Nutrient Imbalance - High Nitrates undetectable phos!! Advice?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey mate, sorry to bother you but would this work?

I don't know anything about that supplier, but the description sounds good.

 

[Create New]

I don't know anything about that supplier, but the description sounds good.

Yeah I'm from Australia so I can't find any loudwolf that wouldn't cost like $50 postage haha

 

[nereefpat]

Yeah I'm from Australia so I can't find any loudwolf that wouldn't cost like $50 postage haha

Anything food grade is likely fine.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I have a reactor that I have Rowaphos in, Its been turned off for a while though because of the low phosphate level I have naturally not had to run it. - Could this be converted to house cheato etc?

It makes perfect sense in what you are saying about the food source as a lot of my corals absolutely love the water parameters at the moment and are growing like I have never seen, However SPS stuff Montipora etc has not been doing so great. Not sure if that is down to the nitrate or the phos - or maybe a combination.

Is it a tricky job to add a refugium to a current sump set up - would it need to be reworked or can it just be placed in situe?

Thanks for your help.

Some put Cheato in that type of reactor and wrap LED Strips around the outside. The problem is usually that the reactor space is too small to be effective and heat from the LEDs might melt the reactor's acrylic plastic walls. Look up DIY Cheato Reactor to see how to build one.

There is nothing special about a fuge for Cheato in the sump... some space with flow, a light, and a ball of Cheato. Simply use some acrylic or the plastic eggcrate used for lighting to build a section to contain the Cheato and hang a light, any light, over it. The secret is harvesting the Cheato regularly as it grows.

All that said, there are other ways to battle nitrates. As I said before, if you have a skimmer and have a known/adequate phosphate level, carbon dosing is bullet proof and requires no extra equipment. I know you were using NoPox and didn't see results, but I think that was due to the high nitrate levels as compared to phosphate. It could also be because you simply didn't dose enough. I like to use white vinegar rather than NoPox. It is cheap and safe. Here's a link to an article you might find interesting.