Best way to lower nitrates?

[Chicleg]

Tons of live rock will help. My tank NO3, PO4 = 0
Min 1:4= 1lb live stone : 4Liter saltwater

 

[Bbaz123456]

Salinity is very low at 1.022 and you really should be using calibration fluid to calibrate your refractometer. It is well worth the $2-3.
Shoot for at least 1.025. Natural sea water is 1.0264. Fish can handle lower salinity but corals do not

 

[potatocouch]

This problem isn't nitrates. Lots of changing variables and "swings." It may take a couple months to notice all your coral improving.

Apology the title said lowering No3 ...

Regardless if you want to lower your No3, many ways to Rome but I did the one I mentioned earlier and it works a charm

 

[Elegance Coral]

Can you post pic's of the system, including the sump?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Nitrates are down to 10 after water change, salinity is 1.023. ALK is steady at 8.0-8.5, CAL is 420, MAG is 1480.

Skimmer is in the middle chamber. Sump is 50 gallons, a little too small. Working on getting something larger.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

So, I really do not know anymore. I lost a lot of SPS because of "rookie" mistakes. The pieces I do have, maybe 7 frags, only two have PE. The other do not, including my red planet, which as everyone knows is always super "hairy".

 

[vince17]

Personally I have had good success for a year with miracle mud and chaeto algea under 24/7 lighting. No water changes beyond removing tank water to TTM quarantine new fish, additions. I dose calcium, Alk, mag and have started adding trace elements. Been going strong for a little over a year and will be doing a 50% mud exchange soon.

For your problem I wog be looking towards GFO for a quick fix and a reefugium for long term solutions..

 

[snipertwobe]

i run bio cubes. took me from over 50 down to 2-4 over the corase of a month.. Nitra guard titanium. mileage may very, no reactor needed.. just skimmer. no massive water changes.. o wait.. haven't done a water change in a while...

 

[furam28]

How much NoPox are you dosing daily? Are you using a doser or doing it manually? What skimmer are you using?

I've been dosing NoPox for the last 6 months and run a heavily stocked ULN system. Here's my take on NoPox (or vodka/carbon dosing): 1. Automatic doser is a must. You can get Jebao ones for less than 70$. I dose 4mL per day (1mL every 6 hours) in a 40 gallon total water volume. 2. Remove your ROWA and Chemipure. NoPox will remove nitrates and phosphates proportionately, and when you are using GFO/rowa/chemipure, your phosphates become limiting. 3. Keep raising your NoPox dosage slowly (one step increase per week) until your nitrates come down. 4. You need a very good skimmer.

 

[furam28]

Really nice tank btw! Keep at it. Carbon dosing is very effective and if done properly, you'll never be worrying about high trates again. In fact, I now dose nitrate once or twice a week to keep it at 1ppm. My phosphate is very close to 0 (on Hanna).

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Personally I have had good success for a year with miracle mud and chaeto algea under 24/7 lighting. No water changes beyond removing tank water to TTM quarantine new fish, additions. I dose calcium, Alk, mag and have started adding trace elements. Been going strong for a little over a year and will be doing a 50% mud exchange soon.

For your problem I wog be looking towards GFO for a quick fix and a reefugium for long term solutions..

I have a fuge and run ROWA in a reactor since day 1.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

How much NoPox are you dosing daily? Are you using a doser or doing it manually? What skimmer are you using?

I've been dosing NoPox for the last 6 months and run a heavily stocked ULN system. Here's my take on NoPox (or vodka/carbon dosing): 1. Automatic doser is a must. You can get Jebao ones for less than 70$. I dose 4mL per day (1mL every 6 hours) in a 40 gallon total water volume. 2. Remove your ROWA and Chemipure. NoPox will remove nitrates and phosphates proportionately, and when you are using GFO/rowa/chemipure, your phosphates become limiting. 3. Keep raising your NoPox dosage slowly (one step increase per week) until your nitrates come down. 4. You need a very good skimmer.

I dose 12 ml's in a 250 system.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Really nice tank btw! Keep at it. Carbon dosing is very effective and if done properly, you'll never be worrying about high trates again. In fact, I now dose nitrate once or twice a week to keep it at 1ppm. My phosphate is very close to 0 (on Hanna).

Thank you.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I also microscrub with micro bubbles every night for 9.5 hours. I started that about a week ago.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

But rowaphos don't work on nitrates

 

[furam28]

I would consider slowly getting rid of GFO. Red Sea recommends not using any phosphate or nitrate removing media with NoPox. You will need to take it off gradually. Here's the guide from Red Sea : http://5w56d28u4co20frgwagf5y18.wpe...wp-content/uploads/2014/07/NPX-convertion.pdf

 

[vince17]

Any details on your sump?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Any details on your sump?

Ask away.

 

[Sabellafella]

Nitrates are down to 10 after water change, salinity is 1.023. ALK is steady at 8.0-8.5, CAL is 420, MAG is 1480.

Skimmer is in the middle chamber. Sump is 50 gallons, a little too small. Working on getting something larger.

Wow first time seeing the tank and its absolutely gorgeous, im guessing you just needed a quick fix for n03 n p04, just assuming you arent acually having problems with them always elevating, i said to someone last night that sooner or later the hobby is bound to test you to your limit were youll think about leaving the hobby but man i wouldnt, beside if you did youd prob come back anyway. Also everything listed above are good methods of eliminating processed nurients so if you are having trouble. But man from what ive seen nowadays is people underestimate doing wcs (they want a none waterchange tank such with triton/ balling/calc reactor) but theres just so much more with the ionic balance of Seawater then what we can as hobbyest understand and test for. If i were you, your going to have to fallow the tank ( especially with the awesome expensive taste with fish you have) and just get a saltmix that matches what your shooting for. And just stick with 10-20 percent water changes every couple days. Trust me i hate them, ive done everything i could to just make it simple to do them often but its a method that works best for me for many years.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Wow first time seeing the tank and its absolutely gorgeous, im guessing you just needed a quick fix for n03 n p04, just assuming you arent acually having problems with them always elevating, i said to someone last night that sooner or later the hobby is bound to test you to your limit were youll think about leaving the hobby but man i wouldnt, beside if you did youd prob come back anyway. Also everything listed above are good methods of eliminating processed nurients so if you are having trouble. But man from what ive seen nowadays is people underestimate doing wcs (they want a none waterchange tank such with triton/ balling/calc reactor) but theres just so much more with the ionic balance of Seawater then what we can as hobbyest understand and test for. If i were you, your going to have to fallow the tank ( especially with the awesome expensive taste with fish you have) and just get a saltmix that matches what your shooting for. And just stick with 10-20 percent water changes every couple days. Trust me i hate them, ive done everything i could to just make it simple to do them often but its a method that works best for me for many years.

Thank you for the compliments. I just switched (back) this week to Red Sea Coral Pro. I know the ALK is listed at 12, but after the water change on Thursday (around 30 gallons) and I just finished another 20 gallon change, the ALK hasn't changed past 8.5. I tested the nitrates last night and they were back down to 10-20. I was a little confused by what you said...are you saying I need to go Fallow? If so, why?