KH AND NO3 high

[Hitman66]

Hello
I have been running my 25 gallon aquarium for 8 months.its backsump.
My media : Matrix , brightwell bio block , carbon (seachem)
In back sump , first , sucks filter , then carbon 2-skimmer ns80 and bio block 3-matrix 4-water pump
Use RO water with 0 tds
But now no3 is 50 , with salifert test , kh =13 , po4=0
Sand geting green , glass in 4 or 5 day geting algea and green
Light 2 ati t5 blue pluse and zetlight 1201
How i can controll No3 and KH
I use brightwell microbacter 7 , neophos , nopox redsea .
My salt is aquaforest reef salt
Help me pls :|

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hi @Hitman66 and #WelcometoR2R

Tank looks great. When you are asking about how to control nitrate and alk they are really totally separate approaches.

Your alk is going to be tied into your calcium. Before acting on your alk I would ask what you calcium level is. Drastic shifts in alk can be significantly more harmful to coral than shifts in nitrate. It is best to let alk fall naturally or slowly with water changes. With your coral load it should go down at a nice pace. By knowing calcium you can determine your ideal alk level, let it drop to that point and then maintain from there.

You nitrate is going to be tied in with phosphate. Your nitrate is high, but the tank looks good. First rule I always say is .. if it is working don’t mess with it. My other rule is I f it is ok, but could be better make very small changes very slowly and watch to see how the tank responds. Normally is No3 is high and Po4 low i expect wicked algae. Not so here.

My suggestions, keep doing what you are doing. Keep up on maintenance and cleaning. Test your calcium and get your calcium and alk to balance out. Use the water changes to bring down the nitrates a bit and all should be good.

 

[Hitman66]

Hi @Hitman66 and #WelcometoR2R

Tank looks great. When you are asking about how to control nitrate and alk they are really totally separate approaches.

Your alk is going to be tied into your calcium. Before acting on your alk I would ask what you calcium level is. Drastic shifts in alk can be significantly more harmful to coral than shifts in nitrate. It is best to let alk fall naturally or slowly with water changes. With your coral load it should go down at a nice pace. By knowing calcium you can determine your ideal alk level, let it drop to that point and then maintain from there.

You nitrate is going to be tied in with phosphate. Your nitrate is high, but the tank looks good. First rule I always say is .. if it is working don’t mess with it. My other rule is I f it is ok, but could be better make very small changes very slowly and watch to see how the tank responds. Normally is No3 is high and Po4 low i expect wicked algae. Not so here.

My suggestions, keep doing what you are doing. Keep up on maintenance and cleaning. Test your calcium and get your calcium and alk to balance out. Use the water changes to bring down the nitrates a bit and all should be good.

Tnx
Ca = 370
Mg=1320
Ph=7.8
When i make salt water , befor adding it to the tank, i test no3 , and see no3 is 10!
I dont love algea in sand surface :\

 

[Uncle99]

Sounds like your salt, you mix and get 10ppm, that would not be correct.

 

[Hitman66]

Sounds like your salt, you mix and get 10ppm, that would not be correct.

Yes 10, with salifert test, and kh always 13.5 or 14 :\ I cant reduce it.

 

[DeniableArc]

Hi, you are mixing your aquaforest reef salt wrong. If you mix your AF reef salt to 1.025 your alk should be no higher then 8.2kh. I suspect either a mixing error or testing error. As far as nitrate in freshly mixed salt I would check your rodi tds.

 

[Hitman66]

What should be the amount of nitrate in fresh salt?
I test it with salifert and giesemann test kit. And both show 10 ppm.
Also kh in fresh salt , with 1.025 , is 12! I just use giesemann test for kh , I will buy the Salifert kh test today. I will send the results here.

 

[Hitman66]

Hi, you are mixing your aquaforest reef salt wrong. If you mix your AF reef salt to 1.025 your alk should be no higher then 8.2kh. I suspect either a mixing error or testing error. As far as nitrate in freshly mixed salt I would check your rodi tds.

I test kh with othertester, my kh is 5.5 :| i need kh buffer but no3 is 0.25 :|

 

[Garf]

I test kh with othertester, my kh is 5.5 :| i need kh buffer but no3 is 0.25 :|

Are you slowly adding the salt to a container of RODI, to prevent precipitation? Adding water to salt would not be a good way to do it.

 

[Hitman66]

Are you slowly adding the salt to a container of RODI, to prevent precipitation? Adding water to salt would not be a good way to do it.

Yes ,I use an air pump and a wave maker in the water tank to prepare fresh salt water, first I add water, then slowly add salt and salt water in this container for 30 minutes. Then it is added to the main Tank.

 

[Garf]

Yes ,I use an air pump and a wave maker in the water tank to prepare fresh salt water, first I add water, then slowly add salt and salt water in this container for 30 minutes. Then it is added to the main Tank.

KH of 5.5 is DKH, right? Not meq/L. Your water is RODI?

 

[Hitman66]

KH of 5.5 is DKH, right? Not meq/L. Your water is RODI?

0.3 * 20 = 6dkh near 5.5 , Yes , RO with tds 0