Nitrates insanity
- Thread starter liam
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JDCagley
Active Member
If that is to me, the numbers concern me. I recently (re) added sps. My alk dropped from 9.5 to 8.1 (which I can handle) but the NO3 and PO4 numbers concern me. I am worried they are too high. NO3 has been roughly in this range for some time and PO4 has been fluctuating between 0.07 up to 0.20 with water changes. It has been driving me crazy as it seems to swing radically. That is why this caught my attention as the numbers appeared to be in "my range".
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JDCagley
Active Member
here are recent test values.
Not all notes are necessarily 100% accurate as I was developing this database on the fly while keeping tank running on excel sheet (that sucks). Anyways, the values are the most acurate items in the list here.
Not all notes are necessarily 100% accurate as I was developing this database on the fly while keeping tank running on excel sheet (that sucks). Anyways, the values are the most acurate items in the list here.
ナイトコア猫
Active Member
Sometimes the salt contains nitrate as well, but:
The bacterial sheets (mulm) doesn't need to be removed. In KZ, that is what is dosed back to the system via ZEOvit reactor.
I recommend perservering thru, yes. It is possible as I said above, that 4 mL/day isn't enough, and I think your number will be around 7 mL/day. However, in the spirit of KZ, we'll ramp up this amount over a couple of weeks. During this time, nitrate may increase, though it should be less of an increase than before, if you are feeding the exact same amount.
I am really looking forward to seeing what the test results will be in 1 and 2 weeks.
Keep in mind, at the higher range of nitrate, precision is reduced, so it may not be obvious we're improving.
liam
Community Member
my corals are so stressed with little polyp extension I don't believe they are consuming a measurable amount of the bacterial mulm in the system. I will continue with the dosing and increase based on testing/ observations. I will be sure the keep the thread updated,thanks
liam
Community Member
If you look at Hannah meters you will see there is a phosphorus meter,this is different to the regular low range phosphate meter ,it is alleged to be more accurate at low range phosphate testing but you need to convert the reading, my meter reads 8 which on the conversion table equates to 0.024 p04.
Take a look for bulk reef supply video on YouTube where they tested phosphate meters.
liam
Community Member
Love your spreadsheet,the notes really make it,you get a good idea of the reaction of your system to whatever change you made.here are recent test values.
Not all notes are necessarily 100% accurate as I was developing this database on the fly while keeping tank running on excel sheet (that sucks). Anyways, the values are the most acurate items in the list here.
I have used a similar log function in my ghl profilux4 in the past,maybe I should make more use of it again
chipmunkofdoom2
Always Making Something
OP is using the Hanna ULR Phosphorus checker. This checker reports whole number values between 0 and 200. The results are ppb of phosphorus. To get the phosphate value from the reading, users of this checker need to use this coversion chart, which is what OP is talking about.
JDCagley
Active Member
Thank you. It is actually an Access database I created. I had to make some databases for work and got to thinking - this would work better for my tank as well. And it does. I am no access database pro, but I think what I have is 'good enough'! I'd share it if you are interested. (requires microsoft 365 or access standalone at a minimum).
liam
Community Member
Just to update progress, or lack of lol.
Nitrates continued to rise last week while dosing nopox at 3ml,I raised phosphates slightly via reefroids nitrates reached 57.4 and I then performed a just under 50 % water change which dropped nitrates to 26.9.
I also retested my make up water (red sea blue bucket) and it tested 0 nitrate with Hannah hr.
I increased nopox to 5ml at the weekend and nitrates are still climbing ,now at 31.5.
I plan to keep at 5 ml for now, no sign of bacterial bloom yet. Phosphate continues to drop so I may likely switch phosphate control to dosing disodium phosphate instead of reefroids which are likely adding nitrate also.
Nitrates continued to rise last week while dosing nopox at 3ml,I raised phosphates slightly via reefroids nitrates reached 57.4 and I then performed a just under 50 % water change which dropped nitrates to 26.9.
I also retested my make up water (red sea blue bucket) and it tested 0 nitrate with Hannah hr.
I increased nopox to 5ml at the weekend and nitrates are still climbing ,now at 31.5.
I plan to keep at 5 ml for now, no sign of bacterial bloom yet. Phosphate continues to drop so I may likely switch phosphate control to dosing disodium phosphate instead of reefroids which are likely adding nitrate also.
ナイトコア猫
Active Member
The carbon is working by now, so I infer the nitrate generation from food is too high for that level of carbon dosing. Originally, I predicted around 7 mL/day needed. From weekend to now, 2-3 days, aquarium gained 4.6 ppm nitrate, net. There's a new variable (ReefRoids), but I think we're very close.
Do you have a pH probe?
liam
Community Member
My nitrates are finally falling, dropping around 1/2 ppm per day since the end of last week, down to 21.4 this evening.The only thing that I can attribute this to is using nopox alone instead of trying to add additional bacteria in the form of microbacter 7 or clean along with the nopox as I had been for the last several months.
Pure speculation but I suspect the carbon dosing along with the microbacter was causing a proliferation of bacteria that were not taking up nitrate as I was seeing large amounts of bacterial slime in my sump yet no reduction in nitrate, possibly because the bacteria were dying or not being exported from my system.
With just the nopox I am seeing very little slime, some cloudiness of the water but still maintaining consistent skimming, where as before there was so much slime if was coagulating inside my skimmer likely reducing it's effective.
Ph is holding steady so far, thanks all,hope to be in the teens by the weekend.
Pure speculation but I suspect the carbon dosing along with the microbacter was causing a proliferation of bacteria that were not taking up nitrate as I was seeing large amounts of bacterial slime in my sump yet no reduction in nitrate, possibly because the bacteria were dying or not being exported from my system.
With just the nopox I am seeing very little slime, some cloudiness of the water but still maintaining consistent skimming, where as before there was so much slime if was coagulating inside my skimmer likely reducing it's effective.
Ph is holding steady so far, thanks all,hope to be in the teens by the weekend.
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