that you gave me? I can post some pics in slash if you forgot what you fragged.

 

[prickles]

I don't know about other people's experience, but when I tried prodibio/vodka, it made my scoly very unhappy very quickly!

 

[lbaldrey]

I don't know about other people's experience, but when I tried prodibio/vodka, it made my scoly very unhappy very quickly!

Add blastomussa to that...I lost a healthy colony over a week. Nothing else was affected. Happened on 2 occasions...both times it was Blasto's

sudden drops in N&P maybe...??

 

[Paulca916]

Some of your choices for dealing with your problem are right on the money, IMO adding a fuge unless its the size of a swimming pool will not make a dent in your problem.


IMO refugiums are an extremely interesting microfauna and pod enevironment but not as good as nutrient export as they have been portrayed unless the size is significantly larger than what we usually use.

I agree 100% you can't rely on just a fuge alone it's just a little bit of help in exporting nutrients other measure's should still be taking.
Myself I run high capacity GFO do weekly to bi weekly 20% to 25% water change's

Your frags have gained some color already in my tank, thanks again! I really appreciate it! Do you happen to know all the species that you gave me? I can post some pics in slash if you forgot what you fragged.

I just recently bought a colony of Tyree Undata and a colony of Tyree Bubble gum monster from a fellow local reefer who is getting out.
They both looked good in his tank which he has let the matinance go on for month's.
Now in my system the are popping big time.

 

[Paulca916]

Add blastomussa to that...I lost a healthy colony over a week. Nothing else was affected. Happened on 2 occasions...both times it was Blasto's

sudden drops in N&P maybe...??

I don't know for sure but 3 week's ago I found out my PO4 test kit was off big time it tested .02 then a Friend of mine yested it with his Hanna meter it turned out being .25 yike's I panicked and changed out my Rowa Phos.
A day later my PO4 was down to .05.
My Tyree Rainbow oxypora and 3 of my Your Reef Strawberry patch chalice's bleeched out didn't lose them completely but they did get shocked.
I also noticed my Blasto colony and my Red Gonipora are not oppenning up as much.

 

[shredmaster]

Here's a link to a video on my YouTube reef channel...awesome sandbed vacuum technique. I know you'll totally dig it....

Steve

https://youtu.be/7yUl5tzAzZ8