Sugar in my tank

I dosed last night and I have noticed what appears to be a bacterial bloom? I have tried everything, RDSB, Macro, no fish, RO/DI, so I figured that this was a last resort, and I am trying it. No harm to corals or fish as of yet, what is your experience with it.
 
The major risks are hypoxia due to the increased oxygen consumption of the larger microbial population and disease caused by a super high density of otherwise non-pathogenic bacteria. It is a risky method IMO

Chris
 
Let's skip the sugar for a moment. What kind of a bioload do you have in your tank? Skimmer? Do you still have no fish, or was it a temporary thing?

How much sugar did you dose? How big is your tank? Did you not EXPECT the bloom?! I'd find it hard to believe that anyone that had read up on it would be surprised by cloudy water. If you haven't yet, and it might be a bit absurd to think that you had dumped sugar into your tank without researching it, read the "reducing nitrate with sugar" thread in the reef discussion (i think) forum. You should have a better feel for it once you've read it.
 
Coudn't find it. I expected the bloom. Read up on it quite a while back, but the search never works. And the nitrates keep rising, so as a last ditch effort... Didn't know wbout the hypoxic effects as I thought these were anaerobic bacteria, hence the usage of NO3. Bioload is one clarkii clown. I have tried everything. RO/DI, No fish, RDSB, Wet skimming, Macro algae in a sump, removed all substrate (except RDSB), this was the last thing to try. I'll use the venturis on my powerheads to increase O2, and I'll run a couple bubble stones.
 
Please give us the full specs on your setup

Gallons in main tank
Gallons in Sump
Gallons in Refugium
Flow rate
Brand and model of skimmer
How many pounds of live rock
How much live sand

Test results for

Amonia
Nitrates
Nitrites
Inorganic Phosphates
Calcium
PH
Temperature

What corals do you have?

What do you feed?
How much
How often

How bad is the algae bloom, and what kind of algae is it?

That should give people a basis to start helping.
 
nitrates 40- down from 160 before adding sugar.
nitirite 0
ammonia 0
calcium 380
ph 8.2
temp79-80

CPR skimmer

none of the other stuff is all that relevant to nitrate reduction. Have about 20x turnover on a 75 gal w 55 gal sump/refugium.
 
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I don't see how anyone could make a logical guess as to a cause for your nitrate problem without more information. There is simple nothing to go on. Read the link ryanshol provided above. Best of luck!!!!
 
I'm not soliciting guesses on where the nitrates are coming from, just what people have experienced regardin the sugar dosage. I have my own guesses, but I thank you for your concern
 
thriceanangel

thriceanangel

The best way to get NO3 and PO4 out of your tank is sugar, try very small doses and go very slow, the slower you go the better it is . You need to have a very low bacterial bloom so your Oxygen levels in your tank don't go to low i will get a test kit and keep checking it .
After your levels get to a good # , you need to get a good skimmer the bigger the better, i will stop dosing sugar after two weeks and with a good skimmer your levels will stay low.
I have many large fish in my reef tank some of them over 12 Years old four large tangs a large 10" Emperor and 10 smaller fish my NO3 is 0.2 PO4 is 00.1 without using sugar never did in my 200G tank always had big skimmer in there . but i did use sugar in my FOWLR tank for two weeks i had a small skimmer in there i got me a larger skimmer and with the sugar dosing i got all the crap out . that did it.
Good luck .
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8575517#post8575517 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thriceanangel
Nitrates went from 120-126 to 15 ppm after 3 days dosing, noticing no ill effects.
Click to expand...
Is all depends how loaded is your tank, and what you keep in your tank some of as have many valuable fish /corals in our tanks. I go slow bad thing happens to fast with no turning back.
 
You're skimmer is too small to pull out the bacteria as well as the waste produced by your fish. Get a better skimmer. Just start there and forget about the sugar for now...IMO.

d.
 
skimmer is not the bakpak if that is what you're thinking, its 21" tall x 4" diameter venturi needlewheel skimmer. I don't know that they even make them anymore. It was gotten used by a guy who used it on a mixed 125gal w a 75 gallon sump and plenty bioload, he never had any probs. I have plenty of great coral sps, lps, and a few softies, that are valuable. Sugar is working where nothing else would, I'm gonna keep on dosing for now. Thanks!
 
On a newbie note (speaking of myself) I have an ASM G-4 skimmer for a 180g/55g refigium. Nitrates are undetectable without Ro/DI water. Dimensions on that skimmer are 24" tall by 6" wide. A far cry larger than the skimmer your using. I would have to agree with getting a larger skimmer and see what happens. But I'm against anything unatural unless absolutly necessary.

Just 2 cents for ya...
 
well i guess i will chime in now. if you are having a nitrate problem (which it sounds u do) then i would look into a nitrate filter. i have a large bio load in my full blown reef, and i just added a nitrate reactor (deltec) to the system to make sure levels stay in check. alot of people run nf's with tons of success, imo you should look into puting one on the tank. (also if it was my tank i would still try find the source of the problem and have the unit for protection) hth
 
what is the chemistry behind the addition of sugar

what is the chemistry behind the addition of sugar

for reduction of NO3- and PO4-?

Thanks
 
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