High Nitrates and Low PO

[ddreher47]

I need help…



I have been fighting high nitrates I feel like FOREVER. I purchased the HR Hanna test kit and found that they were over 150. I completed water changes and system maintenance and brought them down to around 40.84 but they are uncontrollable. I also cannot get my PO to get on the charts. I thought the sand bed was an issue, so I removed it… Well… BIG mistake… I am currently in the process of adding a deep bed of sand back to the tank. I have tried NOPOX in the past and it does not help. The nitrates continue to climb. I don’t understand how I can have VERY high nitrates and next to no PO in the tank. I feel like something in the tank is off balanced.



Any advice?

Equipment:

Tank: Red Sea Reefer 250 (65 gal)

Return Pump: Cor-20

Dosing Pumps- DOS

Skimmer- Nyos Quantum 160

Refugium: Chaeto (2 gal) (20 hours Light)

Reactor: Nyos 2.0 (Carbon)

Reactor: Pax Bellum N18 (20 hours Light)

Display Light: Radion XR30 G5 Pro

Flow: (2) MP 10; (2) ReedWave 25

Filtration: Socks

RODI: BRS 7 stage 200gpd (TDS 0) (nitrate 0)

ATO: Neptune ATO (Direct connection to RODI)



Vitals:

Ammonia- 0.05

Tmp: 78 degrees

ALK: 10.47

CA: 517

MG: 1419

Nitrate: 40.84 (one-month average)

PO: 0.008 (1 week average)

Salt: 1.025-1.026 (Reef Crystals)

Maintenance:

50% Water change weekly

Chaeto Harvest Monthly

Equipment soaked and descaled monthly

Sump cleaned monthly

Filter Socks changed daily


Test Kits:

Trident- ALK, CA, MG

Hanna HR- Nitrate

Hanna ULR- PO



Supplements:

ALK- 20 ml (DOS) daily (Red Sea)

PO- 40 ml (manual) daily (NeoPhos)

Bacteria- MicroBacter 7 (manual) Daily

Iron- (PaxBellum) (manual) Daily

Food: Half cube Mysis Shrimp- defrosted and rinsed in RO water; algae sheet (daily)

 

[nereefpat]

Is the tank having troubles? Algae problems?

 

[ddreher47]

Some of my zoes are recessing and I cannot keep any hard corals. Fish are fine. No algae problems at all. I am clueless on what is out of balance.

 

[ddreher47]

bump

 

[Forty-Two]

(Bump) How long have you had high nitrates for? You mentioned ‘feels like forever’ - was there a time when they were at a decent level?

what fish are in the tank?
what is the light cycle?

 

[nereefpat]

I'm curios about the time table too. How old is the tank, and did you start with all dry rock/sand?

Zoas can handle wide ranges of nutrients, in my experience. There are also tons of zoanthid pests. What stony corals have died on you, and what specifically happened there?

Might be a lighting issue. Can you share your lighting program? Someone else will have to help you there, as I'm not a Radion guy.

The low-ish phosphates are likely not a problem, as you can detect some, and you are feeding as well as dosing some P.
The nitrates are higher than I would like, but I'm not sure that's your issue.

I would keep alk in the 7-8 range instead of 10.5 dKH. I would let Ca and Mg come down closer to natural levels too.

 

[Pistondog]

I need help…



I have been fighting high nitrates I feel like FOREVER. I purchased the HR Hanna test kit and found that they were over 150. I completed water changes and system maintenance and brought them down to around 40.84 but they are uncontrollable. I also cannot get my PO to get on the charts. I thought the sand bed was an issue, so I removed it… Well… BIG mistake… I am currently in the process of adding a deep bed of sand back to the tank. I have tried NOPOX in the past and it does not help. The nitrates continue to climb. I don’t understand how I can have VERY high nitrates and next to no PO in the tank. I feel like something in the tank is off balanced.



Any advice?

Equipment:

Tank: Red Sea Reefer 250 (65 gal)

Return Pump: Cor-20

Dosing Pumps- DOS

Skimmer- Nyos Quantum 160

Refugium: Chaeto (2 gal) (20 hours Light)

Reactor: Nyos 2.0 (Carbon)

Reactor: Pax Bellum N18 (20 hours Light)

Display Light: Radion XR30 G5 Pro

Flow: (2) MP 10; (2) ReedWave 25

Filtration: Socks

RODI: BRS 7 stage 200gpd (TDS 0) (nitrate 0)

ATO: Neptune ATO (Direct connection to RODI)



Vitals:

Ammonia- 0.05

Tmp: 78 degrees

ALK: 10.47

CA: 517

MG: 1419

Nitrate: 40.84 (one-month average)

PO: 0.008 (1 week average)

Salt: 1.025-1.026 (Reef Crystals)

Maintenance:

50% Water change weekly

Chaeto Harvest Monthly

Equipment soaked and descaled monthly

Sump cleaned monthly

Filter Socks changed daily


Test Kits:

Trident- ALK, CA, MG

Hanna HR- Nitrate

Hanna ULR- PO



Supplements:

ALK- 20 ml (DOS) daily (Red Sea)

PO- 40 ml (manual) daily (NeoPhos)

Bacteria- MicroBacter 7 (manual) Daily

Iron- (PaxBellum) (manual) Daily

Food: Half cube Mysis Shrimp- defrosted and rinsed in RO water; algae sheet (daily)

Are you harvesting chaeto?
Edit, ok monthly, how much? I'd guess I harvest enough to fill a 1/2 gallon every month, 125 gallons total system volume.

 

[ddreher47]

I'm curios about the time table too. How old is the tank, and did you start with all dry rock/sand?

Zoas can handle wide ranges of nutrients, in my experience. There are also tons of zoanthid pests. What stony corals have died on you, and what specifically happened there?

Might be a lighting issue. Can you share your lighting program? Someone else will have to help you there, as I'm not a Radion guy.

The low-ish phosphates are likely not a problem, as you can detect some, and you are feeding as well as dosing some P.
The nitrates are higher than I would like, but I'm not sure that's your issue.

I would keep alk in the 7-8 range instead of 10.5 dKH. I would let Ca and Mg come down closer to natural levels too.

Dry rock that was cycled. Tank just turned two.
Lights are running the Ecotech Coral Lab AB+ for 12 hours a day.

 

[ddreher47]

Are you harvesting chaeto?
Edit, ok monthly, how much? I'd guess I harvest enough to fill a 1/2 gallon every month, 125 gallons total system volume.

Harvest about the same as you.

 

[ddreher47]

Dry rock that was cycled. Tank just turned two.
Lights are running the Ecotech Coral Lab AB+ for 12 hours a day.

I did remove the sand which was a big mistake.

 

[ddreher47]

(Bump) How long have you had high nitrates for? You mentioned ‘feels like forever’ - was there a time when they were at a decent level?

what fish are in the tank?
what is the light cycle?

I found the high nitrates when I bought the Hanna HR nitrate tester. This was two months ago. I have 3 tangs, two cardinals, two clowns.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ive had great success with use of ChemiPure Elite in controlling and keeping both nitrate and Phosphate in check

I would take a look at your water source and even test it to see if its' high

 

[Pistondog]

Try removing the sox.
I took mine out 3 years ago.
I wasn't changing as often as you, but perhaps what they are trapping is breaking down.
I thought they were filtering out stuff the corals might eat

 

[ddreher47]

I'm curios about the time table too. How old is the tank, and did you start with all dry rock/sand?

Zoas can handle wide ranges of nutrients, in my experience. There are also tons of zoanthid pests. What stony corals have died on you, and what specifically happened there?

Might be a lighting issue. Can you share your lighting program? Someone else will have to help you there, as I'm not a Radion guy.

The low-ish phosphates are likely not a problem, as you can detect some, and you are feeding as well as dosing some P.
The nitrates are higher than I would like, but I'm not sure that's your issue.

I would keep alk in the 7-8 range instead of 10.5 dKH. I would let Ca and Mg come down closer to natural levels too.

Here are some tank photos with the lights on

 

[jsker]

I would be more concerned with the low phosphates. Carbon dosing with vinegar or vodka will help with the nitrates.

Ammonia would be a concern, the carbon doing would bring down the ammonia level.

I would suggest feeding phosphate rich frozen to bring up phosphates.

 

[ddreher47]

I would be more concerned with the low phosphates. Carbon dosing with vinegar or vodka will help with the nitrates.

Ammonia would be a concern, the carbon doing would bring down the ammonia level.

I would suggest feeding phosphate rich frozen to bring up phosphates.

That is exactly what is concerning me too. Is the unbalanced level of PO the reason I cannot get the nitrates down?

 

[Pistondog]

I would be more concerned with the low phosphates. Carbon dosing with vinegar or vodka will help with the nitrates.

Ammonia would be a concern, the carbon doing would bring down the ammonia level.

I would suggest feeding phosphate rich frozen to bring up phosphates.

Or feed reefs roids, mostly phosphate.

 

[nereefpat]

What's the other tang besides the Naso and Regal? Those are huge fish for a 3' 65 gallon. That certainly doesn't help the nitrate issue. That will be a constant uphill battle.

 

[Biglew11]

I had a similar issue when my phosphates were zero. To me it sounds like you are phosphate limited.

Biological filtration requires phosphates and nitrates. If phosphates are to low they won't consume nitrates.

Phosphates at .008 ppm is way low. Should be closer to .03 to .1 you may need to dose phosphate to get it there. I used seachem flourish phosphorus to dose to .1 ppm every day for about a week and a half to start getting daily readings. After about 3 weeks my nitrates started to decrease.

 

[jsker]

That is exactly what is concerning me too. Is the unbalanced level of PO the reason I cannot get the nitrates down?

I have been fighting the same battle of balancing out my phosphate and nitrates. I bottom out my phosphates and I am doing something said awhile back, feed, feed.

I am amazed that my nitrates were so high when I purchased the Hanna nitrate checker. I always had a hard time reading the colors with the color charts. The Hanna give a true read of the proper ppm.

Or feed reefs roids, mostly phosphate.

You learn something new every day