HighEndOfTheLow's Red Sea Reefer 750 XXL

[najer]

Get that nitrate test done!
I would like to see double figure nitrates for that phos.
I always keep a box of Eheim phos out in the house, just in case, it is gentler at lowering the phos than other media I have used in the past.

 

[highendofthelow]

Get that nitrate test done!
I would like to see double figure nitrates for that phos.
I always keep a box of Eheim phos out in the house, just in case, it is gentler at lowering the phos than other media I have used in the past.

Test kits brought dang these things get kinda pricey

 

[highendofthelow]

5 minutes later..

Yup as expected my nitrates are all but unmeasurable at best they're below 0.2ppm looks like I need to make some potassium nitrate solution up

 

[highendofthelow]

Ok So now time to blow the cobwebs off my memory in making a KNO3 stock solution.

KNO3 is approx 61% nitrate by weight

Therefore 100 grams of KNO3 in 1 Litre of stock solution = 61mg/mL

Therefore 10 mL of stock solution will boost my tank by approx 0.8 ppm

(10ml x 61 / 750 Litres) = 0.813* ppm, I forgot how strong / little KNO3 can be.

I'll probabl make a half strength solution so its a little easier to handle, i dont really want to raise my nitrates up too quickly + I'l be dosing it into my refugrium, I'll probably start by adding 10ml and see waht that does, I'm pretty sure it'll cause my phosphates to crash if i'm not too careful, now to find a suitable receptical for stock solutions....


Gently gently slowly slowly and all that.

 

[highendofthelow]

Right potassium nitrate stock solution made

85 grams in 850ml (I ended up making a full strength solution)

Added 5ml to the algae bed and will test the nitrates in approx 30 minutes just to see what / where we are at to see if my maths was right.

I also added a frag of red people eaters (a colourful classic) to the tank and I finally bit the bullet and brought the super nice branching frog spawn coral I've had my eye on for approx 6 weeks, (how it hasn't sold I've no idea)

Ironically I've never owned a frogspawn before now, plenty of variants of hammer / torches and this one catches my eye every time I go in.

I've also put my name dow for another interesting coral I've never owned before but always wanted to, I'm basically buying half a colony so I'm waiting for my LFS to frag part of it (as much is I'd love to buy the whole piece I just cant stretch to it)

Edit:- still unmeasurable nitrates i was being dense, i forgot to account for anything actually using nitrates up.

Added another 10ml of solution let's see if we can get a reading

 

[highendofthelow]

So yesterday I noticed my phosphates had pretty much crashed so I held off dosing any more nitrates until this morning

Today's nitrates and phosphate readings

Phosphates = 0.05 ppm
Nitrates = 0-0.02ppm

Adding some more potassium nitrate solution so that we start starving the cyano out.

 

[highendofthelow]

Double post

 

[highendofthelow]

Today's nitrate reading is 0.1 ppm
Phosphates 0.04599ppm (reading 15 on the Hanna phosphorous checker)

I've been dosing 20ml of KNO3 x2 a day so far and not dosed any other form of phosphate control

It seems there is a slow net increase in nitrates and net decrease in phosphates which is the intended purpose.

We'll continue to dose KNO3 and test nitrates and phosphates.

Again SPS pieces seem to be holding their colours and the odd piece is actually colouring up.

 

[najer]

Slow and steady, sounds like it is working.

 

[highendofthelow]

Slow and steady, sounds like it is working.

Yup, I put in another 20ml this morning before leaving to work and I'll retest nitrates and phosphates later tonight before dosing the second if needed, but it might not now considering my nitrates are slowly rising.

 

[highendofthelow]

So I came across something quite interesting this morning,

I've been testing my phosphates and nitrates more or less daily to track their progress

Firstly today's results

Nitrates are a good 2.5 ppm

Phosphates are...0.009198 ppm (3 on the hanna tester)

Firstly the nitrates, given that they are now reading 2.5ppm I'll probably hold off dosing KNO3 for a few days just to see how quickly that value comes down, they're higher then I'm typically used to but then I'm so used to running zero nitrates I wonder if I've not really been doing any favours to myself and hence why most tanks I've owned have had zero nitrates and high phosphates.

Secondly the phosphate reading, so this is a bit of an odd one, yesterday this reading was 0.045 today they're 0.01.

I fed the same amount of food, dosed the same amount of KNO3 as the past few days, yes my net nitrates are higher but there 1 was 1 key difference yesterday.

I disabled my Calcium reactor from dosing to just bring my alk down a touch.

I've thought a few times my cyano seemed to have started more or less since the Ca reactor came online, I'd be intrigued to see what my effluent phosphate reading is(I'm expecting some phosphates due to the very nature but I wonder if it's actually alot more then I'm expecting)

The Calcium reactor is back on line today but It would be interesting to see what tomorrows reading are.

For the time being I'm continuing to blow rocks off etc and stur the sand little to try and break up the cyano.

The cyano seems thicker in places but not so carpeting (1 stage it was smothering frags etc) whether that's my active efforts of reducing phosphates or stirring I couldn't really say,

There has been no other noticable detriment since dosing KNO3 except perhaps a bit more algae on the glass (which I can live with)

 

[highendofthelow]

Well this mornings tests where a first...
So no KNO3 dosed yesterday Calcium reactor was on, fed my typical amount of food.

Yup that's a zero on the ultra low checker...

Nitrates still reading near 2.5 ppm but probably slightly less then yesterday.

Skimmer has pulled a reasonable amount of skimate out considering.

I guess the real test will be this weekend as we are away for 2 days so there will be no touching or feeding of the tank.

 

[highendofthelow]

So we came back after a few days away fro the house
Nitrates reading 0.1

Phosphates reading ZERO on the hanna checker again.

I think it's far to say the cyano looks less but I need to keep an eye on a few SPS frags, I think theres possibly some burnt tips on a few pieces, this might be because of the ULN or it could be by cyano lying on the frags.

Ether way I've stirred the sand up to break the cyano and blown the rocks off etc.

Interesting theres a new appearance of cyano in places, a very thin yellow patches, its possibly "red" cyano which has died.

Ether way I continue to monitor etc.

 

[highendofthelow]

Not much to add other then there has been no further signs if tip burn, to the point I think they just have got smothered by cyano.

I continue to stir the sand however generally speak things look much improved.

I am hoping this time next week it should be all but gone if I'm lucky,

Once I've got the cyano /phosphates under control I intend to get my calcium (and possibly magnesium ) levels up as they're on the low side and wont be helping with growth.

 

[highendofthelow]

Tonight's test

Nitrates 0.2
Phosphates 0.09 (32 on the Hanna)

I did However feed a reasonable amount of frozen this morning

Added 20ml of KNO as it seems having nitrates closer to 1ppm seemed to have the most affect.

 

[highendofthelow]

And this morning

Nitrates around 0.25 ppm
Phosphates 0.027594 ppm (9) on the Hanna

Added another 10ml of KNO3

I also brought another chalice frag from my LFS as soon as he put a photo inline last night which I need to pick up along with my other coral as soon as I'm able.

 

[highendofthelow]

Nitrates back upto 2.5 ppm
Phosphates 0 (Hanna 0)

Again the cyano is slowly going it's just...painfully slow! Sigh just have to keep telling myself nothing good comes quick!

Tomorrow we should be picking up my corals I have waiting for me which will be exciting

 

[highendofthelow]

So something interesting has happened today, woke up with slightly cloudy water but the cyano appears to be receding on it's own accord now for the past few days theres a visible clean sand bed instead of thick mats of cyano! And what is left is thinner and a yellow/green/brown vs the deep red

Its alittle too early to confirm but I'm optimistic.

I've not dosed any nitrate this morning as I had plenty "remaining" so to speak last time i checked.

The only negative I've seen is I've got a bit of receding flesh in my candy cane in one area . I'm hoping if I'm gentle itll bounce back but it is what it is.

I'm upto feeding two cubes a day too which is quite nice


Just enjoying an iced black coffee before heading to the LFS!

 

[najer]

I can't wait to see today's impulse buy!

 

[highendofthelow]

I can't wait to see today's impulse buy!

Hey I only walked out with 2 extra zoa frags there was a super Male anthia and female that I eyed up but someone was on the way already so I've put an order in for next pay day