Help on jacked chemistries

SaltySue · Mar 25, 2017

I have a 75 gal set up since Dec. Mainly FOWLR with 4 coral frags, & macro algae. Have a sump with no skimmer (someday). I have had problems with my overflow box & my inlet pump was too powerful and I downgraded my pump. But it has been a great struggle...... I'm not sure how I got to where I am now.

I have done about 25% wc about every 2 weeks with the 3rd time this last Wednesday. Hubby had moved the box with my test kit (API) & hid it from me. Have been checking salinity & it's good. Here's the glitch....b4 the 2nd & 3rd wc my NO3 & PO were maxed. So, continued with 3rd wc & both went down a notch. Today I fed this am & forgot to turn the pumps back on (face palm & $/^=%#!÷=#%!!!). Came home 6 hrs later & had 1 sm fish dead (a cardinalfish had already shortened his tail up to his gills). Tested NO3 & PO again & No3 was 10, PO was maxed at 10 as well.

Ok, other than wc how can I reduce these 2 chems?

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 25, 2017

Uggg sorry to hear.
No3 is best removed by water changes. Or you may have a place in the tank that's creating the nitrates. A dirty sump etc.
Po4 is pretty easily dealt with with a GFO. You can use it possibly in the sump with a bag or a bag right on the return pump. A reactor is better.
You could do bio pellets but for that invest many is look into a skimmer first.
A good low budget skimmer for that tank might be a tunze comline. A 9004 or 9006 run just under a hundred. Tunze also makes a mechanical filter. It's part of what they call thier reef pack. The mechanical filter is only about 80 new. You can put floss or gfo or carbon in it.

SaltySue · Mar 26, 2017

What is GFO? Unfortunately I'm terminally ill & only have very small amount fo funds & lately I've been spending it on water for wc's.

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 26, 2017

SaltySue said:
What is GFO? Unfortunately I'm terminally ill & only have very small amount fo funds & lately I've been spending it on water for wc's.

Granular ferric oxide. It's found in secral priducts. Chemipure and others. Phosphates bind to it and are you just change the media out. It works best in higher flow. Most use areactor for it. You can put it in a bag on the return pump too.
The po4 binding to things is why it's a bit tougher to remove.
No3 stays dissolved and is why removing it is best done with water changes.