High Nitrates and Low PO

[ddreher47]

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.

I am not sure. The fish were my Dads so they are a bit sentimental. I would rather buy a bigger tank lol

 

[Forty-Two]

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.

This. I would suggest your load is quite high.

I'll suggest something controversial - I would try also dosing a small amount of Pythoplankton - once a week. if you dont do so already.

Yes its a bit counter intuitive - but the Phyto could uptake the excess NO4 through growth, and release some of it back on death (including PO4), but it may provide alternative competition for the organisms in the tank to consume - thereby releasing the lock on the PO4 in the tank (and reducing some of the nitrates). As I said - I would go really slow and see what happens because you are adding 'nutrients' to the tank and given your low PO4, its worth being cautious.

 

[Backreefing]

Where are you located ? State city ? I’m ditching some well cycled deep gravel bed that has been lowering my nitrates to zero for sometime now.

 

[ddreher47]

Where are you located ? State city ? I’m ditching some well cycled deep gravel bed that has been lowering my nitrates to zero for sometime now.

Saylorsburg, PA 18353

 

[Backreefing]

Saylorsburg, PA 18353

I’m in libertytown md probably 3 hours each way . Probably not worth the 6 hours driving for a bucket of gravel

 

[ddreher47]

I’m in libertytown md probably 3 hours each way . Probably not worth the 6 hours driving for a bucket of gravel

lol. True. I appreciate the offer tho!

 

[Backreefing]

If you were to say Baltimore or Frederick Maryland I could hook you up but it’s funny opposite problems . Weird thing is I’m doseing 2-3 ppm sodium nitrate per day and I have about 16 medium size fish . So as to have any nitrates at all . But if you set up some deep sand bed and in time , your nutrients will be gone.

 

[ddreher47]

If you were to say Baltimore or Frederick Maryland I could hook you up but it’s funny opposite problems . Weird thing is I’m doseing 2-3 ppm sodium nitrate per day and I have about 16 medium size fish . So as to have any nitrates at all . But if you set up some deep sand bed and in time , your nutrients will be gone.

That is what I am currently in the process of doing. How deep should I go?

I also have a 280 freshwater African Cichlid tank that is almost setup for saltwater. If the wife agrees, I am going to do a basement sump and convert it to fish only saltwater. I will only need the sump, skimmer, sand, and rock. It has ecotech lights and two Maxspect xf280's. Im thinking I can convert the tank completely for under 2k.

Reason I bring this up... I can rehome my large tangs to that tank... They will be happier and can grow even larger.

 

[Bruce60]

I have been monitoring a similar situation in my 150 gallon display. Six months ago my phosphate was in the 0.04-0.06 range and my nitrate in the 2.0-3.0 range (both with Hannah). About 3 months ago I observed a slow increase in nitrate and am now in the 10-20 range while phosphate has remained relatively stable. There has been no explosion of algae and corals (mixed SPS and LPS) and fish appear fine. a couple of interesting points:

A. As the nitrate increased I needed a new test kit, as the low range Hannah Nitrate was out of range and I didn't care for the dilution process. So, I first got the Nyos (since the high range Hannah nitrate was out of stock). It was running in between the 12 and 25 color range. When I subsequently got the Hannah high range, it was reading in the low 40's. So, clearly a discrepancy between the two methods. Several simultaneous tests later they remain consistently different.

B. I ran both nitrate tests before and several hours after a 20 gallon (just over 10%) water change. The Nyos test showed a distinct decrease in the color...it was closer to 25 before and closer to 12 after the water change). The Hannah test was essentially unchanged (42.7 before, 41.3 after).

If I am an optimist, I like the Nyos reading but my pessimistic side tells me to worry about the Hannah reading. The livestock say, don't worry...be happy!

As for reasons why this is happening, I have come up with the following possibilities:
1. Everything (fish, inverts, corals) has grown and therefore puts more strain on the system
2. About 3-4 months before nitrate started its increase the last of the cycling algae outbreaks ended
3. There have been disruptions in my receiving phytoplankton for the pods, so I believe I had a population loss at the lower end of the food chain
4. The pump driving my Lifereef skimmer may need a good cleaning

I have repopulated my pods and am getting more reliable deliveries of phytoplankton. Macro algae growth in my fuge remains good (I have red macro algae - Gracilaria) and there is even some green hair algae in the fuge as well for the snails to munch. Will breakdown and clean the skimmer pump over the holiday weekend. I am considering starting using a product like Microbacter. I doubt I will increase my water changes as I am not sure they do more than bandage the issue (and it is a bandage you have to keep changing over and over if you don't resolve the underlying cause). Fingers crossed!!!

 

[Backreefing]

To be a deep sand bed it should be around 2” deep less then 1 1/4 and it isn’t deep, more then 2 1/2” it starts going up the glass and is ugly. I try to get a sand that’s big enough not to get blown away by the pumps.

 

[ddreher47]

To be a deep sand bed it should be around 2” deep less then 1 1/4 and it isn’t deep, more then 2 1/2” it starts going up the glass and is ugly. I try to get a sand that’s big enough not to get blown away by the pumps.

Awesome thanks!

 

[umoraes]

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)

Hi... Got.many issues with Nitrates... Tried several actions... Bio pellets, vinagrer, chaeto, watter changes...

The solution to get nitrates down from 60/70ppm to 16/18pppm: sulphur reactor. Thats the final choice for me

Nitrates down in 3 weeks with no water changes

PM me if you want to jump on this...

 

[Forty-Two]

I have been monitoring a similar situation in my 150 gallon display. Six months ago my phosphate was in the 0.04-0.06 range and my nitrate in the 2.0-3.0 range (both with Hannah). About 3 months ago I observed a slow increase in nitrate and am now in the 10-20 range while phosphate has remained relatively stable. There has been no explosion of algae and corals (mixed SPS and LPS) and fish appear fine. a couple of interesting points:

A. As the nitrate increased I needed a new test kit, as the low range Hannah Nitrate was out of range and I didn't care for the dilution process. So, I first got the Nyos (since the high range Hannah nitrate was out of stock). It was running in between the 12 and 25 color range. When I subsequently got the Hannah high range, it was reading in the low 40's. So, clearly a discrepancy between the two methods. Several simultaneous tests later they remain consistently different.

B. I ran both nitrate tests before and several hours after a 20 gallon (just over 10%) water change. The Nyos test showed a distinct decrease in the color...it was closer to 25 before and closer to 12 after the water change). The Hannah test was essentially unchanged (42.7 before, 41.3 after).

If I am an optimist, I like the Nyos reading but my pessimistic side tells me to worry about the Hannah reading. The livestock say, don't worry...be happy!

As for reasons why this is happening, I have come up with the following possibilities:
1. Everything (fish, inverts, corals) has grown and therefore puts more strain on the system
2. About 3-4 months before nitrate started its increase the last of the cycling algae outbreaks ended
3. There have been disruptions in my receiving phytoplankton for the pods, so I believe I had a population loss at the lower end of the food chain
4. The pump driving my Lifereef skimmer may need a good cleaning

I have repopulated my pods and am getting more reliable deliveries of phytoplankton. Macro algae growth in my fuge remains good (I have red macro algae - Gracilaria) and there is even some green hair algae in the fuge as well for the snails to munch. Will breakdown and clean the skimmer pump over the holiday weekend. I am considering starting using a product like Microbacter. I doubt I will increase my water changes as I am not sure they do more than bandage the issue (and it is a bandage you have to keep changing over and over if you don't resolve the underlying cause). Fingers crossed!!!

I noticed the same thing with the Nyos vs Hanna Nitrate checker. Be cautious however - the Nyos nitrate checker uses a known carcinogen as their regeant. Im not a chemist - but personally I dont want to take that risk around my kids so Ive stopped using it.

 

[jphilip813]

Hi... Got.many issues with Nitrates... Tried several actions... Bio pellets, vinagrer, chaeto, watter changes...

The solution to get nitrates down from 60/70ppm to 16/18pppm: sulphur reactor. Thats the final choice for me

Nitrates down in 3 weeks with no water changes

PM me if you want to jump on this...

Whats a sulphur reactor