Triggerfish
Active member
haven't read through this whole thread. but a algae scrubber works well on my tank with
NO3 control.
NO3 control.
I just can't win with Nitrates
- Thread starter kissman
- Start date
kissman
Active member
Here are the latest results. Sunday when I got home my skimmer was going crazy so I did do a water change of 15g and it settled down.
Aquarium Reef Tank parameters are:
Temperature: 78
Salinity: 1.026
Nitrate,
NO3: 10
pH: 8.2
Alkalinity, KH: 162
Calcium, Ca: 400
Phosphate, PO4: ~0.02ppm or 4ppb
Magnesium, Mg: 1,400
for date: April 23, 2015
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Aquarium Reef Tank parameters are:
Temperature: 78
Salinity: 1.026
Nitrate,
NO3: 10
pH: 8.2
Alkalinity, KH: 162
Calcium, Ca: 400
Phosphate, PO4: ~0.02ppm or 4ppb
Magnesium, Mg: 1,400
for date: April 23, 2015
Get aquaPlanner,
http://*******.com/6rklsdy
Sent from my iPhone
Reef Reactor
Member
Very good as I can see
Reef Reactor
Member
Alk readibg is ok? Ca you need to adjust
kissman
Active member
I disagree with needing to adjust Calcium. I dose with Kalk so Calcium will fall where it needs to at the rate of Alk. Why do you say Calcium needs to be adjusted?
Temperature: 78
Salinity: 1.026
Nitrate, NO3: 10
pH: 8.2
Alkalinity, KH: 151ppm
Calcium, Ca: 410
Phosphate, PO4: 0.02
Magnesium, Mg: 1,400
for date: April 26,
2015
Reef Reactor
Member
It is fine, just a little bit to get 450.
JPMagyar
New member
So here we are a month later and I think you deserve some serious kudos for staying disciplined and sharing your information. This is turning into a really great thread! So now on to the discussion . . .
First I want to point out this tidbit:
This is from page 2 in the thread and I really think he hit the proverbial "nail on the head" because after almost a month it looks like you run nitrate around 8 - 12, phosphate 0.02 - 0.10, Ca 400 - 420, alk 8 - 9, and salinity 35.
Keeping the above quote in mind I would say your numbers are consistent but I agree with the above sentiment and that means your nitrates are not actually "high". They're not low, but they're probably close to what most folks have without realizing it. It's pretty obvious your bio-load is not balanced or "over the hump" if you want to achieve lower nitrates.
Questions:
Am I correct you only have 3 fish in a 55?
Are you wanting to run an Ultra Low Nutrient system?
Do you still have an algae problem?
Regardless here are my suggested next steps starting with the first item I think you should eliminate. (I would note that this has been suggested several times by others in the thread as well).
1) eliminate dry food and feed half a frozen mysis cube once a day
2) keep logging the data
3) add the Bio-Block
4) change 5 gallons a week of water (of course manually remove any algae you can when doing changes)
5) do nothing else for one month (this include NOT basting your rocks)
Also, I agree your calcium is fine as is, but the ratio is off slightly. Your alk and Mg are ever so slightly elevated and your calcium should be sitting around 425 - 450 not 400 -420. It's not really a biggy, but if you can dial down the ratio of alk to Ca for a while it would be nice to see the ratio improve slightly.
EDIT: I see you use IO. I use IO often and it is ALWAYS low in Ca. Just add a little Ca when you do water changes and the levels should balance out or better yet change salt
First I want to point out this tidbit:
This is from page 2 in the thread and I really think he hit the proverbial "nail on the head" because after almost a month it looks like you run nitrate around 8 - 12, phosphate 0.02 - 0.10, Ca 400 - 420, alk 8 - 9, and salinity 35.
Keeping the above quote in mind I would say your numbers are consistent but I agree with the above sentiment and that means your nitrates are not actually "high". They're not low, but they're probably close to what most folks have without realizing it. It's pretty obvious your bio-load is not balanced or "over the hump" if you want to achieve lower nitrates.
Questions:
Am I correct you only have 3 fish in a 55?
Are you wanting to run an Ultra Low Nutrient system?
Do you still have an algae problem?
Regardless here are my suggested next steps starting with the first item I think you should eliminate. (I would note that this has been suggested several times by others in the thread as well).
1) eliminate dry food and feed half a frozen mysis cube once a day
2) keep logging the data
3) add the Bio-Block
4) change 5 gallons a week of water (of course manually remove any algae you can when doing changes)
5) do nothing else for one month (this include NOT basting your rocks)
Also, I agree your calcium is fine as is, but the ratio is off slightly. Your alk and Mg are ever so slightly elevated and your calcium should be sitting around 425 - 450 not 400 -420. It's not really a biggy, but if you can dial down the ratio of alk to Ca for a while it would be nice to see the ratio improve slightly.
EDIT: I see you use IO. I use IO often and it is ALWAYS low in Ca. Just add a little Ca when you do water changes and the levels should balance out or better yet change salt
Last edited:
kissman
Active member
So here we are a month later and I think you deserve some serious kudos for staying disciplined and sharing your information. This is turning into a really great thread! So now on to the discussion . . .
First I want to point out this tidbit:
This is from page 2 in the thread and I really think he hit the proverbial "nail on the head" because after almost a month it looks like you run nitrate around 8 - 12, phosphate 0.02 - 0.10, Ca 400 - 420, alk 8 - 9, and salinity 35.
Keeping the above quote in mind I would say your numbers are consistent but I agree with the above sentiment and that means your nitrates are not actually "high". They're not low, but they're probably close to what most folks have without realizing it. It's pretty obvious your bio-load is not balanced or "over the hump" if you want to achieve lower nitrates.
Questions:
Am I correct you only have 3 fish in a 55?
Are you wanting to run an Ultra Low Nutrient system?
Do you still have an algae problem?
Regardless here are my suggested next steps starting with the first item I think you should eliminate. (I would note that this has been suggested several times by others in the thread as well).
1) eliminate dry food and feed half a frozen mysis cube once a day
2) keep logging the data
3) add the Bio-Block
4) change 5 gallons a week of water (of course manually remove any algae you can when doing changes)
5) do nothing else for one month (this include NOT basting your rocks)
Also, I agree your calcium is fine as is, but the ratio is off slightly. Your alk and Mg are ever so slightly elevated and your calcium should be sitting around 425 - 450 not 400 -420. It's not really a biggy, but if you can dial down the ratio of alk to Ca for a while it would be nice to see the ratio improve slightly.
EDIT: I see you use IO. I use IO often and it is ALWAYS low in Ca. Just add a little Ca when you do water changes and the levels should balance out or better yet change salt
WOW thanks for the great reponse. To answer your questions.
Am I correct you only have 3 fish in a 55?
Yes I had 3 fish in a 55g. I did just add an Aptasia Eating File Fish to eat the aptasia and not dance up and down in a corner like he does. LOL.
Are you wanting to run an Ultra Low Nutrient system?
I don't want to run a Ultra Low Nutrient System. I would rather run a little nitrate and posphate. If I have to run a ULN system I will. I just don't like them seems to be a fine line between life or death with corals.
Do you still have an algae problem?
Funny you should ask. Cyano was really bad on the glass last night but not any on the sand. I still have the Caluerpa though but fighting that by pulling out some every few days.
1) eliminate dry food and feed half a frozen mysis cube once a day
I have actually cut back on using the auto feeder and only use when I am gone. I did remove all flake food and use the hikari pellets.
2) keep logging the data
Will do
3) add the Bio-Block
been in for 2 weeks now
4) change 5 gallons a week of water (of course manually remove any algae you can when doing changes)
I will start changing only 5g a week and remove algae, blast rocks etc..
5) do nothing else for one month (this include NOT basting your rocks)
to the above post I should not blast rock?
Also, I agree your calcium is fine as is, but the ratio is off slightly. Your alk and Mg are ever so slightly elevated and your calcium should be sitting around 425 - 450 not 400 -420. It's not really a biggy, but if you can dial down the ratio of alk to Ca for a while it would be nice to see the ratio improve slightly.
I will test my calcium in tank and adjust. I will also test my make up water and adjust that as well.
If I have forgoten anything please call me on it. Thanks for all your help!
JPMagyar
New member
I'm not a big believer in constant blasting of rocks, I think in most cases you are just moving detritus around. Once in a while cleaning rocks is a good idea, but I haven't seen any evidence anecdotal or otherwise that makes me think blasting rocks regularly is helpful. I could be wrong and it wouldn't be the first time, but just an opinion.
I was just getting ready for my morning feeding and I realized I have over 30 fish and I feed 10 frozen cubes a day. Five in the morning and five at night. That's less than one third of a frozen cube per fish per day. I know you probably really like the convenience of dry food, but truthfully I think dry food is a big bugaboo in saltwater aquariums. I have no scientific evidence, but I just know that every time I tried even tiny amounts of dried pellets or flakes I had trouble with cyano within days so I strongly urge you to consider one month of 1 frozen cube a day and no dried food at all.
Regardless, the fact that you are keeping a steady routine and monitoring your progress with hard data is awesome and I'm certain you're on your way to spectacular corals
Thanks for sharing!
I was just getting ready for my morning feeding and I realized I have over 30 fish and I feed 10 frozen cubes a day. Five in the morning and five at night. That's less than one third of a frozen cube per fish per day. I know you probably really like the convenience of dry food, but truthfully I think dry food is a big bugaboo in saltwater aquariums. I have no scientific evidence, but I just know that every time I tried even tiny amounts of dried pellets or flakes I had trouble with cyano within days so I strongly urge you to consider one month of 1 frozen cube a day and no dried food at all.
Regardless, the fact that you are keeping a steady routine and monitoring your progress with hard data is awesome and I'm certain you're on your way to spectacular corals
Thanks for sharing!
kissman
Active member
I'm not a big believer in constant blasting of rocks, I think in most cases you are just moving detritus around. Once in a while cleaning rocks is a good idea, but I haven't seen any evidence anecdotal or otherwise that makes me think blasting rocks regularly is helpful. I could be wrong and it wouldn't be the first time, but just an opinion.
I was just getting ready for my morning feeding and I realized I have over 30 fish and I feed 10 frozen cubes a day. Five in the morning and five at night. That's less than one third of a frozen cube per fish per day. I know you probably really like the convenience of dry food, but truthfully I think dry food is a big bugaboo in saltwater aquariums. I have no scientific evidence, but I just know that every time I tried even tiny amounts of dried pellets or flakes I had trouble with cyano within days so I strongly urge you to consider one month of 1 frozen cube a day and no dried food at all.
Regardless, the fact that you are keeping a steady routine and monitoring your progress with hard data is awesome and I'm certain you're on your way to spectacular corals
Thanks for sharing!
Would I be better off to not feed at while I am gone on Friday and Sat? If so I will just remove the auto feeder. I only have it on when I am gone. Maybe that will be my next experiment. To just take the feeder away and see what happens.
brad65ford
New member
Sorry to join the thread so late, I remember you Kissman, you had a few posts a while back with your old setup with issues and not much luck and i'm assuming you have started this tank over again? Hopefully its just something you are missing from a purple thumb which at times we all do.
I run BB and its so easy to strip the system with a good skimmer. Food is food and you can really over do it if you want by 3 to 4 times a day feeding. I would focus on numbers just yet, lets focus on your corals, how do they look pale? Do you have any montis encrusting?
To give you an idea, I'm at 16ppm with no3 and my corals are doing great though i'm carbon dosing carbon via bio-pellets. IMO its great you have n03, you can convert it into food with carbon dosing. You skimmer should be making some nasty stuff if if you are carbon dosing, if you aren't then there is something wrong. I'm running a 48g system with 7 fish and could add more again its a bb so you can load it up. Remember you want ammonia and waste from fish its a little different then just throwing in food imo. Also make sure your only running 7-8 hours of light, most people think they need more then that but that is crazy and can stress the corals out if they are not super health and thriving. Have you tested your par from the t5's? Just wondering what the numbers are at the water surface.
I run BB and its so easy to strip the system with a good skimmer. Food is food and you can really over do it if you want by 3 to 4 times a day feeding. I would focus on numbers just yet, lets focus on your corals, how do they look pale? Do you have any montis encrusting?
To give you an idea, I'm at 16ppm with no3 and my corals are doing great though i'm carbon dosing carbon via bio-pellets. IMO its great you have n03, you can convert it into food with carbon dosing. You skimmer should be making some nasty stuff if if you are carbon dosing, if you aren't then there is something wrong. I'm running a 48g system with 7 fish and could add more again its a bb so you can load it up. Remember you want ammonia and waste from fish its a little different then just throwing in food imo. Also make sure your only running 7-8 hours of light, most people think they need more then that but that is crazy and can stress the corals out if they are not super health and thriving. Have you tested your par from the t5's? Just wondering what the numbers are at the water surface.
kissman
Active member
Don't be sorry I want all the help, knowledge, etc I can get! Yes i tore the old tank down and pulled all the sand and rock out and went with new. I have a 1" sandbed now and Pukani Rock. Tank has been up a year. The coral look great! I can't belive the growth I am getting and the colors are great. Especially Purples, Blues, Greens. Red seems to be lacking the one piece of Monti I have as grown a lot but downwards and has really started encrsuting the rock. My other SPS have also started encrusting all since Feb it's crazy. I don't mind the No3 and PO4. I do however mind the algea and aiptasia. I no longer have T5's I switched to LED's in January. The fixture was dying and got tired of replacing bulbs every 10 months. I do have a PAR meter but have not tested the PAR output of the LED's.
brad65ford
New member
Algae <font size="3" color="#0000FF">profanity removed</font> this we can all a test to, but its a sign imo that your water is health for growing corals (up to a point
). Algae sometimes has to be removed by hand, don't let this change your water parameters if your corals are healthy and growing, find other ways of removing it, increase mg helps. Aiptasia, i torch by pulling the rocks out and cooking them directly, you know what they say you got to do what you got to do. I would love to know your par at the surface and lightning schedule.
Also i've never been able to have success with a shallow sd props for doing it.
Looking forward in seeing some up close picks of your coral grow.
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