Nutrients out of balance

[Dmax]

I have a question regarding nutrients in the reef tank. I've had this system wet for almost 2 years now. I have been slacking on my testing so that's my fault to get to this situation.


450 gallon tank
radions and a halide
plenty of fish feeding on auto feeders 2 times a day.
SRO 6000 skimmer
descent refugium
57 watt UV
Dosing 3,000 ml of kalk thru a reactor daily.


My phosphates are reading outside the Hanna's ULR flashing .90.
My nitrates are reading 0.

Thursday evening 10/2

I dosed brightwell's nitrate solution to try and get a reading on the hanna. I ended up dosing 50-60 ml to get a 1.1 nitrate reading. Placed the solution on a doser dosing 40ml a day and still getting a 0 when testing nitrates and phosphates outside the range as well.

Can't seem to get nitrates elevated and phosphates to drop.

Whats the best method to correct this issue. I did a 100 gallon water change Sunday 10-5 with no change to my phosphate reading. I haven't used another phosphate tester wither, but looking at the tank there is a issue occurring.


Thanks for any help. Great day.

 

[Dmax]

 

[Dmax]

 

[Gumbies R Us]

You can always try to feed more to raise your nitrates. I would keep up a consistent water change schedule, or you can introduce GFO if you aren't already using that. There's always the chemical route, too of using something like neonitrate to raise your nitrates, but some people are against using chemicals. It's up to you whether you want to use them or not.

 

[Dmax]

After manually dosing the brightwell neonitro solution this was Friday 10-3. Went out of town and came home Saturday evening and tested again. The doser has been dosing 40 ml and it was 0.5 Saturday afternoon when I tested again.

 

[Dmax]

You can always try to feed more to raise your nitrates. I would keep up a consistent water change schedule, or you can introduce GFO if you aren't already using that. There's always the chemical route, too of using something like neonitrate to raise your nitrates, but some people are against using chemicals. It's up to you whether you want to use them or not.

Worried about raising my phosphates if I bump up the auto feeders???

 

[X-37B]

I would use some phosphate reducer for po4. I use phosphate minus as it requires no rinse.
No3 at 1 is fine. I look for <5.
Feed more with po4 media will bring it down and help raise no3 without dosing.

 

[Dmax]

I would use some phosphate reducer for po4. I use phosphate minus as it requires no rinse.
No3 at 1 is fine. I look for <5.
Feed more with po4 media will bring it down and help raise no3 without dosing.

Thoughts with using ROWAphos??? Appreciate it

 

[CHSUB]

Hanna HR is not effective at measuring low no3 levels, per Hanna. You are likely fine with your no3 and imo, dosing is not necessary. Corals look good, tank looks nice, stocked, and fed. The LR Hanna will give you a reading if you want or need a value. I might try some GFO in a reactor to lower po4, but might be expensive in a large volume of water…

 

[X-37B]

Thoughts with using ROWAphos??? Appreciate it

They all work. I like pminus because it requires no rinsing. I always make a mess when rinsing.
It lasts longer than standard gfo but no measured value.
I drop it in a nylon sock when needed.

 

[Dmax]

They all work. I like pminus because it requires no rinsing. I always make a mess when rinsing.
It lasts longer than standard gfo but no measured value.
I drop it in a nylon sock when needed.

Good deal. I've never used it before and will order some to try. Used BRS GFO and the Rowa in the past and rinsing I agree is a pain and feels like a waste in a way.

 

[X-37B]

Good deal. I've never used it before and will order some to try. Used BRS GFO and the Rowa in the past and rinsing I agree is a pain and feels like a waste in a way.

I rinsed the minus before I read the instructions. It lasts quite a bit longer with no rinse, lol.
I use old chemipure socks for the minus.

 

[X-37B]

Although you have high po4 start at 50% of the recommend. I rarely use more than 50% in my 150. 1/2 cup is what I use when needed.

 

[Dmax]

10-4. Should I continue to dose the neonitro until I can get the nitrates to stay up along with the GFO? Or phosphate removal first then determine Nitrate route once phosphates are lowered? Need to get another phosphate test with a wider range to see where its at. If it's 1.5 i'm not overly concerned. If its 4 then we have a issue.

 

[X-37B]

10-4. Should I continue to dose the neonitro until I can get the nitrates to stay up along with the GFO? Or phosphate removal first then determine Nitrate route once phosphates are lowered? Need to get another phosphate test with a wider range to see where its at. If it's 1.5 i'm not overly concerned. If its 4 then we have a issue.

For years I ran po4 <.1. I now do not adjust until its close to .2.
Range is .1-.2 now with no observable difference.

I took my no3 reactor offline a little over a week ago. No3 <5 was my old number.
Just checked after 1 week and no3 was 7. The no3 reactor combined with my carx drove night ph to 7.5.
I now run kalk at 2mlm 24/7 around 2.8 liters. Ph bottom is now 7.9 with a small boost in the day from 8.1-8.2.
Never really addressed ph until now. Coral growth has visually increased over the period of 1 week.

I would keep no3 at current levels until po4 is below .2.

 

[Dmax]

That makes sense. I'll order the p minus and give it a go at half the recommended amount.

 

[BryanM]

I would definitely add GFO/reactor to start lowering that. It has worked well for me, and I was in the same .9 blinking boat you're in.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Hi, what you are describing it sound like a case of locked phosphate due to low to none Nitrates.

I’d be looking at the product you are dosing to the system as there is multiple products out there that will have hidden DOC.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would dose food grade sodium nitrate, calcium nitrate, or ammonium bicarbonate until you maintain at least 5 ppm nitrate, and allow the refugium to take down both nitrate and phosphate slowly.

 

[Dmax]

I would dose food grade sodium nitrate, calcium nitrate, or ammonium bicarbonate until you maintain at least 5 ppm nitrate, and allow the refugium to take down both nitrate and phosphate slowly.