Nitrate Reduction 101 with sugar!!!

Update...

skimmer is beginning to produce a very THICK foam...maybe something is starting to happen? I have not tested nitrates again since buyuing a new test kit on Monday, they were still of the chart, but I had only dosed 1/4 tsp at that point...I want to wait on testing agin and not frustrate myself. Am I shooting for a cloudy tank or can this work if your tank does not go cloudy?? Is cloudy overdoing it?

Thanks all!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9181084#post9181084 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jennmac415
Update...

skimmer is beginning to produce a very THICK foam...maybe something is starting to happen? I have not tested nitrates again since buyuing a new test kit on Monday, they were still of the chart, but I had only dosed 1/4 tsp at that point...I want to wait on testing agin and not frustrate myself. Am I shooting for a cloudy tank or can this work if your tank does not go cloudy?? Is cloudy overdoing it?

Thanks all!
Click to expand...
I don't know if you have any corals and fish in your tank but read up on this some more you need to go very slow sugar dosing or any other carbon dosing in high dose will take up most of the oxygen out of your tank and kill things.
 
Yes, I do as stated above in my "dissertation" 2 Ocellaris and 1 sixline...and corals as stated...

I have an extra big airstone and pump going to help with the oxygen level... also, I read the entire 17 pages of this thread the other night.

Thanks.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9181259#post9181259 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jennmac415
Yes, I do as stated above in my "dissertation" 2 Ocellaris and 1 sixline...and corals as stated...

I have an extra big airstone and pump going to help with the oxygen level... also, I read the entire 17 pages of this thread the other night.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Ok good :cool: Good luck.
 
I wouldn't go cloudy, but a little haze is ok if your nitrates are high. I didn't read the dissertation, at least I don't remember it, but what size tank is this on, a 29 gal? What is the total system volume?
 
My dissertation LOL is up a few replies... it is almost my life history, well not really but it is quite a story... I was on a real roll.

Yes, 29 gallon, with no sump, so maybe 20 gallons total woater volume with the dissplacement by the rocks.

No cloudiness, no haze so far, but the skimmer is producing very thick foam, so something must be taking place chemically.

How long before my nitrates begin to fall and then when will I start to see my corals respond to the lower nitrate level?

Thanks all!
 
Nitrates will fall the next day. Don't know how far, but they will go down rapidly if they are going to go down. My mistake was they dropped from 130ppm to 20 in a day. Everything in the tank what like "What The Freak just happened??" But everything was far happier for it.
 
Well, I just spent the past 2 hours reading the entire 17 pages of this thread (and the links).I'm tempted to try this....my nitrates have hovered at 5-10 forever...but it hasnt been a problem w/ my critters. I would like to finally see them drop to zero.....BUT for some unknown reason I have a red slime algae bloom on the bottom of my tank. (No critters died,no new critters, reg. water changes and topoffs w/ distilled water, tests same as usual except tonight the nitrates are up to 20!The only change I have made is adding a fuge about 6 weeks ago w/ live sand chaaeto & gracilaria in it.) With a algae outbreak already ...am I playing w/ fire?
P.S. Dave from St.George...THANKS for your level headed wisdom on this whole thread. Also I would like to know which LFS you trust and use in St. George...
 
Whatever works. I think when you are trying to recreate the ocean into mere gallons we are scientifically retro fitting everything.
 
Have you tested for Ammonia, and nitrite? Could be that your live sand has started a mini nitrogen cycle and is now converting these substances into nitrate. I'd give it some more time before you start dosing sugar, the cheato likely needs it to keep up. I dose sugar, and I'd recommend it to anyone that has a nitrate problem and has tried other avenues. But in your case I'd let the fuge work for a little bit longer, then dose some carbon. Or dose a bit if the nitrate continue to rise. Where did you get the live sand? Is it the type you get in a bag? Or something you got from someone else?
 
The bagged live stuff has alot of dead in it as well from what I have heard. Could be that it has to balance out in a more open system before the NO3 goes away. I'm not sure though, because I have never used it. But thats what I would suspect first.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9053088#post9053088 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pito
Alot of the Italian guys are useing AA's / sugar / a homemade frozen food mix called pappone with awsome results.
Click to expand...

Aminos = Nitrate
Sugar = Carbon

This leads to phosphate limitation, which is EXACTLY what you want. You could add stump remover instead of the aminos, and get the same results.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9192340#post9192340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Aminos = Nitrate
Sugar = Carbon

You could add stump remover instead of the aminos, and get the same results.
Click to expand...

???????????
 
hi, i had introduce sugar into my new tank which is 250 gallon tank. start cycle for almost 6 weeks but NO3 still remain at the same level. This is my second tank, the first tank really gave me a headaache due to NO3 level that cannot be control all the time. With weekly huge WC had cost me a boom.

Dosing morning 1 tsp and nite 1tsp, after the first 3 hours of first dosing water get abit cloudy but still visible. Second day same amount of sugar but no sign of cloudy appear and continued for 1 weeks. No3 did drop slightly however PO4 from drop significantly from 1.0 to 0.05.

How long and how much should i dose till the level of No3 drop to 0????
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9201206#post9201206 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Pito, most stump removers are potassium nitrate, IIRC. You'd get the same thing you're getting from aminos.
Click to expand...

OK, but what else is in there? Is that what you're useing? At least with the reef made AA's you get a recomended doseing schedual. I don't think the back of the stump remover tells you how much to dose in your tank.
 
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