scar79
New member
I've been having a heck of a time getting some measurable nitrate into the water column of my relatively young (4 months) 135 gallon reef.
I have very few corals in the tank at this point - 6 sps large frags/small colonies, a few small LPS, and a largish hammer colony. Algae has been minimal after the initial cycle, no refugium, so I really don't have much doing nutrient uptake.
Fish load is moderate:
4 lyretail anthias
2 green chromis
2 snowflake clowns
banggai cardinal
royal gramma
rosey scales wrasse
4" kole tang
I've been feeding frozen (mysis and spirulina brine) 2-3x per day, NLS pellet 1x per day, arctipods in the morning, and at lights out the tank gets a dose of aquavitro fuel, oysterfeast, and frozen cyclops.
The equipment setup on this tank is nearly identical to it's last iteration which was a successful SPS tank. I converted it to a FW planted tank, but quickly grew bored and now its back to an SPS geared setup. Lots of internal flow, lots of light (2x radions and 4x 54w T5), a Bubble Magus Hero 180 skimmer, and a TLF phosban reactor with a small amount of rowa-phos. I like to keep equipment simple yet effective.
One other difference in this iteration is that I've kept the Marine-Pure spheres to my sump that I had been using in the FW setup. I have done some reading in the Siporax thread and wonder if this may be the culprit.
Despite the heavy feedings, I haven't gotten nitrates readable on my salifert kit. Fish are fat and algae is well under control. Phosphates have been around .02-.07.
Three days ago, I decided to experiment. Having come from the planted setup, I still have some potassium nitrate (KNO3) sitting around. I added a bit over 1/8 tsp to the tank (which should have provided me with about 1.2ppm nitrate). I tested before and about 20 minutes after. ALAS! Nitrates of about 1ppm on my salifert kit!! At this time, my PO4 also read .05 on my hanna LR tester.
24 hours later, I tested again. Nitrate 0.5, phosphate .02. 48 hours after that (today), I test about 0.2 nitrate and 0.00 P04. I've noticed no increase in algae growth, or any other noticeable change for that matter. I shut off my phosphate reactor.
I am going to dose KNO3 again and continue to observe.
Please feel free to add any input, observations, or personal experience!
I have cross posted this to the reef chemistry subforum as well:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2592169
I have very few corals in the tank at this point - 6 sps large frags/small colonies, a few small LPS, and a largish hammer colony. Algae has been minimal after the initial cycle, no refugium, so I really don't have much doing nutrient uptake.
Fish load is moderate:
4 lyretail anthias
2 green chromis
2 snowflake clowns
banggai cardinal
royal gramma
rosey scales wrasse
4" kole tang
I've been feeding frozen (mysis and spirulina brine) 2-3x per day, NLS pellet 1x per day, arctipods in the morning, and at lights out the tank gets a dose of aquavitro fuel, oysterfeast, and frozen cyclops.
The equipment setup on this tank is nearly identical to it's last iteration which was a successful SPS tank. I converted it to a FW planted tank, but quickly grew bored and now its back to an SPS geared setup. Lots of internal flow, lots of light (2x radions and 4x 54w T5), a Bubble Magus Hero 180 skimmer, and a TLF phosban reactor with a small amount of rowa-phos. I like to keep equipment simple yet effective.
One other difference in this iteration is that I've kept the Marine-Pure spheres to my sump that I had been using in the FW setup. I have done some reading in the Siporax thread and wonder if this may be the culprit.
Despite the heavy feedings, I haven't gotten nitrates readable on my salifert kit. Fish are fat and algae is well under control. Phosphates have been around .02-.07.
Three days ago, I decided to experiment. Having come from the planted setup, I still have some potassium nitrate (KNO3) sitting around. I added a bit over 1/8 tsp to the tank (which should have provided me with about 1.2ppm nitrate). I tested before and about 20 minutes after. ALAS! Nitrates of about 1ppm on my salifert kit!! At this time, my PO4 also read .05 on my hanna LR tester.
24 hours later, I tested again. Nitrate 0.5, phosphate .02. 48 hours after that (today), I test about 0.2 nitrate and 0.00 P04. I've noticed no increase in algae growth, or any other noticeable change for that matter. I shut off my phosphate reactor.
I am going to dose KNO3 again and continue to observe.
Please feel free to add any input, observations, or personal experience!
I have cross posted this to the reef chemistry subforum as well:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2592169
