Treefer32
Valuable Member
So, I'm looking for scientific ways to controlling nutrients in a large tank. I have around 25 fish. Many of them larger tangs and reef safe angel fish. I have a broad spectrum of coral, everything from xenia, duncans, candy canes, gonipora, softies, ricordea, massive toad stool, and many acropora, and other SPS. Amazingly most all, if not all are doing great! So, I don't want to break anything.
But, how do those of you with larger tanks manage nutrients. Primarily Nitrates?
My Display is a custom 340 gallon, with 75 gallon custom sump.
I'm running the following:
Large Bubble magus filter roller (around 2400 gph in through my overflows. I go through a roll of paper every 3 weeks.
A Diablo Reef Octopus skimmer (rated for a moderate load at 500 gallons)
A cannister filter converted to being filled with Matrix rock to aid with denitrification bacteria.
I'm dosing straight vodka at around 30 ml per day
I'm running a Turbo Aquatics Algae scrubber (L4). I clean the algae off every 2 weeks.
If I do a 50% water change my nitrates are back up to 30+ within 2 weeks. If they stayed 30 I'd be happy, ideally 20-30 is the max I'd like to see.
I accidently dosed 180 ml vodka over 3 hour period, and that reduced my nitrates the next day from 33 to 22. So, increasing my vodka dosing to 100 ml a day probably isn't a good idea.
N tested today at 30.8 and P at .06. (Hanna Testers)
Phosphate is staying where I want it for corals. For the health of the fish and coral I'd like nitrates to not raise every 2 weeks. By my assessment my nitrates rise at a rate of .5 to 1 ppm per day.
Do I need to increase phosphates in order to lower nitrates? How do you manage nutrients without changing out 150-200 gallons of water every 2-3 weeks?
As far as trace elements, I'm dosing, alk, calcium, and all for reef to maintain parameters. That's been stable for 3+ years. Alk at around 8.5 - 9, calcium around 450-500 and Mg at around 1500-1540.
I would like to have closer to 40 fish, but, I need a nitrate control method that will scale with more fish waste and more fish food. I feed only home made frozen food and nori. A whole sheet of nori per day and around 1-2 oz of frozen food.
But, how do those of you with larger tanks manage nutrients. Primarily Nitrates?
My Display is a custom 340 gallon, with 75 gallon custom sump.
I'm running the following:
Large Bubble magus filter roller (around 2400 gph in through my overflows. I go through a roll of paper every 3 weeks.
A Diablo Reef Octopus skimmer (rated for a moderate load at 500 gallons)
A cannister filter converted to being filled with Matrix rock to aid with denitrification bacteria.
I'm dosing straight vodka at around 30 ml per day
I'm running a Turbo Aquatics Algae scrubber (L4). I clean the algae off every 2 weeks.
If I do a 50% water change my nitrates are back up to 30+ within 2 weeks. If they stayed 30 I'd be happy, ideally 20-30 is the max I'd like to see.
I accidently dosed 180 ml vodka over 3 hour period, and that reduced my nitrates the next day from 33 to 22. So, increasing my vodka dosing to 100 ml a day probably isn't a good idea.
N tested today at 30.8 and P at .06. (Hanna Testers)
Phosphate is staying where I want it for corals. For the health of the fish and coral I'd like nitrates to not raise every 2 weeks. By my assessment my nitrates rise at a rate of .5 to 1 ppm per day.
Do I need to increase phosphates in order to lower nitrates? How do you manage nutrients without changing out 150-200 gallons of water every 2-3 weeks?
As far as trace elements, I'm dosing, alk, calcium, and all for reef to maintain parameters. That's been stable for 3+ years. Alk at around 8.5 - 9, calcium around 450-500 and Mg at around 1500-1540.
I would like to have closer to 40 fish, but, I need a nitrate control method that will scale with more fish waste and more fish food. I feed only home made frozen food and nori. A whole sheet of nori per day and around 1-2 oz of frozen food.
