SchnitzelReef
Active member
Nitrates are still at .2. Gunna dose some more nitrate and try to get it to at least 1ppm
Zero Nitrates = Pastel Acros (dosing nitrates)
- Thread starter SchnitzelReef
- Start date
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Taking the schnitzel approach and finally seeing nitrate
I say it's about 1.5ppm. A little darker than 1 but not as dark as 2
I say it's about 1.5ppm. A little darker than 1 but not as dark as 2
Yea that's why I got it home. He's small right now, but I know that won't last long.
Check out this dussumieri
His colors are so unique!!
He's gunna get big too. Between the two of them, I think I should have plenty of poopers!
Where'd ya get it nick? He's got really nice colors
SchnitzelReef
Active member
SchnitzelReef
Active member
Taking the schnitzel approach and finally seeing nitrate
I say it's about 1.5ppm. A little darker than 1 but not as dark as 2
Interested to see if you notice any improvements. Are you dosing because there's problems, or just to see if it makes a difference?
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Dosing because I have cyano. Not enough nitrates to help consume po4
pciscott
Pirates Cove Reef
Mike I have had better results since taking pellets off, I have other friends who have experienced same thing. The pellets consume too much and there is no way to control how much as they are always getting depleted. I run my Nitrates above 5, I dose Acropower, Reefroids, and sometimes Phyto to keep them up and my corals are the best colors they have ever been. I also feed very heavy 2 to 3 times a day and have auto feeder with pellets. If I do not dose all this stuff I lose my colors and my Nitrates become undetectable.
Do you think the Potassium Nitrate is the same as food? Trying to figure if this would be easier to dose because sometimes I forget my coral feeding schedule because it is not on a doser.
Do you think the Potassium Nitrate is the same as food? Trying to figure if this would be easier to dose because sometimes I forget my coral feeding schedule because it is not on a doser.
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Not quite looking for coral food but more to balance the PO4/NO3 relation
SchnitzelReef
Active member
There is no phosphates in potassium nitrate. On the other hand there is a ton of phosphates in feeding heavy. Might be worth a try.
watchguy123
New member
Interesting that you are feeding both corals and fish and you are still having low nitrates. Do you have any idea how to explain that, its just that I would expect nitrates to creep up without the biopellets and yet a heavy feeding schedule.
ReefPharmer
Active member
The low nitrates are explained by corals, bacteria and algae up-taking no3 and PO4 and nitrates running out (being the limiting part of the equation). Once the nitrates run out, phosphates linger and this continues after every feeding. Overtime phosphates creep up and nitrates stay low or 0.
When he doses nitrates, he is providing more nitrates for the uptake and thus allows more phosphates to be processed along with the new nitrate supply, which in turn lowers the phoaphate level naturally
When he doses nitrates, he is providing more nitrates for the uptake and thus allows more phosphates to be processed along with the new nitrate supply, which in turn lowers the phoaphate level naturally
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pandimus
Active member
Like this guy ever took a chemistry class...
ReefPharmer
Active member
I bing it !
watchguy123
New member
Got it all. But my question really relates to why do the nitrates stay low after he removed his biopellets. He was removing nitrates and phosphates with the bacterial population being supported by the carbon source. Now that the carbon source is gone, the bacterial population should diminish, thereby reducing his nutrient export. But his heavy coral and fish feeding is still inputting the same nutrient load or import. So I don't understand why his nitrates would not be rising gradually without the biopellets nutrient export help.
I understand the phosphate/nitrate issue, nitrates being the limiting factor on phosphate uptake--my question is independent of that. (Although I might imagine a short term phenomena as nitrates initially go up allowing for more phosphate uptake, that there is a short increase in bacterial nutrient consumption with both nitrates and phosphates available.) It seems that the nitrates will creep up eventually because of the change in the export to import (no more biopellets) but apparently they are not. So why is that
goreef65
New member
Here's my thoughts. Don't take this wrong. Everyone has there own way in the hobby:
The way I see it is to much complicated and expensive equipment, filters, lights, etc. I've been running kind of old school for many years now and really have had no issues to speak of other than the subtle spikes, etc. I due have to pay attention to my tank every day. I've been dosing the big 3, skimming and a sock, feed my fish daily and doing weekly 20% water changes. No real expensive equipment other than a few Radions. Not saying my tank is bullet proof or anywhere near perfect, but I can't complain. I'm a dude and love looking at all the cool new shiney new toys too (equipment)...but keepin it simple has paid off for me and saved me a bucket of cash I'm sure.
The way I see it is to much complicated and expensive equipment, filters, lights, etc. I've been running kind of old school for many years now and really have had no issues to speak of other than the subtle spikes, etc. I due have to pay attention to my tank every day. I've been dosing the big 3, skimming and a sock, feed my fish daily and doing weekly 20% water changes. No real expensive equipment other than a few Radions. Not saying my tank is bullet proof or anywhere near perfect, but I can't complain. I'm a dude and love looking at all the cool new shiney new toys too (equipment)...but keepin it simple has paid off for me and saved me a bucket of cash I'm sure.
pciscott
Pirates Cove Reef
I do change water pretty heavy, I am on auto water change now for the last month with Genesis Renew at 12 gallons per day on a 600 gallon system. Before that was changing between 75 and 100 every week, so this is some of my export. If I were going to carbon dose I think I would prefer doing something that I could figure a finite amount as Pellets just leave to much that we can not figure? I also just put a Remote Refugium on the System, it is pretty cool it is made by Pax Bellum and called a Arid C30. The Chaeto I got from you Mark is growing fast, I filled a 5 gallon bucket with my first harvest. I also have a clean area in my sump that has 150 liters of large Siporax that helps filter the tank.
I think my tank to a very long time to seed because I did not start with any live rock and I think that in my new system I will start with Live Rock as fresh as I can get as I do think this is what is lacking in systems with dry rock or Ceramics.
I do feed a ton and if I stop my Nitrates go to zero within a week, I think my tank is just happy
I think my tank to a very long time to seed because I did not start with any live rock and I think that in my new system I will start with Live Rock as fresh as I can get as I do think this is what is lacking in systems with dry rock or Ceramics.
I do feed a ton and if I stop my Nitrates go to zero within a week, I think my tank is just happy
watchguy123
New member
150 liters of siporax is impressive. I thought the ratio was much greatee than 4 gallons of saltwater to 1 liter of siporax. I would expect that is having a substantial impact on nitrate export. Just beginning to follow threads on siporax, you are way ahead of me. Additionally 5 gallons of Chaeto must also mean there is still enough nutrients to allow for great growth.
I think your comment is extremely accurate, you have a very "happy" tank and your nutrient control is extremely well balanced. I love it.
I think your comment is extremely accurate, you have a very "happy" tank and your nutrient control is extremely well balanced. I love it.
pciscott
Pirates Cove Reef
Part of the Arid Reactor is a supplement to dose Iron at the rate of 1 drop per 25 gallons daily, I am dosing 20 drops every day and I have noticed it grow much quicker since I have been dosing the Iron. It also has you dose Nitrate if your Nitrates become undetectable at 100 to 1 or it says it will stall pulling out P04. I think maybe there is something to this balance of Phosphate and Nitrate and why some tanks are limiting export when they are not balanced.
A guy in Brazil named Carlos has a amazing tank and I got the Siporax idea from him when building the tank. The Siporax I am using was hard to track down, but it is a much larger media that was made for ponds. I think the benefit is it is easy to keep clean and helps culture beneficial bacteria. While I do not carbon dose I do add Bacteria once a month with some Prohibio products.
A guy in Brazil named Carlos has a amazing tank and I got the Siporax idea from him when building the tank. The Siporax I am using was hard to track down, but it is a much larger media that was made for ponds. I think the benefit is it is easy to keep clean and helps culture beneficial bacteria. While I do not carbon dose I do add Bacteria once a month with some Prohibio products.
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