high po4 and no3 when using lanthium chloride + carbon

[nick9one1]

I've recently upgraded to a larger aquarium (Reefer 170 to Reefer 250).

In my 170 I never had an issue with high no3 or po4. From very early on the no3 levels were always low. I had to dose nitrate daily to get about 3-4ppm. I'm not sure why it was always so low (maybe ocean rock is good for harboring nitrifying bactera?). I used Rowaphos to keep po4 around .03 ppm. I also ran UV on a schedule (maybe not important).

In my new 250, I've swapped from socks to a clarisea auto roller filter with a 9 micron roll. I've started using lanthanum chloride dripped into the Clarisea to control po4. and I'm carbon dosing with ATI Nutrition C.

no3 is just over 10ppm, po4 at 0.1

7ml lanthium chloride (Quantum Bio Enhance) throughout the day
3.5ml carbon at midday

Both of these are slightly higher than the manufacturers recommendations.

I've also added 2 stage reactor - Initially Activated carbon, then SeaChem Matrix as I've read Matrix is good for nitrifying bacteria.

I'm running an ozone generator, which is why I added the activated carbon to the reactor. I've read ozone is pretty bad for nitrifying bacteria.

According the the manual it's at 0.041 mg/L/Hour

The tank is just coming up to 3 months old and my po4 and no3 levels aren't going down.

My questions are;

is the ozone stopping the nitrifying bactera from working?
Is lanthium chloride capable of bringing the po4 lower than 0.1ppm?

 

[laverda]

Personally I would be very happy at those levels. I actually want my nitrates in the 10-20 range

 

[nick9one1]

Unfortunately some of my sps aren't happy with higher nitrate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My questions are;

is the ozone stopping the nitrifying bactera from working?
Is lanthium chloride capable of bringing the po4 lower than 0.1ppm?

Ozone does not impact denitrifying bacteria before it harms everything in the tank from overdose. That said, i wouldn't run ozone directly into a rector whose purpose is to denitrify.

Yes. Lanthanum can easily drive phosphate lower than you want.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Unfortunately some of my sps aren't happy with higher nitrate.

I do not believe that 10 ppm nitrate is what is bothering corals.

 

[nick9one1]

I do not believe that 10 ppm nitrate is what is bothering corals.

Thanks Randy.

I was expecting to have low nitrate levels like I did in my last tank. Maybe the higher than expected readings are because it hasn't matured yet.

The 9 micron roller filter definitely pulls a lot from the water column. I can't get anything darker than a light straw colored skimmate. Then add to this the carbon dosing and seachem matrix.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy.

I was expecting to have low nitrate levels like I did in my last tank. Maybe the higher than expected readings are because it hasn't matured yet.

The 9 micron roller filter definitely pulls a lot from the water column. I can't get anything darker than a light straw colored skimmate. Then add to this the carbon dosing and seachem matrix.

Are you monitoring the ORP or the level of oxidants of the water exiting the reactor?

 

[nick9one1]

Are you monitoring the ORP or the level of oxidants of the water exiting the reactor?

No I'm not doing either.
I know that it is best practise to measure ORP and adjust the Ozone accordingly, but the TMC O3 has a built in timer. I'm running it on its lowest setting for 5 hrs a day (as per the manufacturers instructions for a tank my size).