Getting Ready to start Nopox and need advice.

[glb]

I have a new 40g breeder that's fowlr and have decided to use Nopox to control the nitrates, which hover between 20-25ppm. After the cycle the nitrates were 60-80ppm and water changes have brought it down, but I'd like to rely less on the water changes to keep them at 10-15ppm. I have 6 fish and they love to eat. Eventually I'll add coral. I had a little refugium in the tank but realized it's rated for a much smaller tank so I'll use it in my nano.

I've read that the trick with Nopox is starting slow. I know bacteria blooms are possible. Where in the tank should I add it? In the sump where the live rock is? The tank is well aerated so I think I'll be ok with oxygen. Any other hints, suggestions, or advice? I've done a ton of research about Nopox but I get the best info from all of you!

 

[redfishbluefish]

I use a DIY version of NOPOX and went right to the 3mls per 25 gallons and didn't have any issues. I'm liking it so far. I dose using a BRS 1.1 pump that goes into the return section of my sump.

 

[Greybeard]

My only experience with Nopox is as part of Red Sea's 'Reef Mature' package. My latest build, I used this technique to establish the bio filter. I have to say, it worked out very, very well for me.

When I started dosing Nopox, I was also dosing Nitro Bac and Bacto Start. I'd guess that dosing some sort of bacteria starter might well be of benefit when starting Nopox.

I did have a bit of a bacteria bloom. About day 3, I got some cloudy water, even a bit of foaming around the edges, and a dull white film over the glass. Had cleared up by about day 5.

A good skimmer is important when using carbon dosing, which is what Nopox is, really... and something nobody seems to talk about, but you have to have available surface area for sufficient bacterial growth. I've got several liters of Matrix in my sump... a fairly large amount of live rock, or a good sand bed... someplace for that bacteria you're trying to feed to live.

In a few weeks, I'll stop dosing Nopox. I'll be switching over to the Triton method, once my refugeum gets up and running.

 

[glb]

I use a DIY version of NOPOX and went right to the 3mls per 25 gallons and didn't have any issues. I'm liking it so far. I dose using a BRS 1.1 pump that goes into the return section of my sump.

Where does your bacteria grow??

 

[redfishbluefish]

Where does your bacteria grow??

Wherever it darn pleases!

I would imagine the usually places....the sandbed and the rocks.

 

[mcarroll]

I have a new 40g breeder that's fowlr and have decided to use Nopox to control the nitrates

Can I pursuade you not to do that? That's semi-dangerous on a new tank and absolutely shouldn't be necessary – we have live rock to deal with nitrates.

If nitrates were falling – that's normal.

If nitrates stopped falling, that's a sign of a problem.

So far there's no sign that your system is missing carbon.

Can you post a full set of recent test results and we can look at why nitrates stopped falling?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Unless you're running an anaerobic system, nitrates are the end of the line. At this point they need to be exported. The OP stated that he has six fish and feeds heavily and nitrates have been hovering around 20 - 25. When it comes to that little ratio Mr. Redfield came up with, we fish people tend to only talk about nitrates and phosphates. However, another important component is carbon. I believe it's fair to say that the limiting component in excess bacterial growth is carbon. Add more carbon and now the bacteria have a complete food source, consuming more N's and P's while they divide and multiply....all to be sucked out by the skimmer. I see no problem with this tank being carbon dosed.

 

[glb]

I used dry rock and dry sand so the anaerobic processes are slow. The reason the nitrates are falling is because I've done 2 50% water changes since the cycle was completed. Now I do 10% water changes weekly. I'm tired of the big water changes and am going through salt mix quickly. I plan on adding more fish and want a weekly 10% water change to be sufficient. My Phosphates are easily controlled by a gfo reactor.

 

[glb]

Unless you're running an anaerobic system, nitrates are the end of the line. At this point they need to be exported. The OP stated that he has six fish and feeds heavily and nitrates have been hovering around 20 - 25. When it comes to that little ratio Mr. Redfield came up with, we fish people tend to only talk about nitrates and phosphates. However, another important component is carbon. I believe it's fair to say that the limiting component in excess bacterial growth is carbon. Add more carbon and now the bacteria have a complete food source, consuming more N's and P's while they divide and multiply....all to be sucked out by the skimmer. I see no problem with this tank being carbon dosed.

Great info, but I'm a chick.

 

[glb]

I have 50 lbs of dry rock in the system. Eventually it will do a better job of denitrification. I'm not aiming for zero nitrates because eventually it will be an LPS/softie tank. I know that 20-25ppm isn't bad for fowlr but I'm trying to establish excellent husbandry skills now so when I add coral, the tank will have been stable for a long time.

 

[mcarroll]

Sorry if what I said seemed provocative.....live rock will denitrate a tank though.

My Phosphates are easily controlled by a gfo reactor.

I didn't see your results.....does this statement imply something like 0.00 ppm PO4?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Great info, but I'm a chick.

That's OK, I'll forgive you.

I always get you confused with that other three lettered Florida member.... @dbl . It's tough being dyslexic.

Realize carbon dosing does require both phosphates and nitrates to work.....somewhere in the ballpark of the Redfield Ratio. If one or the other is missing, it won't work (you won't get bacterial growth, and therefore reduction of excess nutrients.) Therefore, unless you have an imbalance in N's and P's, I'd suggest pulling the GFO for now.

 

[ahiggins]

My advice: dont
lol sounds harsh but I cant stand that stuff.
Ive trialed that, vibrant, and a few other off the wall stuff and I dont like any of them.
Best way to control nitrates/phosphates (that works for me, not necessarily everyone) is through biopellet reactor hooked up to a skimmer and 10% wc monthly.
My biggest problem with using chemical means to knockout biological things is that you can very easily overdose if you dont know what your nutrients are and/or get lazy.
Good luck keep us updated

 

[glb]

That's OK, I'll forgive you.

I always get you confused with that other three lettered Florida member.... @dbl . It's tough being dyslexic.

Realize carbon dosing does require both phosphates and nitrates to work.....somewhere in the ballpark of the Redfield Ratio. If one or the other is missing, it won't work (you won't get bacterial growth, and therefore reduction of excess nutrients.) Therefore, unless you have an imbalance in N's and P's, I'd suggest pulling the GFO for now.

I can pull the GFO. The Phosphates are 0.04ppm at present. Instead of changing the gfo I'll just take it out an use it on my other tank. I know Nopox takes out nitrates at a much higher ratio than phosphates. Since nitrates are more of the problem, this should work.

 

[glb]

For those of you who are really against Nopox, can you give me more detail about why you don't like it?

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'm scratching my head on that one as well. NOPOX is simply ethanol (vodka) and acetic acid (vinegar). Some kind professor had his grad students analyze NOPOX and they found that it could be replicated by mixing 375 mls vodka (40 %), 500 mls vinegar (5 %) and 125 mls RO/DI water.

I used bio pellets for three plus years and couldn't get N's and P's down, and I've been using this DIY version of NOPOX for less than a year and my numbers are looking good. I was also getting a slime on, most noticeably, my skimmer, with bio pellets where I had to pull it once a month to clean it. I'm not getting that with DIY NOPOX.

Everyone's tank is different and all I know is that NOPOX works for me.....a ten year old tank.

 

[glb]

I'm scratching my head on that one as well. NOPOX is simply ethanol (vodka) and acetic acid (vinegar). Some kind professor had his grad students analyze NOPOX and they found that it could be replicated by mixing 375 mls vodka (40 %), 500 mls vinegar (5 %) and 125 mls RO/DI water.

I used bio pellets for three plus years and couldn't get N's and P's down, and I've been using this DIY version of NOPOX for less than a year and my numbers are looking good. I was also getting a slime on, most noticeably, my skimmer, with bio pellets where I had to pull it once a month to clean it. I'm not getting that with DIY NOPOX.

Everyone's tank is different and all I know is that NOPOX works for me.....a ten year old tank.

Cool. Per my other thread, should I wait until my skimmer is dialed in correctly before I start?

 

[redfishbluefish]

You need a skimmer for carbon dosing to work. So yes.

 

[glb]

You need a skimmer for carbon dosing to work. So yes.

It is skimming, but not very well. I'll see how the height adjustment goes.

 

[lion king]

I'm a nopox fan as well, my dosers drip into the return section of my sump. You would be fine going with the dosage recommendations on the bottle. I still run gfo to pull my phosphates down even while running nopox. Your phosphates aren't bad at the moment, and you are right nopox is much more and very effective on nitrates. If your phosphates get too high in relationship to your lowering nitrates, that's when you'll see the cyano breakout that some complain about, that's the redfield ratio RFBF touched on. The only nag I have is I do some pink slime, but I don't find it to be an issue which would make me stop using it. Suggest at least weekly nitrate test as recommended at least until you get it dialed in.