NItrate reduction

[MICU murse]

I have a 55 gallon tank with a 20 or so gallon sump. I have a protein skimmer rated for 120g tank, dragons breath macro algae, 2 4" filter socks I change twice weekly in addition to 20gallon water changes weekly. I have a moderate amount of rock and I also use xport bio and xport no3. I have been battling high nitrates for a while, but it's gotten really bad and all my interventions have failed thus far. Adding bacterial supplement hasn't impacted it and for the last couple weeks I have been vodka dosing with an algorithm I found online but it doesn't seem to make a dent. My question is what else should I try to do to remove nitrates? Also, my phosphates read 0 on my red sea test kit (not the pro), could that be limiting my nitrate uptake in the nitrogen cycle? How should I move forward from here?
Current water parameters:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0.05
Nitrate 50 on redsea, 60 on API
Phosphate 0
Calcium 420
Alkalinity 10.5
pH 8 redsea, 7.8 API
Spec. Grav. 1.025
Thank you for the continued help all at reef2reef, also I'm happy to answer any other questions that may help in the diagnosis of my issue.

 

[Diesel]

It's possible when Po4 reads 0.0 (it's really never 0.0) that the bacteria are lacking, even if you dosed.
Did you tried macro algae in the sump?
Keep up the water changes in order to bring No3 down but try to get a reading on the Po4, somewhere around 0.02/0.04 by just feeding dry food.
Flake food is known to have a high Po4 level

 

[MICU murse]

I will back off of the frozen food and try using more dry and see if that has an impact. I also have dragons breath macro algae in the sump, but it's growth rate seems slow, I think I may buy chaeto in addition to see if they impacts my levels. Thank you for the advice, always appreciated.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/New-sulfur-denitrator-working-great!.316251/

 

[Big G]

Chaeto and consider a Marinepure 8 x 8 plate in your sump. Works wonders with some folks. Worked in mine. Those guys at BRS did a video about the Marinepure plates, blocks, etc. and their effects on Nitrate levels. Cheers!

 

[teller]

I advise you to try the chaeto macro algae. Being in similar situation as yourself the chaeto did the trick.

 

[MICU murse]

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/New-sulfur-denitrator-working-great!.316251/

This looks great, holy crap. I am a newbie so I'm not farmiliar with all the good toys. Glancing at prices I may keep this in the back of my mind for now and look for a diy version. If my problem persists despite lesser interventions this will definitely be my go to. Thank you.

 

[MICU murse]

Chaeto and consider a Marinepure 8 x 8 plate in your sump. Works wonders with some folks. Worked in mine. Those guys at BRS did a video about the Marinepure plates, blocks, etc. and their effects on Nitrate levels. Cheers!

I am currently using xport no3 and xport bio which is the brightwell aquatics version of the marine pure, but I've heard mixed things about both. When I dropped the xport bio in my nitrates shot up and I think it's because it processed all the ammonia I must of had, but the xport no3 has yet to catch up. The chaeto definitely seems like it will be my next move though. Thanks for the advice. If I still don't have good results with the xport media than I may consider adding some marine pure because I do like the idea of biological filtration as my primary nutrient reduction method. Thanks for the advice.

 

[MICU murse]

I advise you to try the chaeto macro algae. Being in similar situation as yourself the chaeto did the trick.

What kind of impact did it have on your tank/how long did it take to notice it working? Just curious, I am running dragons breath, but that's only because my LFS wouldn't sell me chaeto because it's "being used in their sump" but they reached into a different sump and grabbed a handful of dragons breath... I will have to look online for some or see if any local reefers may be willing to part with a little next time hey harvest. Thank you

 

[teller]

What kind of impact did it have on your tank/how long did it take to notice it working? Just curious, I am running dragons breath, but that's only because my LFS wouldn't sell me chaeto because it's "being used in their sump" but they reached into a different sump and grabbed a handful of dragons breath... I will have to look online for some or see if any local reefers may be willing to part with a little next time hey harvest. Thank you

Hi.
For about 2 years I was fighting high nitrates then moved to NOPOX and after vodka and put a reactor with siporax. My nitrates decreased to about 5-10ppm.
Seems good....but no because I was overdosing vodka just to reach these values(no good). Slime in return pump, white in tank glass. After one or two weeks the reactor was full of detritus (more nitrate factory and....more vodka dosing).
I started chaeto about 5 months ago.
Now my nitrates are about 0.
It grow so much when reducing the nitrates and now still grows but less but the most important is still healthy.
I think you should try it by yourself.
Any question please ask.

 

[teller]

And it started with a small portion of about 1 inch square(2.5 cm).
I just ask my friend this small portion because I thought I was going to kill it.

 

[MICU murse]

Hi.
For about 2 years I was fighting high nitrates then moved to NOPOX and after vodka and put a reactor with siporax. My nitrates decreased to about 5-10ppm.
Seems good....but no because I was overdosing vodka just to reach these values(no good). Slime in return pump, white in tank glass. After one or two weeks the reactor was full of detritus (more nitrate factory and....more vodka dosing).
I started chaeto about 5 months ago.
Now my nitrates are about 0.
It grow so much when reducing the nitrates and now still grows but less but the most important is still healthy.
I think you should try it by yourself.
Any question please ask.

Thank you, this definitely sounds like the next step in dealing with my high nitrates.

 

[beaslbob]

So glad to hear people recommending macro algae. Much different from 15 years ago and the dsb methods.

Oh yes. Use macro algae. Not only will it reduce nitrates but phosphates and co2 as well and return oxygen and fish/coral food.

Meanwhile back at your tank.

Some nitrates can actually be a sign of a healthy tank. plant life like macro, algae, even corals, prefer to consume ammonia first then nitrates. So sometimes it is just the plant life consuming ammonia waiting for aerobic bacteria to catch up to the ammonia. Then once that happens it switched to consuming the nitrates.


my .02

 

[MICU murse]

So glad to hear people recommending macro algae. Much different from 15 years ago and the dsb methods.

Oh yes. Use macro algae. Not only will it reduce nitrates but phosphates and co2 as well and return oxygen and fish/coral food.

Meanwhile back at your tank.

Some nitrates can actually be a sign of a healthy tank. plant life like macro, algae, even corals, prefer to consume ammonia first then nitrates. So sometimes it is just the plant life consuming ammonia waiting for aerobic bacteria to catch up to the ammonia. Then once that happens it switched to consuming the nitrates.


my .02

Ya, macro algae definitely seems to be the consensus and the type I have just seems too slow growing to make the significant impact I'm looking for. I will definitely ask around locally for some. I also need the ph bump, tomorrow I should be getting my co2 scrubber media in and I will implement that as soon as I can. My dragonette will like the extra copepods from the algae too haha. Thanks all for the quick responses.

 

[Big G]

I am currently using xport no3 and xport bio which is the brightwell aquatics version of the marine pure, but I've heard mixed things about both. When I dropped the xport bio in my nitrates shot up and I think it's because it processed all the ammonia I must of had, but the xport no3 has yet to catch up. The chaeto definitely seems like it will be my next move though. Thanks for the advice. If I still don't have good results with the xport media than I may consider adding some marine pure because I do like the idea of biological filtration as my primary nutrient reduction method. Thanks for the advice.

And then there is the plus of creating a nice home for copepods. Some feel the pods help with nitrates as well. Cheers!

 

[Big G]

And then there is the plus of creating a nice home for copepods. Some feel the pods help with nitrates as well. Cheers!

jinx LOL

 

[beaslbob]

adding macro algae will also increase your ph because the algae will consume co2.

 

[TheLadyCrash]

I will back off of the frozen food and try using more dry and see if that has an impact.

I hav always heard dry foods tend to cause higher nitrates/phosphates than frozen but I have never tested it out myself.

 

[alyee5]

I posted a similar question about my tank having a high nitrate to 0 phosphate imbalance. The advice I was given was adding phosphate. I ordered both neophos and nopox and will decide which route as I await my shipment. Good luck!

 

[McMullen]

updates?