I wanted to share this in case it can help anyone that is having elevated NO3 issues.
I have never had an issue with NO3, other than not having enough in my system (mostly sps). My 2 ½ year old bare bottom system holds approximately 110 gallons (75-gallon display, 30-gallon frag tank and 36” sump). NO3 usually sat at around 5 ppm and PO4 around .03.
Near the end of September 2016 my Nitrates began to creep up and the tank’s Alk/Ca consumption decreased (eventually went from 100 ml each a day to 30 ml each). The system went from rocking to being in bad shape quickly.
Alk consumption going down, caused DKH to go up (7.5 to 10.5). This resulted in burnt tips and some RTN before I figured out what was going on and stabilized things. Another weird thing that happened was all my coralline algae died.
I began feeding way less, did large weekly water changes and was OCD about removing any visible detritus from the tanks and sump. Nothing seemed to help.
In December, my tank hit 50 ppm NO3. I was using Salifert and Red Sea test kits, which were both brand new. I started dosing 12 ml/day NoPox, which reduced NO3 to 25 PPM, but I could not get below that.
Then it hit me. The display has a standard center overflow. I zip tied a 20” piece of ¼ “PVC to the vinyl ¾ “ tubing that I use for water changes (making it straight). I stuck this all the way to the bottom of the center overflow and began a siphon. I proceeded to suck out a thick dark brown/black goo, “Eureka!!!”
This goo was so thick that the siphon was crawling, slowly laying this pay dirt into the bucket. I repeatedly filled the overflow compartment with tank water, mixed it up and sucked it out. I could not believe how much of this stuff was in there. I had never touched the inside of my center overflow in the 2 ½ years the system had been running.
The next day my NO3 was at 10 ppm, and then 2 ppm a day later after a 10 % water change. I’ve cut way back on the NoPox and have been feeding heavily again. My tank is sitting around 3-5 ppm NO3 and .03 PO4.
Hopefully this helps somebody with an unexplained NO3 issue.
Jason
I have never had an issue with NO3, other than not having enough in my system (mostly sps). My 2 ½ year old bare bottom system holds approximately 110 gallons (75-gallon display, 30-gallon frag tank and 36” sump). NO3 usually sat at around 5 ppm and PO4 around .03.
Near the end of September 2016 my Nitrates began to creep up and the tank’s Alk/Ca consumption decreased (eventually went from 100 ml each a day to 30 ml each). The system went from rocking to being in bad shape quickly.
Alk consumption going down, caused DKH to go up (7.5 to 10.5). This resulted in burnt tips and some RTN before I figured out what was going on and stabilized things. Another weird thing that happened was all my coralline algae died.
I began feeding way less, did large weekly water changes and was OCD about removing any visible detritus from the tanks and sump. Nothing seemed to help.
In December, my tank hit 50 ppm NO3. I was using Salifert and Red Sea test kits, which were both brand new. I started dosing 12 ml/day NoPox, which reduced NO3 to 25 PPM, but I could not get below that.
Then it hit me. The display has a standard center overflow. I zip tied a 20” piece of ¼ “PVC to the vinyl ¾ “ tubing that I use for water changes (making it straight). I stuck this all the way to the bottom of the center overflow and began a siphon. I proceeded to suck out a thick dark brown/black goo, “Eureka!!!”
This goo was so thick that the siphon was crawling, slowly laying this pay dirt into the bucket. I repeatedly filled the overflow compartment with tank water, mixed it up and sucked it out. I could not believe how much of this stuff was in there. I had never touched the inside of my center overflow in the 2 ½ years the system had been running.
The next day my NO3 was at 10 ppm, and then 2 ppm a day later after a 10 % water change. I’ve cut way back on the NoPox and have been feeding heavily again. My tank is sitting around 3-5 ppm NO3 and .03 PO4.
Hopefully this helps somebody with an unexplained NO3 issue.
Jason
