NO3:PO4-X experience?

[banthonyb71]

So Im looking for a way to reduce the nitrates in my 14 bio.

I took the purigen out of my media basket and placed it in compartment 1.

Then I added a bag of denitrate from seachem. So far nitrates are around 15ppm but I want to get them lower. Ive only had the denitrate in for about a week but so far the nitrates are the same as before I added the denitrate.


So I was reading up on this product from Red Sea http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/red-sea-nitrate-phosphate-reducer.html

and I seen that it has gotten alot of good reviews. but on BRS one reviewer posted that a skimmer is a requirement for using the product because of the oxygen the product uses.

I dont have a skimmer in the 14. So does the reviewer have a solid point that must be followed?

What are other good products for removing nitrates excluding any type of reactors with media or doesn't involve skimming?

 

[Gweeds]

You could grow some pretty macros in the tank... keep them trimmed for export.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[banthonyb71]

You could grow some pretty macros in the tank... keep them trimmed for export.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I was actually thinking about that. I would want something of a red variety if possible.

 

[Smells_fishy]

I just got this product today from BRS. All the reviews claim it works really well. The instructions do say you need a skimmer for oxygenation

 

[Sounds Fishy]

So Im looking for a way to reduce the nitrates in my 14 bio.

I took the purigen out of my media basket and placed it in compartment 1.

Then I added a bag of denitrate from seachem. So far nitrates are around 15ppm but I want to get them lower. Ive only had the denitrate in for about a week but so far the nitrates are the same as before I added the denitrate.


So I was reading up on this product from Red Sea http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/red-sea-nitrate-phosphate-reducer.html

and I seen that it has gotten alot of good reviews. but on BRS one reviewer posted that a skimmer is a requirement for using the product because of the oxygen the product uses.

I dont have a skimmer in the 14.

What are other good products for removing nitrates excluding any type of reactors with media or doesn't involve skimming?

I have used that product by Red Sea,and if you follow the instructions it works well,reducing and maintaining your Nitrates,just as carbon dosing by other methods.The problem is that without a skimmer,the bacteria can multiply very quickly and causing your water to go foggy(which is because it depletes oxygen).If that happens ,it is because you dosed,too heavy and you'll wish you had a skimmer.Your water is suffering from oxygen depletion ,in that scenario.You can run an extra air stone,instead of a skimmer to add oxygen,however...
The skimmer not only adds oxygen,but it will filter out large quantities of detruis, and other nasty undesirable leftovers( because you are using carbon dosing your skimmer is going to react much better),causing your Nitrates to lower.It will double or triple the effectiveness of your skimmer.When you carbon dose,you require a method of removing (exporting) all of the pollution,it removes from your system.That is why the skimmer is required.
I do not know how much water you change in your set up,but you can lower your nitrates without a skimmer (or carbon dosing ),by increasing your water changes,always using r/o water,and lowering your bio load.
I have also used ,the other product...de nitrate as well.In order for it to be effective it needs to be in a high flow area,or else it doesn't work very well.It requires lots of oxygen ,in order to stimulate the growth of bacteria,which is the premis ,on which it works.

 

[Smells_fishy]

So, I don't want to hijack the thread here, but I dosed this for the first time yesterday and my water actually turned foggy. I did the math and according to the instructions I needed 4.8ml dosage, so i dosed 4.8ml based on 40 gallons of water.

Does anyone have any advice on how I should proceed? I was thinking of dosing 1ml per day and seeing how that works out. should i wait for the water to clear up before dosing again, or should I dose again today and get on a schedule? My skimmers performance has improved since dosing 24 hours ago.

Thanks

 

[Sounds Fishy]

You have the right idea,about slowly building to your regular dose.As with all carbon dosing start at incremental amounts.Hopefully the cloudiness cleared up,and your fish survived that episode.Do not dose anymore until the cloudiness clears up.The cloudiness should last only a minute,and if it lasts longer you have put too much in for an initial dose..you may want to do a 10 gallon water change.Wait a day after it clears up before dosing again,then start at 1 ml. daily for a week(if you get cloudiness ,longer than a minute,lower the dose for the next day).If you do not get cloudiness when dosing bump it up to 2 ml. per day and give it a couple weeks before deciding if you need to make adjustments,for a higher dose..I hope that helps. 4.8 MLS. was to high a dose to start with and it depleted your oxygen,by producing a high volume of nitrate eating bacteria ,all at once.

 

[Smells_fishy]

My tank is actually only 5 weeks old, the only Thing in there is rock and sand at this point. I put my initial dose in, and then several hours later the tabk became cloudy. It has cleared up since yesterday but not 100 percent. When the cloudiness is completely gone I will resume dosing at s smaller quantity.

 

[homer1475]

If your tank is only 5 weeks old, why on earth are you dosing nopox? With nothing in the tank, go ahead and do a 100% WC to lower the nitrates after the cycle.

NO3PO4-x or nopox as its commonly called, is just a form of carbon dosing. It's purpose is to remove phosphates and nitrates in established tanks.

 

[Smells_fishy]

Is there any reason not you use it to remove nitrate and phosphate. The tank is cycled and I want to get nutrients down and get into a routine. This seems like an easy way to do it. As of yesterday nitrate was 16 and p04 was 0.08

 

[garygonzales]

on such a small tank i would just do water changes....it would be cheaper...probably not enough stuff and bacteria in tank for it to work well....tank to new

 

[Sounds Fishy]

I agree that because the aquarium is new and recently cycled,that it is not required and will actually cause problems for you,in all likelihood.If this is your first set up,my advice is to not dose anything,and just maintain your water quality with water changes.

 

[Sounds Fishy]

Is there any reason not you use it to remove nitrate and phosphate. The tank is cycled and I want to get nutrients down and get into a routine. This seems like an easy way to do it. As of yesterday nitrate was 16 and p04 was 0.08

When your aquarium has cycled , recently , you need to allow it to get established for a period of time,to allow a balance to develop with the salt water and the environment(bacteria).There are a lot of things happening in the substrate and LR,for example,that you don't see.Everything is ,and has become a biological filter,in the aquarium.At this point you are affecting it,(cloudy means something has happened and in all likelihood the death of bacteria)before it has had a chance to perpetuate,in a normal fashion.That disruption in your aquariums development,will likely lead your aquarium to cycle again,later,when your bio load increases,when you begin adding livestock.That may cause your new set up to crash.There are lots of products on the market to help manage phosphates and nitrates,but they shouldn't be used until your system is established( perhaps a year should do it).In the meantime,just take your time,and establish a pattern of periodic water changes using RO or RODI water,and a quality salt mixture.
After 5 weeks having nitrate of 16 is maybe a bit high considering you do not have fish.I do not know your source of nutrients? It may be that it is from what ever you have used at the beginning ,to help start the cycle your aquarium.If you are still adding anything,at this point, you should not.Just let your skimmer filter all of that out,and let your aquarium,have the benefit to develop without anything else added.Continue to monitor your parameters,but don't be trying too affect the chemistry at this point,by adding products.
With so many products on the market, it is easy to turn your nice new water into toxic soup.It is best avoided.

 

[banthonyb71]

After 5 weeks having nitrate of 16 is maybe a bit high considering you do not have fish.I do not know your source of nutrients?

16 ppm doesn't seem out of the norm to me. Probably some die of going on in the tank. That's lower then what my nitrates where 5 weeks in. on both my last 2 tanks. I was over that mostly coming from sand die off in my biocube. right around the time my nitrites zeroed out my nitrates where pretty high.


but as far as my setup, I've been doing 30% water changes once a week and my nitrates are somewhere in between 10 and 15 ppm. (APi test kit)

looking now for a more accurate and easier to read kit.


Im going to be doing a mixed reef and I intend to keep some SPS so Im trying to get my nitrates to under 5 ppm.

The denitrate is in the 2nd shelf of the media basket under the filter floss. That should be enough flow right?

I have a sicce 1.0 which is rated to move 251 gph.

As far as putting too many products in. I here ya there. Im just looking for something extra for the water changes.

right now, Im using purigen, chemipure, and Denitrate. but Im going to remove the denitrate if the nitrates dont change.

Wondering if I should go with Red Sea kit or add some colorful Macroalgae?

 

[alton]

NO3O4-X makes your skimmer work more efficiently.

 

[banthonyb71]

My nitrates are under 5ppm. What happened? I essentially gave up on lowering the nitrates. Nothing I did lowered them. using the same mechanical, bio and chemical filtration I was using before. I do 5 gallon weekly water changes. My nitrates have came down 15ppm since I posted this.

What happened?

 

[Uncle99]

I dose NoPox at 10ml every day in my 70g reef. Took 2 months to get nitrates to zero and I used agent green to lower phosphates by 1ppm per day and that took 7 days. I still dose NoPox daily and have 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate for months now.

When I see how much crap my skimmer takes out of my tank, I see why it's an advantage.