Any NO3:PO4-X users?

[ElitePirate]

Hi friends,

So I'm using NO3:PO4-X for like 2 weeks now in order to kill my nitrate level. However, it's not going down. I'm using 2 filter media ( carbon and amonia phosphate filters) . Screenshot -

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3mhi4db3bv3pmpv/2018-11-10_14-53-09.png?dl=0

Red sea staff member asked me to remove my amonia/phosphate filter media as it might interfere with NOPOX. Is that true? Should I really remove that filter media? will it affect my amonia / phosphate levels?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

That’s odd.

IMO , just run the carbon.


What’s an ammoina filter.

Nopox is bacteria food. Carbons dosing increases the number of bacteria in the tank.
Bacteria eat ammoina.

 

[rkpetersen]

Please tell more. How much water in your tank, nitrate and phosphate levels, how much NPX you've been using.

I'm not familiar with that product 'AmoPhos'. In a tank with a well-established biofilter in the rocks etc you don't need any media specifically for ammonia, ammonia will always be unmeasurable unless something upsets the system. Also NPX reduces phosphate as well as nitrate so probably best not to have two competing systems both driving phosphate down hard. As salty suggests, ditch this product and run carbon. Be careful with NPX, it can cause a hard crash if too much is used.

 

[redfishbluefish]

First off you need both nitrates and phosphates for carbon dosing to work. If one or the other is missing, it won't work. So since you're just starting, pull the phosphate removing stuff out. Also, best if you're testing for nitrates and phosphates, to monitor. Don't expect results overnight. Took me more like two months to start to see a drop.

Also note that a skimmer is needed to "export" the growing bacteria.

 

[mclark452]

Why would you have an ammonia filter? If your tank is cycled, there shouldn't be ammonia. If your tank is not cycled, you shouldn't be playing with Nopox yet.

 

[ElitePirate]

That’s odd.

IMO , just run the carbon.


What’s an ammoina filter.

Nopox is bacteria food. Carbons dosing increases the number of bacteria in the tank.
Bacteria eat ammoina.

May be i was not clear. Please see attached image. The filter media I used to remove Amonia + Phosphate (at least thats what my LFS mentioned)

Please tell more. How much water in your tank, nitrate and phosphate levels, how much NPX you've been using.

I'm not familiar with that product 'AmoPhos'. In a tank with a well-established biofilter in the rocks etc you don't need any media specifically for ammonia, ammonia will always be unmeasurable unless something upsets the system. Also NPX reduces phosphate as well as nitrate so probably best not to have two competing systems both driving phosphate down hard. As salty suggests, ditch this product and run carbon. Be careful with NPX, it can cause a hard crash if too much is used.

Hi, my water quantity is 56L. Nitrate is around 50-75. Phosphate is undetectable. I've been using NOPOX 1.25ML daily dose.

> Also NPX reduces phosphate as well as nitrate so probably best not to have two competing systems both driving phosphate down hard.

That means just 1 filter media which is active carbon filter is good enough?

First off you need both nitrates and phosphates for carbon dosing to work. If one or the other is missing, it won't work. So since you're just starting, pull the phosphate removing stuff out. Also, best if you're testing for nitrates and phosphates, to monitor. Don't expect results overnight. Took me more like two months to start to see a drop.

Also note that a skimmer is needed to "export" the growing bacteria.

> So since you're just starting, pull the phosphate removing stuff out.

Sure, i'll remove that filter media and only use carbon filter.

> Also, best if you're testing for nitrates and phosphates, to monitor.

Yea, im testing them every other day.

> Also note that a skimmer is needed to "export" the growing bacteria.

Yup, I can see dark fluids.

Why would you have an ammonia filter? If your tank is cycled, there shouldn't be ammonia. If your tank is not cycled, you shouldn't be playing with Nopox yet.

It's cycled, so without ammonia/phosphate filter my tank should be ok right?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Don’t strip the Po4 to zero. It WILL cause problembs.

Water changes are the most effective way to lower no3.

If you have continued no3 problems , there is a direct source causing it. Like rotten rock , or something dead.
Also double and triple check the tests.

 

[rkpetersen]

Hi, my water quantity is 56L. Nitrate is around 50-75. Phosphate is undetectable. I've been using NOPOX 1.25ML daily dose.

> Also NPX reduces phosphate as well as nitrate so probably best not to have two competing systems both driving phosphate down hard.

Just to clarify. Without sufficient phosphate/phosphorus in your water, NPX can't reduce nitrate. Both have to be available for the bacteria, in a ratio that is classically stated as 16:1 but can be as high as 30:1 or so in practice. For a nitrate that high and no phosphate at all, water change is for sure the most efficient and safest way to drop the nitrate concentration quickly. Also, a quick series of small changes is nearly as effective as one large change (as shown in previous articles by RHF), and a much less daunting proposition for some.

Also, if your tank is cycled you really don't need any kind of ammonia remover. For most people with reef tanks, once a tank is cycled, they never measure or think of ammonia in that tank again until it is torn down and restarted.

 

[ElitePirate]

Just to clarify. Without sufficient phosphate/phosphorus in your water, NPX can't reduce nitrate. Both have to be available for the bacteria, in a ratio that is classically stated as 16:1 but can be as high as 30:1 or so in practice. For a nitrate that high and no phosphate at all, water change is for sure the most efficient and safest way to drop the nitrate concentration quickly. Also, a quick series of small changes is nearly as effective as one large change (as shown in previous articles by RHF), and a much less daunting proposition for some.

Also, if your tank is cycled you really don't need any kind of ammonia remover. For most people with reef tanks, once a tank is cycled, they never measure or think of ammonia in that tank again until it is torn down and restarted.

Thank you, so lets say my phosphate is very low, if i feed a bit more, fish pellets will increase the phosphate levels right? is that a right thing to do? I'm feeding very little now a days.

 

[mclark452]

Thank you, so lets say my phosphate is very low, if i feed a bit more, fish pellets will increase the phosphate levels right? is that a right thing to do? I'm feeding very little now a days.

I would feed more, or add more fish, or both. It's very easy to starve a tank when you start getting phosphate levels that are "undetectable".

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Hi friends,

So I'm using NO3:pO4-X for like 2 weeks now in order to kill my nitrate level. However, it's not going down. I'm using 2 filter media ( carbon and amonia phosphate filters) . Screenshot -

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3mhi4db3bv3pmpv/2018-11-10_14-53-09.png?dl=0

Red sea staff member asked me to remove my amonia/phosphate filter media as it might interfere with NOPOX. Is that true? Should I really remove that filter media? will it affect my amonia / phosphate levels?

I use NoPoX and only run a skimmer. No carbon, no other filters. My nitrates currently sit steady at 2.5 ppm and my PO4 sits steady at 0.1 ppm. I've upped my dosage a little recently to bring these numbers down a little to combat a small patch of GHA.

I would do what the rep from Red Sea says. They are the experts on their product.

No need to have an ammonia remover in a cycled tank. IMO keep it simple.

 

[roberthu526]

I have used NOPOX for a little over a year now. It works very well for me and I dose daily by hand. 15ml in 150 gallon system keeps my nitrate below 5ppm

 

[ElitePirate]

thank you guys, appreciate your replies.