Dropping nitrates, progression

[Mrfresh]

Not sure what has caused it but I'm having some nitrate issues.
I'm losing a lot of sps really fast...

Tank parameters:
Standard 90gallon display tank
40 gallon breeder sump. Left skimmer middle return right fuge
Euro reef 180 skimmer rated for 180 gallons
Mag 18 return pump. Turns the tank 13 times an hour
12 gallon fug miracle mud live rock and a lot of cheato snails and crabs in there
100lb of sand
120lb of live rock
Over 100 pieces of sps and chalices.
8 bulb t-5 fixture.
4 blues on for 12 hours
2 blues 1 Fiji pink 1 lagoon blue 6 hours
Over all 20k look
Tanks been up sences NOV 2012
Red Sea ozone 50 mg/h


If I have forgotten anything please ask

Water chemistry:
Salt gravity 1.024
Po4 phos .03
Nitrate OVER 100ppm
Alk 7dlh and trying to raise to 9-10dkh
Cal 440
Mag 1330

Side note i just started to vodka dose.
I'm on day 2 still dosing .4ml
Day 4 I will be going to .8 ml

Because my nitrates where so high I decided to do some tank maintance and a LRG water change.
I cleaned my sump out and got out everything that was just sitting in there.
While I cleaned the sump I sucked out 15 gallons of water
And replaced it with fresh salt water.
I used tropic marine pro for salt mix
And while the system was down I also pulled out 15 gallons for the display.
I filled the sump up and filled the display tank up and turned my system back on.

Nitrates still reading at 100ppm
And orp is 210.
Normally it's around 290

Pics to show my bleached corals.
Please don't call the police on me for this tragiity I have caused...

Green slimmer super pale looks a light yellow

Pink milli all white now

Orange and blue chalice. My price peice that looks bad

Aqua delight lost all purple tips and green doesn't look as dark

Dead purple milli.
Cant pull off bc I glues the hell out of it

Green milli...

Chalice slowly losing color

Chalice full lost color and even recession...

Tips lost color

Asd rainbow milli.
Should be BRIGHT green pink and yellow.....

I will keep posting pics hopefully of corals getting better....

 

[Reefing Madness]

At the rate your dosing Vodka, its going to take you months before you see a drop in Nitrates that way. Only way to get them outta the 100 range, is to do WC @ 50% every other day. Then get those numbers to a normal range, then go after the Dosing. I dose, and am at 24mls a day with a 285 total water volume system.

 

[Mrfresh]

I did a 30 gallon water change today on a total water vol of around 100 gallons.
In two days I will do another 30 gallon water change.

I would love to bump up my dosing but I have seen what happens if u don't do it right.
I might go to .8mls tomorrow.

I am trying to get all tank par back in good range fast but I also want to do it safely.

 

[mike007]

Here is some good info on carbon dosing. www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/​index.php

 

[Reefing Madness]

I started out at 10mls in my system, and added 5 mls a week until it came down. I went by the numbers from Melevs Reef tank, as he documented his dosing process. Byu ramping it up faster you just get a bacteria bloom, the water gets cloudy. Nothing happened to my corals or my fish. Tank looks like crap for a bit. I just advised Jmann124 on the ramp up. We got his down in less than 2 weeks. But, take er slow, ya don't want to ruin anything else. You have a few issues going on there.
But for what its worth:
Melevsreef.com - Dosing Vodka to Lower Nitrate & Phosphate

 

[Mrfresh]

I have read that article many a times.
I'm following there chart for my dosing right now...

I think bc my tank is so out of line that I might be able to go a little stronger with the dose.
If I do go to a stronger dose I will go with the am pm approach.
Were I dose half in the morning and the other half in the evening.
Example
1ml a day... In the morning I would do .5ml and later at night I would do the other .5ml

I'm due for some new carbon any recommendations?
In the past I've used blue life carbon and phos remover...stuff worked pretty well..


Also thanks for the input guys

Here is some good info on carbon dosing. www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/​index.php

 

[Mrfresh]

Thanks for that post I read his whole thing great info.
He has a great way to break things down into lame-mans terms and not sound as scientific.
I think I will bump up my dose tomorrow.
I'm worried but I'm going to go to 2mls.

I started out at 10mls in my system, and added 5 mls a week until it came down. I went by the numbers from Melevs Reef tank, as he documented his dosing process. Byu ramping it up faster you just get a bacteria bloom, the water gets cloudy. Nothing happened to my corals or my fish. Tank looks like crap for a bit. I just advised Jmann124 on the ramp up. We got his down in less than 2 weeks. But, take er slow, ya don't want to ruin anything else. You have a few issues going on there.
But for what its worth:
Melevsreef.com - Dosing Vodka to Lower Nitrate & Phosphate

 

[Mrfresh]

So even with just the 30% water change yesterday I have noticed some of my sps that had almost no polyp extention are starting to show just a bit more. So I feel like I am moving in the right direction.
I guess another 30% water change tomorrow.

Also I steped up the vodka dose as well. I did .5ml this morning and later on tonight I will do another .5ml

 

[Reefing Madness]

1smile1

 

[Mrfresh]

Reefing madness I have noticed my orp is dropping, should I worrie about this?
It went from 290 when my nits were over 100ppm
After water change orp went to 230
After first stronger vodka dose orp is 190.
And I just put in my second part of vodka for the night....

I run ozone 24/7 though my Red Sea ozone and it goes into my skimmer and I've never been able to get my orp steady/ high. Like above 300

 

[Mrfresh]

Ok so nitrates are still about 100ppm.
I did another 40 gallon water change today.
This morning I dosed 1ml of vodka
Later on tonight I will be dosing another 1ml.
I have also changed out my carbon, I also am using a white looking rock that's like carbon?
Well see if it really works to help lower ammo nitrates and nitrites....

So I guess the upper half of my tank is getting used to being out of water....
Sme of my sps didn't even close up while the WC happened... Granted they were only out of the water 10 mins...


I can tell corals are happier.
I am only feeding everyone day now. Even tho I only feed pellet.
PE looks better, but not really seeing any coloring back, but no more lose of color which I still take as a good thing...

 

[Mrfresh]

 

[Reefing Madness]

Your ORP should not be dropping yet, only dosing 2mls a day isn't anything yet. Your skimmer running top notch. Also, your Trates won't be coming down anytime soon either, not at the current rate of Dosing. Im going to guess that they won't come down until you hit the 20-25mls mark, as i'm expecting your daily maintenance to be between 5-10mls. Now Im just guessing here so don't take it to the bank yet, but I bet im pretty close. But, if you keep doing water changes every couple of days and dosing, I won't be able to take a stab at it, as the WC will help considerably. But, at your current 2mls a day, no way are you going to see them move.

 

[Mrfresh]

So do u think I should just jump up to 20mls of vodka or work my way up slow?

As far as a skimmer I have a euro reef 180. (Rated for 180 gallon tank)
I just replaced the sedra 5000 about 8 months ago. And cleaned it about 3 months ago.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Should be ok with that Skimmer.
the instructions take to long. I jumped 5 mls a week, not the 1 they tell you to do. So I was at 40 in a few weeks. Not saying you should do it that way, so maybe jump 2-3 mls a week.
Are you currently following the 1ml a week bump up?

 

[Mrfresh]

Well it hasn't even been a week so I'm free to do as I want
I think tomorrow I will just bump it up to 5mls.
Ill be home all day so I will be able to watch the tank and see what happens if anything

 

[glb]

Do you know what caused the spike? If the source is still in the tank it won't stay down after the water tanks. I don't know if using Seachem Prime would help with the corals. Good luck!


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[glb]

After the water changes I meant. Silly spell check.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[Bartmmackey]

Why would the cheato not be working?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Why would the cheato not be working?

Its gotta be of equivelant in size to the tank, and the nutrient problem.