REDSEA Algae Management NOPOX Usage?

[HaveFishWillTravel]

Your phosphates are very high at 0.2, ideally it should be less than 0.03 for various reasons, and you may find it’s actually higher and the algae is using it as a food source.

Your nitrates are fine, so I wouldn’t use Nopox yet, if at all. It’s very effective at nitrate reduction, but much less so on phosphate and raised phosphate causes most of the problem issues you will read about.

I use rowaphos 24/7 and heavy in both my systems and I would recommend using GFO to get your phosphate down and keep it there.

You will need to change the media regularly to start out when it becomes spent or it won’t work and it’s best in a reactor

I hooked up the GFO reactor this morning. I don’t know anything about rowaphos, but will look into it. There are so many conflicting thoughts on water parameters.
can you enlighten me on PO4 = 0.03?
My original goals were:
PO4 = 0.1
NO3 =<4
Ca = 430 - 450ppm
Mg = 1350 - 1400
dKH = 10 - 11
Temp = 78F
Salinity = 102.5 SG or 34ppt
I have 2 clownfish and a damsel. 3 pink-tipped rainbow anemones, shrooms, acros, lots o’ zoas, 1 or 2 SPSs and other guys that I’m not so sure...they all started out very tiny and some have grown 10x their original size. Others 3x to 5x since late July. I can’t be messing up that badly...;-) I want to get better at it organically and with CUC and am trying to find a process that works for me. I keep getting sucked into “getting rich quick schemes” I think with some of the things I have tried. Like the Reef1 / Reef2 stuff, I had terrible luck with that. I don’t use it anymore. I used to use Instant Ocean Salt and changed to the REDSEA Coral Pro and I like it much better. I would rather do water changes to up the Ca, dKH and Mg and to stabilize the nutrients. I definitely need more confidence, that would really help me.

 

[HaveFishWillTravel]

With dosing I was referring to the seachem alk and calcium you were using.

I put it in the top just like the way I did the Phyto. In a syringe mixed with tank water, high-flow when the wave maker is going forward on its upward curve.

 

[HaveFishWillTravel]

So I am thinking you mixed the water with salinity higher than 1.025 or so which would explain the magnesium and the calcium or your there is a test error (or you have a large margin of error on the test). As for the algae, you can just pick it off or get something to eat it. And for the phyto, try some live phyto like ocean magik or another brand. Live phyto won't impact phosphate as much as dead phyto (if at all).


When you were dosing, did the liquids hit the corals? Also, were you dosing small amounts at a time (no more than 1KH)?

I think the R1-R2 burned a few of my SPSs and they bleached and died. Not good.

 

[HaveFishWillTravel]

So I am thinking you mixed the water with salinity higher than 1.025 or so which would explain the magnesium and the calcium or your there is a test error (or you have a large margin of error on the test). As for the algae, you can just pick it off or get something to eat it. And for the phyto, try some live phyto like ocean magik or another brand. Live phyto won't impact phosphate as much as dead phyto (if at all).


When you were dosing, did the liquids hit the corals? Also, were you dosing small amounts at a time (no more than 1KH)?

I finished my water change tonight at ~8pm. I did a 40% WC. I waited until everyone was closing up after I fed the tank and the lights were going down. I prefer to change the water in the morning, but my water wasn’t ready in time today.
I was able to scrub the diatoms off the bare bottom by moving rocks around and I used a handy, dandy toothbrush to scrub the dark green hair algae off the two rocks. One of the rocks, I was able to take completely out and I scrubbed it in a separate bowl and I rinsed it in clean saltwater before putting it back into the tank. The tank looks good. I tested the Nitrates about 7 hours after I did the water change and they dropped to 2ppm so I’m happy about that. I’ll test the other parameters tomorrow after the tank has a chance to cycle. I tested the tank and the new water going into the WC so, I’m thinking that I should be good for the next week. Per my plan

I agree live phyto if possible. Other than that your plan looks good to me

I’ll continue to add 2ml - 3ml Phytoplankton diluted with tank water and I’ll do a 20% water change in 5 - 7 days and we’ll see if the hair algae comes back and continue doing that for awhile to see if that works for my tank and for me. Thanks again. JL

 

[HaveFishWillTravel]

Your phosphates are very high at 0.2, ideally it should be less than 0.03 for various reasons, and you may find it’s actually higher and the algae is using it as a food source.

Your nitrates are fine, so I wouldn’t use Nopox yet, if at all. It’s very effective at nitrate reduction, but much less so on phosphate and raised phosphate causes most of the problem issues you will read about.

I use rowaphos 24/7 and heavy in both my systems and I would recommend using GFO to get your phosphate down and keep it there.

You will need to change the media regularly to start out when it becomes spent or it won’t work and it’s best in a reactor

When I did my WC today, I looked at the info on the Black Bucket, REDSEA Coral Pro Salt. The Phosphate level mixes up to =<0.03. The thing I need to understand is the science behind the Phosphates and Corals not just the water parameters. I see some serious reading in my near future ;-)

 

[SPR1968]

When I did my WC today, I looked at the info on the Black Bucket, REDSEA Coral Pro Salt. The Phosphate level mixes up to =<0.03. The thing I need to understand is the science behind the Phosphates and Corals not just the water parameters. I see some serious reading in my near future ;-)

Here you go then, note the 0.03 and less than 0.02 numbers

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/

You did say ‘serious reading’!