Nitrate and phosphate in quarantine tank

[alp5747]

Hello, I have a large quarantine tank running and I am feeding heavy. My question is could I use carbon dosing to reduce nitrate and can I use gfo to reduce phosphate in my quarantine tank. I don’t see a problem, but I am just making sure. Thanks

 

[MnFish1]

Hello, I have a large quarantine tank running and I am feeding heavy. My question is could I use carbon dosing to reduce nitrate and can I use gfo to reduce phosphate in my quarantine tank. I don’t see a problem, but I am just making sure. Thanks

It would help if you gave the numbers. I would manage these with water changes (assuming you don't have calcareous rock, etc in the tank). It would also depend on what medications you're using or QT - or just observation.

 

[alp5747]

It would help if you gave the numbers. I would manage these with water changes (assuming you don't have calcareous rock, etc in the tank). It would also depend on what medications you're using or QT - or just observation.

My last nitrates reading was 100 ppm. The system is around 180 gallons so water changes are not a possibility I don’t have a problem with ammonia. My concern is just if the carbon dosing or gfo will have an effect on medication. I am using copper and planning on treating with praziquantel afterwards. I don’t have any calcareous rock.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello, I have a large quarantine tank running and I am feeding heavy. My question is could I use carbon dosing to reduce nitrate and can I use gfo to reduce phosphate in my quarantine tank. I don’t see a problem, but I am just making sure. Thanks

I wouldn’t fret unless very high as qt tanks have limited filtration and will display such numbers

 

[Jay Hemdal]

My last nitrates reading was 100 ppm. The system is around 180 gallons so water changes are not a possibility I don’t have a problem with ammonia. My concern is just if the carbon dosing or gfo will have an effect on medication. I am using copper and planning on treating with praziquantel afterwards. I don’t have any calcareous rock.

Do you know - does your test measure nitrate-nitrogen or nitrate ion? If it is nitrate ion, that number is fine for a QT. If you are measuring nitrate-nitrogen, it is too high.

So - 1 mg/L of nitrate NO3-N = 4.43mg/L NO3 • To convert mg/L NO3-N to mg/L of NO3 multiply result by 4.43 • To convert mg/L NO3 to mg/L NO3-N divide by 4.43.

Nitrate, by itself is not the issue for fish, it is used as an easily measured metric for overall poor water quality. For corals, it is a lot more important. For fish, you usually see overly high nitrate coincide with a low pH. This is due to a build up of organic acids in the water. Is you pH fine?

 

[alp5747]

Do you know - does your test measure nitrate-nitrogen or nitrate ion? If it is nitrate ion, that number is fine for a QT. If you are measuring nitrate-nitrogen, it is too high.

So - 1 mg/L of nitrate NO3-N = 4.43mg/L NO3 • To convert mg/L NO3-N to mg/L of NO3 multiply result by 4.43 • To convert mg/L NO3 to mg/L NO3-N divide by 4.43.

Nitrate, by itself is not the issue for fish, it is used as an easily measured metric for overall poor water quality. For corals, it is a lot more important. For fish, you usually see overly high nitrate coincide with a low pH. This is due to a build up of organic acids in the water. Is you pH fine?

The measurement result is in form of nitrate ion not NO3-N