Nutrient Imbalance

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sodium-nitrate-dosing.1085671/#post-13102598

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

Just feed more, like 3-4 times a day more.

 

[Maho.B]

What negative result? Sodium nitrate will be similar but cheaper and possibly purer.

When I dosed Neo Nitrate awhile back I experienced a heavy, weird brown algae bloom. To be fair I don't know for sure if it was due to dosing Neo but it was the only thing I was doing differently at the time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

When I dosed Neo Nitrate awhile back I experienced a heavy, weird brown algae bloom. To be fair I don't know for sure if it was due to dosing Neo but it was the only thing I was doing differently at the time.

I don't know either, but dosing any type of nitrate is unlikely to be different if it did.

 

[Maho.B]

I don't know either, but dosing any type of nitrate is unlikely to be different if it did.

I took the advice of using ammonium bicarbonate to get my Nitrates up (they bottomed out to zero) and started dosing 10ml per day. I am doing this at the rate of 5ml in the morning and 5ml in the evening. I started on Wednesday so I have dosed that amount for 3 full days as of yesterday. This morning the Nitrate reading was 0.5 so it is in fact successfully adding Nitrate to the system. There have been no negative effects that I can tell. My question is, should I be testing for ammonia as well to ensure it doesn't get to high? I haven't had an ammonia test kit for quite some time. By the way my system has a total volume of 110 gallons. Thanks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My question is, should I be testing for ammonia as well to ensure it doesn't get to high? I haven't had an ammonia test kit for quite some time. By the way my system has a total volume of 110 gallons. Thanks.

There's no need to test for ammonia. I understand it is scary, but its like adding a new fish. No one would test then, so no need to do so here either.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/ammonia-is-our-friend.1062/

 

[Maho.B]

Thank you, just wanted to be sure! Much appreciated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing :)

 

[Maho.B]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing :)

Hello, as discussed in this thread, almost a month ago I began dosing ammonium bicarbonate to increase my nitrate level which had bottomed out. I have successfully increased it slowly to right around 8.5. When the levels got to about 4-4.5 I noticed some green furry algae growing in a few areas on the live rock (the algae had not been there prior). And now that the levels are in the 8's I notice the algae really taking off (the same green furry algae) and some small areas of red cyanobacteria is starting to show as well.

Is this typical when dosing nutrients up and should let it ride or is this a sign that the system isn't "happy" at this level of nitrate? Any advice/feedback appreciated. Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hello, as discussed in this thread, almost a month ago I began dosing ammonium bicarbonate to increase my nitrate level which had bottomed out. I have successfully increased it slowly to right around 8.5. When the levels got to about 4-4.5 I noticed some green furry algae growing in a few areas on the live rock (the algae had not been there prior). And now that the levels are in the 8's I notice the algae really taking off (the same green furry algae) and some small areas of red cyanobacteria is starting to show as well.

Is this typical when dosing nutrients up and should let it ride or is this a sign that the system isn't "happy" at this level of nitrate? Any advice/feedback appreciated. Thanks

It’s not “typical” as I’ve not seen anyone else note that effect. But if it was better at 4 ppm nitrate, backing down may be desirable. It might also be an irreversible change, and finding an herbivore might be needed.

 

[Maho.B]

It’s not “typical” as I’ve not seen anyone else note that effect. But if it was better at 4 ppm nitrate, backing down may be desirable. It might also be an irreversible change, and finding an herbivore might be needed.

Thanks for the reply. During my regularly scheduled water change yesterday I found the green "algae" to literally blow off the rock with a baster, like a bright green diatom so I'm looking into what it actually is. I'm going to cut my 10 ml/day dose to 5ml/day and monitor things.