Just can’t get it right

[Biznizface]

I’ve got a 3ft mixed reef reefbreeders LED light I don’t do water changes and using ICP tests my water is pretty much perfect.....

https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/timeline/4708

I’m trying my hardest to get good with sps.

Been having nutrient issues like no phos so I stopped Red Sea nopox and started seeing better colour in my frags and instead of using Rowaphos in a reactor from time to time which I think rips phos out to much I now run it in bag in my sump, but I am getting to much nitrate now and thinking of starting nopox again or is there an alternative to nopox which won’t rip my Phosphate out ?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I’ve got a 3ft mixed reef reefbreeders LED light I don’t do water changes and using ICP tests my water is pretty much perfect.....

https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/timeline/4708

I’m trying my hardest to get good with sps.

Been having nutrient issues like no phos so I stopped Red Sea nopox and started seeing better colour in my frags and instead of using Rowaphos in a reactor from time to time which I think rips phos out to much I now run it in bag in my sump, but I am getting to much nitrate now and thinking of starting nopox again or is there an alternative to nopox which won’t rip my Phosphate out ?

How old is your system?

Your N03 at almost 10ppm isn't bad and your P04 is pretty good. I personally wouldn't run any Nopox or carbon dose anything else. I wouldn't even run phosphate reducers like GFO....

(I run 30ppm N03 an 0.1 P04 personally, but that's my system and every tank is different.)

 

[Biznizface]

How old is your system?

Your N03 at almost 10ppm isn't bad and your P04 is pretty good. I personally wouldn't run any Nopox or carbon dose anything else. I wouldn't even run phosphate reducers like GFO....

(I run 30ppm N03 an 0.1 P04 personally, but that's my system and every tank is different.)

My system just over two years old nitrate rising up a lot since last ICP because stopping nopox and I’ve got two tangs etc.
Starting to see some Cyano on rocks.
Recently upgraded skimmer also but tha doesn’t seem to have helped

 

[Biznizface]

Bump

 

[Flippers4pups]

Sometimes carbon dosing can kick start cyanobacteria. Nopox is nothing more than ethanol, methanol.....

 

[Biznizface]

Sometimes carbon dosing can kick start cyanobacteria. Nopox is nothing more than ethanol, methanol.....

But like I say I’ve stopped dosing nopox now and nitrate is rising rapidly so what is an alternative ?

Maybe white vinegar ?

 

[BestMomEver]

Water change, less food.... do you have a refugium or algae scrubber? When I added chaeto to my system, things seemed to level out a bit.

 

[dantimdad]

Yes, don't add, take away.

You need to export.

I think treating with additives is the least desirable way to handle things in an aquarium and only a last resort.

That is my opinion though.

 

[Biznizface]

Water change, less food.... do you have a refugium or algae scrubber? When I added chaeto to my system, things seemed to level out a bit.

The whole point of using ATI essentials and ICP testing is to not do water changes.

When I did do water changes I had heavy metals such as Tin.

 

[Biznizface]

Yes, don't add, take away.

You need to export.

I think treating with additives is the least desirable way to handle things in an aquarium and only a last resort.

That is my opinion though.

Yes I agree I need more export probably just upgraded skimmer I really don’t want cheato etc it’s so messy

 

[dantimdad]

Do small water changes weekly.

We don't want extreme changes quickly.

Gradually bring them down.

I used to run with no water changes and I still don't do very big ones. But, I believe they help control a lot of things and keep dosing down except for in very high consumption systems.

 

[BestMomEver]

The whole point of using ATI essentials and ICP testing is to not do water changes.

When I did do water changes I had heavy metals such as Tin.

The whole point of using ATI essentials and ICP testing is to not do water changes.

When I did do water changes I had heavy metals such as Tin.

I had the same problem except I had lead. I bought tritons heavy metal remover and tested my lfs source water. Everything was fine and haven’t had an issue since. I only do a water change occasionally and it’s typically only five gallons for a 60 gallon tank. But here’s the thing.... regardless of reefing method, if I was having trouble with something, a water change would be the very first thing I would do. Unstable water exchanged for stable water. It’s quick and effective. Try it just for grins and giggles. If it helps, do it again in five days or so. Then start again. If after, you continue to have issues, I would suggest you abandon that method and try something different. Not every method works on every system.

 

[Biznizface]

I had the same problem except I had lead. I bought tritons heavy metal remover and tested my lfs source water. Everything was fine and haven’t had an issue since. I only do a water change occasionally and it’s typically only five gallons for a 60 gallon tank. But here’s the thing.... regardless of reefing method, if I was having trouble with something, a water change would be the very first thing I would do. Unstable water exchanged for stable water. It’s quick and effective. Try it just for grins and giggles. If it helps, do it again in five days or so. Then start again. If after, you continue to have issues, I would suggest you abandon that method and try something different. Not every method works on every system.

But I’m not having an issue as such just can’t get nutrients where I want them without dosing nopox as I’ve said in original post just want another method of nutrient control but not cheato lol

 

[That Crusso Kid]

But I’m not having an issue as such just can’t get nutrients where I want them without dosing nopox as I’ve said in original post just want another method of nutrient control but not cheato lol

With 10ppm of NO3, where would you like to see your system?

 

[LilElroyJetson]

Yes I agree I need more export probably just upgraded skimmer I really don’t want cheato etc it’s so messy

I wouldn’t stop any of what you’re doing but like you said figure out your nutrient export and make sure your SPS are getting the trace elements and the like that they need.

Also, I think chaeto is really messy too but I run it in a reactor and it makes it SO CLEAN AND EASY. Literally all I do is let it grow till it fills the reactor, pop the top of the reactor, snip half the bundle with scissors, close and toss the trimmings, and on with my day. I also run Rowaphos in a Innovative Marine MiniMax Desktop reactor which is way too small for my tank so it conservatively removes phosphates from my tank while keeping them pretty steadily low without completely eliminating them. So between running chaeto in a reactor and 6 tablespoons of Rowaphos in an undersized reactor I have been consistently getting 2ppm nitrates and ~.1ppm phosphates and still very slowly dropping. Might be worth giving a shot. Good luck!

 

[LilElroyJetson]

I wouldn’t stop any of what you’re doing but like you said figure out your nutrient export and make sure your SPS are getting the trace elements and the like that they need.

Also, I think chaeto is really messy too but I run it in a reactor and it makes it SO CLEAN AND EASY. Literally all I do is let it grow till it fills the reactor, pop the top of the reactor, snip half the bundle with scissors, close and toss the trimmings, and on with my day. I also run Rowaphos in a Innovative Marine MiniMax Desktop reactor which is way too small for my tank so it conservatively removes phosphates from my tank while keeping them pretty steadily low without completely eliminating them. So between running chaeto in a reactor and 6 tablespoons of Rowaphos in an undersized reactor I have been consistently getting 2ppm nitrates and ~.1ppm phosphates and still very slowly dropping. Might be worth giving a shot. Good luck!

One more thing. I’m sure you’ve done this already but scour your entire system for any potential dietritus traps. Filter socks, sponges, filter floss, sump floor, rock work. Could be that you have some nitrates coming from an unsuspecting source like that.

 

[Biznizface]

I wouldn’t stop any of what you’re doing but like you said figure out your nutrient export and make sure your SPS are getting the trace elements and the like that they need.

Also, I think chaeto is really messy too but I run it in a reactor and it makes it SO CLEAN AND EASY. Literally all I do is let it grow till it fills the reactor, pop the top of the reactor, snip half the bundle with scissors, close and toss the trimmings, and on with my day. I also run Rowaphos in a Innovative Marine MiniMax Desktop reactor which is way too small for my tank so it conservatively removes phosphates from my tank while keeping them pretty steadily low without completely eliminating them. So between running chaeto in a reactor and 6 tablespoons of Rowaphos in an undersized reactor I have been consistently getting 2ppm nitrates and ~.1ppm phosphates and still very slowly dropping. Might be worth giving a shot. Good luck!

Yeah I need something gonna give me stable parameters without to much effort as I work 12 hour days.

All my trace elements are spot on as you can see by the ICP.

Those algae reactors I have considered just don’t like the light spill.