High Nitrate 66 normal phosphate .05

[N11morales]

I have a waterbox reef lx290.6

Roughly 288G tank/sump.

I currently have high nitrate due to poor maintenance. Was on vacation then been sick for about a month now. I wasn't able to do water changes. I plan to do a large water change this weekend. The amount of water I need to replace to reduce 66 nitrate down is a lot.

I was hoping to get some recommendations on other methods to help reduce nitrate. Nitrate is the only parameter that is out of control.

My current filtration is reef mat 1200, refugium w/ chaeto, and reef octopus 250 int skimmer

Should I add a media reactor to run carbon in? Or what are some other equipment yall would recommend to run?
Which media reactor would yall recommend?

On average throughout a week when I was doing 10-15% water changes the nitrate would rise about 5-10 ppm a week. Do I just increase my water changes? I would prefer to find other methods to reduce if possible. I'm not against more water changes just think it may start to get even more pricey.

 

[Euphyllia97]

I would dose some carbon like using vodka. Make sure you have enough flow and surface agitation. For the rest run your refugium lights as much as you can. I think the water changes will still be required to lower the nitrates, even if you are using all these methods.

 

[N11morales]

I would dose some carbon like using vodka. Make sure you have enough flow and surface agitation. For the rest run your refugium lights as much as you can. I think the water changes will still be required to lower the nitrates, even if you are using all these methods.

what would ur vodka dosing recommendation be? I never dosed vodka. Will that only reduce nitrate?

Currently run my refugium light for 12 hrs throughout the night. How long would u recommend running?

 

[Euphyllia97]

There are vodka dosing charts available if you search for it online :) As for refugium lights, I heard a “dark period” of 6 hours is good. So I would recommend 16-18 hours.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are many ways to reduce nitrate. Is the chaeto growing?

Dosing some iron and manganese, plus some phosphate will allow macroalgae to take down the nitrate.

 

[N11morales]

There are many ways to reduce nitrate. Is the chaeto growing?

Dosing some iron and manganese, plus some phosphate will allow macroalgae to take down the nitrate.

Yeah the chaeto is growing. I dose chaetogro.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yeah the chaeto is growing. I dose chaetogro.

That may be able to bring down nitrate if phosphate does not bottom out.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Was going to say , leave refugium on for 12 hours daily opposite of DT. And make chaeto grow , phosphates a little low, don’t bottom out

 

[N11morales]

Was going to say , leave refugium on for 12 hours daily opposite of DT. And make chaeto grow , phosphates a little low, don’t bottom out

I'll keep an eye on it. My phosphate use to be very high and now its been around .05-.08 past couple months.

 

[N11morales]

That may be able to bring down nitrate if phosphate does not bottom out.

I'll keep an eye on phosphate and do a big water change this weekend. Not trying to fix over night but will do water changes more frequently next couple weeks hoping it can bring it down.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sounds good.

Keep us updated. :)

 

[N11morales]

Did 40G water change yesterday. Nitrate was 59.6 after change parameters were this:

Nitrate is 54
phosphate .02

Increased skimmer, refugium light photo time, and connected secondary drain to reefmat (before was going straight to sump. Lowered light by an hr from 11 hrs to 10.

I have a hair algae bloom going on. Added some more small tuxedo urchins to try and help out with that.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have a hair algae bloom going on. Added some more small tuxedo urchins to try and help out with that.

FWIW, algae eating organisms will effectively raise nitrate. That doesn’t mean you should not do it, but it will help keep nitrate up.

I’d dose some phosphate to allow the refugium to keep going strong.

 

[N11morales]

FWIW, algae eating organisms will effectively raise nitrate. That doesn’t mean you should not do it, but it will help keep nitrate up.

I’d dose some phosphate to allow the refugium to keep going strong.

yeah i just wasnt sure what inverts would eat the 1-2 inch strands of hair algae growing. Its not covering my full rocks. I did think phosphate was little low. How much phosphate should i add? It should be around .05-.08?

 

[Miami Reef]

FWIW, algae eating organisms will effectively raise nitrate. That doesn’t mean you should not do it, but it will help keep nitrate up.

I mean technically, yes, but don’t you think it’s a net 0 if they are only releasing the nitrate the algae is consuming from the tank in the first place? I don’t think it’s a significant source, and mentioning it might scare people from getting them. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I mean technically, yes, but don’t you think it’s a net 0 if they are only releasing the nitrate the algae is consuming from the tank in the first place? I don’t think it’s a significant source, and mentioning it might scare people from getting them. lol

True, it is not net zero if the organisms are growing. They take N into growing tissue, and also likely leave some as organics.

 

[N11morales]

Nitrate was down to 52 yesterday

Today test showed it went up to 56.4.
Phosphate is .03

 

[JonasRoman]

I would say the problem here is that you have an N:P ratio that is extremely high, making it difficult with methods based on assimilation. I mean, if you dose carbon source, you have to follow up with adding P, and that is always a little tricky game. I think it is obvious that you lack some denitrification, and that is the reason why N has built up. So I would try to increase denitrification with either a nitrate reactor or the most easy way that I did myself: I bought some Maxspect denitrification blocks, and actually that worked. After maybe six weeks. They have an inbuild carbon source to stimulate the denitrification locally

 

[N11morales]

I would say the problem here is that you have an N:P ratio that is extremely high, making it difficult with methods based on assimilation. I mean, if you dose carbon source, you have to follow up with adding P, and that is always a little tricky game. I think it is obvious that you lack some denitrification, and that is the reason why N has built up. So I would try to increase denitrification with either a nitrate reactor or the most easy way that I did myself: I bought some Maxspect denitrification blocks, and actually that worked. After maybe six weeks. They have an inbuild carbon source to stimulate the denitrification locally

Nitrate reactor different from a media reactor could I just add sulfur to it?

Could I just place all the denitrification blocks into my sump with my skimmer? How much would u get my tank is roughly 288G. I do have biomedia in my sump already but assuming these blocks are specifically to help with nitrate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not assume denitrification blocks will do anything beneficial.