Hi there,
I am running a mixed reef and recently introduced a batch of new corals. Apparently, in my excitement I have been over-feeding my new arrivals, because after a week I've got a spike in Nitrate to 25pmm (using a Hanna Instruments HI782 Marine Nitrate High Range Checker HC). I normally run less than 5.
In an effort to minimize any upset to my existing corals, I dosed Alpha at the recommended rate (5mL per 75 gallons - I have ~145 gallons between the tank and sump) and then fired up my RODI unit to ready a fresh batch of water. Seachem claims that "alpha™ detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them". Yay! That will fix it!
The next day (today), I mixed the RODI with my salt mix and performed a 30% water change.
According to my calculations, with a 30% water change I should have ended up with a Nitrate concentration of around 19ppm. However, after testing my water again I was surprised to get a reading of only 4ppm!
I am led to believe from Seachem's site that Alpha functions (in some magic way I don't understand) by "binding" the nitrate in such a manner that it is less toxic to livestock - I assume this same "binding" makes the nitrate less available to the reagents in the test ... so is this why my nitrate reading is so much less than I expected?
If so, what is the "real" nitrate concentration and how would I measure this?
Based on your response, would you recommend I conduct another 30% water change to continue to reduce nitrate levels, or can I be confident that whatever nitrate is left in my tank (and in whatever form it is in) it is no longer a threat to my livestock? I know that nitrate levels less than 20ppm isn't really a huge threat to corals to begin with, but I'm funny that way.
Would appreciate any insights anyone might have to offer.
NOTE: I saw an earlier post from Randy Holmes-Farley that Seachem Prime doesn't have any impact on nitrate, but I couldn't find anything about Aquavitro Alpha (which Seachem claims is a different formulation than Prime)
I am running a mixed reef and recently introduced a batch of new corals. Apparently, in my excitement I have been over-feeding my new arrivals, because after a week I've got a spike in Nitrate to 25pmm (using a Hanna Instruments HI782 Marine Nitrate High Range Checker HC). I normally run less than 5.
In an effort to minimize any upset to my existing corals, I dosed Alpha at the recommended rate (5mL per 75 gallons - I have ~145 gallons between the tank and sump) and then fired up my RODI unit to ready a fresh batch of water. Seachem claims that "alpha™ detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them". Yay! That will fix it!
The next day (today), I mixed the RODI with my salt mix and performed a 30% water change.
According to my calculations, with a 30% water change I should have ended up with a Nitrate concentration of around 19ppm. However, after testing my water again I was surprised to get a reading of only 4ppm!
I am led to believe from Seachem's site that Alpha functions (in some magic way I don't understand) by "binding" the nitrate in such a manner that it is less toxic to livestock - I assume this same "binding" makes the nitrate less available to the reagents in the test ... so is this why my nitrate reading is so much less than I expected?
If so, what is the "real" nitrate concentration and how would I measure this?
Based on your response, would you recommend I conduct another 30% water change to continue to reduce nitrate levels, or can I be confident that whatever nitrate is left in my tank (and in whatever form it is in) it is no longer a threat to my livestock? I know that nitrate levels less than 20ppm isn't really a huge threat to corals to begin with, but I'm funny that way.
Would appreciate any insights anyone might have to offer.
NOTE: I saw an earlier post from Randy Holmes-Farley that Seachem Prime doesn't have any impact on nitrate, but I couldn't find anything about Aquavitro Alpha (which Seachem claims is a different formulation than Prime)
