I am embarrassed to post this....

[CrewePD210]

I have a big 150 fish only tank that has been up for about 10 months. The nitrates in the tank were charting in the 50s and 60s even with bi weekly water changes. I read a bunch on NOPOX and the other options of vinegar and vodka to bring them down. I decided I would try a half dose of NOPOX and see. I had done this on my 32 gallon cube with great results. In an exhausted state, I ended up using OZ instead of ML!!!! I caught the error about 1/3 of the way through, I don't even want to tell you how much I put in, but it was excessive to say the least.

Woke up to my house smelling of vodka and vinegar and a tank that looked like watered down milk. All the fish I could see were still alive, a little stressed, but living at least.

Thanks to a lot of posts on this thread, I came up with a plan that seems to be working thus far.

Giant Sponge filter
6 air stones
65 gal water change
Re activated the UV at a low flow rate

All seems to be turning around. Water is clearing up nicely, and the fish ate well this morning. Hoping I'm out of the woods. Please be gentle. Lesson learned.

Any other KIND suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[exnisstech]

TBH in a fowlr I wouldn't be too concerned with higher NO3 unless your seeing a problem that could be related. This tank has been running over 2 years and recently nitrates have been 40 -50 and PO4 0.4 - 0.9 I just roll with it but I do run some GFO when my Hanna ULR PO4 tester flashes 0.9

This is the tank I moved out of and it ran for over 6 years with N and P very similar to the rank above. Many people get caught up trying to obtain a number on a test kit that may not be that important. The only tanks I have had trouble with as far as algae were low nutrients tanks not high nutrients like many believe.

 

[Idech]

This tank has been running over 2 years and recently nitrates have been 40 -50 and PO4 0.4 - 0.9 I just roll with it but I do run some GFO when my Hanna ULR PO4 tester flashes 0.9

Having no sand, do you know where the phosphate is coming from ?

 

[exnisstech]

Having no sand, do you know where the phosphate is coming from ?

I assume from over feeding but TBH I'm not really sure. I've never had nuisance algae in my tanks with high N and P so I just ignore it unless it PO4 gets higher than the Hanna can test then I run a little rowaphos. I don't like running GFO because of the mess and I won't risk LC because of my tangs but I do like to see a number just for reference. I have tanks I have to dose N and P to keep them above 0 but I don't really run them different. One I'm currently dosing N and P doesn't even have a skimmer and the only mechanical filtration is a little floss when I scrape the glass or blow the rocks.
When I was new to the hobby I got caught up trying to control too much and it caused problems and frustration so now I tend to sit back and let the tanks run where the levels land without intervention unless I see something negative that I think needs to be addressed. I call it relaxed reefing lol.

 

[CrewePD210]

Having no sand, do you know where the phosphate is coming from ?

I assume from over feeding but TBH I'm not really sure. I've never had nuisance algae in my tanks with high N and P so I just ignore it unless it PO4 gets higher than the Hanna can test then I run a little rowaphos. I don't like running GFO because of the mess and I won't risk LC because of my tangs but I do like to see a number just for reference. I have tanks I have to dose N and P to keep them above 0 but I don't really run them different. One I'm currently dosing N and P doesn't even have a skimmer and the only mechanical filtration is a little floss when I scrape the glass or blow the rocks.
When I was new to the hobby I got caught up trying to control too much and it caused problems and frustration so now I tend to sit back and let the tanks run where the levels land without intervention unless I see something negative that I think needs to be addressed. I call it relaxed reefing lol.

I've had marine tanks in the past in the undergravel and florescent tube days. I figure that over 60 needed addressing, don't know why I thought this, but seemed high to me. Hopefully I avoided a catastrophe. I'm not micromanaging the numbers, should have left it alone.

 

[Staghorn]

If only I had a dollar for every time, I overdosed myself with vodka, I would be a wealthy man. Good luck, sir.

 

[Idech]

I assume from over feeding but TBH I'm not really sure.

Do you feed frozen and do you rinse it or just pellets ? I’m asking because I am thinking about switching from frozen to lower phosphate. I am not at your wiseness level yet, lol !

 

[sgdnycct]

Good quality frozen will likely have less phosphate than pellet or flake. Pellets and flake are heavily processed and often contain binders and preservatives.

Whatever you use don’t rinse as that ends up removing a lot of the small pieces needed as part of the feeding of the ecosystem. More important in a reef than fish only I’d assume, but I still wouldn’t recommend rinsing.

 

[exnisstech]

Do you feed frozen and do you rinse it or just pellets ? I’m asking because I am thinking about switching from frozen to lower phosphate. I am not at your wiseness level yet, lol !

I don't rinse my food. I feed Frozen PE mysis and rods or LRS frozen. Formula 1 pellets two sizes of formula 2 pellets, formula 1 and two flakes. I mix it all together then add some selcon and vitachem. I feed 3 times a day minimum and I flood the tank with food while the powerheads are running so all the fish from larger tangs to little damsels get their share. I'm sure I could cut back on feeding but I'm won't unless something changes. I have 11 tangs total, 6 zebrasoma including a purple tang I've had for 9 years and have never seen any signs of HLLE even on a hippo tang I had for 5 years. I like coral but am a fish guy at heart so I put fish well being above test results.

This is how I like my fish to look, nice and chunky.

9 years in the tank

10 years with the naso

And my fat convict coming on 5 years I believe.

 

[CrewePD210]

All I feed is frozen, LRS fish frenzy, the 4 pack of cubes (one is plant based, the other 3 are mixed seafood), 2 carnivore cuisine cubes, and one or 2 brine cubes. I take this, and put it in a condiment bottle with tank water and store in the fridge. They get 4 medium squirts, which is about a small shotglass morning and evening. I feed 2 clams and hand feed a little shrimp chunks once a day. I have fantails and my daughter has a female beta tank and they each get a TINY squirt about once a week for a treat.

The fish are:

Goby/shrimp - 2.5" each
clown pair - 3" each
chameleon wrasse - 6"
Tomini tang - 5"
One Spot Foxface - 7"
Narrow lined puffer - 6"
Dogface puffer - 4.5"
Sharpnose Puffer - 4"

Does that look like too much (the one small shotglass 2x day)? I have nori in a feeder for the tang and foxface as well.

 

[CrewePD210]

UPDATE...

Tank is crystal clear last night, remains so this morning (pic from end looking down.) Yesterday, I couldn't even see as far as the blue Nori feeder. I'm gonna keep the air going to it through tomorrow. It doesn't seem like the NOPOX did anything to my nitrate levels. Will check again in a few days.

 

[CrewePD210]

I don't rinse my food. I feed Frozen PE mysis and rods or LRS frozen. Formula 1 pellets two sizes of formula 2 pellets, formula 1 and two flakes. I mix it all together then add some selcon and vitachem. I feed 3 times a day minimum and I flood the tank with food while the powerheads are running so all the fish from larger tangs to little damsels get their share. I'm sure I could cut back on feeding but I'm won't unless something changes. I have 11 tangs total, 6 zebrasoma including a purple tang I've had for 9 years and have never seen any signs of HLLE even on a hippo tang I had for 5 years. I like coral but am a fish guy at heart so I put fish well being above test results.

This is how I like my fish to look, nice and chunky.

9 years in the tank

10 years with the naso

And my fat convict coming on 5 years I believe.

Those are some healthy fantastic looking fish

 

[Kooma]

TBH in a fowlr I wouldn't be too concerned with higher NO3 unless your seeing a problem that could be related. This tank has been running over 2 years and recently nitrates have been 40 -50 and PO4 0.4 - 0.9 I just roll with it but I do run some GFO when my Hanna ULR PO4 tester flashes 0.9

This is the tank I moved out of and it ran for over 6 years with N and P very similar to the rank above. Many people get caught up trying to obtain a number on a test kit that may not be that important. The only tanks I have had trouble with as far as algae were low nutrients tanks not high nutrients like many believe.

Have to agree here.

I have sps, LPs and softies in 1.5ppm phosphate and 90 nitrate, working on bringing them down but honestly the corals are happy. The only issue I’ve had is cyano. Zero algae with the tangs and urchin.

 

[Uncle99]

No pox works with nitrates but takes small daily doses over months.

It took four months of 5ml per day in 65g to go from 50 to 5 and holding, but I also keep sticks.


50 don’t seem bad for fish only.


It does very little to phosphate. Phosphate needs to be bound up with GFO then that media removed..

The puffers are usually messy eaters so I can see elevated nutrients being something requiring management.

Water changes lower both.

 

[CrewePD210]

TBH in a fowlr I wouldn't be too concerned with higher NO3 unless your seeing a problem that could be related. This tank has been running over 2 years and recently nitrates have been 40 -50 and PO4 0.4 - 0.9 I just roll with it but I do run some GFO when my Hanna ULR PO4 tester flashes 0.9

This is the tank I moved out of and it ran for over 6 years with N and P very similar to the rank above. Many people get caught up trying to obtain a number on a test kit that may not be that important. The only tanks I have had trouble with as far as algae were low nutrients tanks not high nutrients like many believe.

Those photos look so good they almost look fake. I know they are not, but absolutely stunning. There must be some photography skills there too. Every time I take pics its a mess

 

[exnisstech]

Those photos look so good they almost look fake. I know they are not, but absolutely stunning. There must be some photography skills there too. Every time I take pics its a mess

Thanks for the kind words. I used to be a pretty serious amateur photographer but now I just use my phone which is currently a pixel 10 pro. The new phones are pretty good but I'm not sure how well images would look on a monitor. Its pretty easy making images look good on a device screen.

PS a couple close up shots. I love the lighting on this one

And a Duncan macro

 

[Gumbies R Us]

UPDATE...

Tank is crystal clear last night, remains so this morning (pic from end looking down.) Yesterday, I couldn't even see as far as the blue Nori feeder. I'm gonna keep the air going to it through tomorrow. It doesn't seem like the NOPOX did anything to my nitrate levels. Will check again in a few days.

Glad to see your tank is clearing up!