Reducing nitrates with biopellet reactor

[Doglips56]

Our nitrates and phosphates have gotten out of co from after I was hospitalized for 5 weeks and all my husband could manage was feedings and keeping the ATO reservoir filled. I’ve been able to get the PO4 under control with a little carbon and GFO in a net bag but the nitrates are out of co from and huge water changes have literally had no effect. I watched a video on melev’s reef and have just started up a biopellet reactor. How quickly will the nitrates drop and how often should I be testing them? I’m also having a GHA problem assuming from the high nutrients. Manual removal not effective. Will it die off as the excess nutrients get under control? I’m going to turn off the red, white and green lights and see if that helps. I have very little coral but my anemones that we’re thriving aren’t doing well now, assuming from the high nitrates.
Advice welcome!

 

[blaxsun]

Pellets can take weeks to months before you start noticing any change. Cutting back on your feedings a bit can help in the interim. You can try something like NOPOX as a temporary solution. I'd be testing every 4-7 day.

 

[PeterC99]

First - glad to hear you back home and doing better.

Second, do you run a Refugium with chaeto? I’m a big proponent of natural PO4 & NO3 control.

 

[austibella]

Do a big water change to bring down your nitrates and phosphate before you loose your anemone. When you set up your bio churn,, soak the beads in beneficial bacteria over night strain and put beads in your bio churn this will help start up your good bacteria .the best of luck to you. Glad you are better..its so hard to take care of tanks when we are ill.. I'm just getting back to some kind of normal after 8 months and 3 surgeries from someone cutting me off the road on my motorcycle and leaving me pinned under my bike.its been a nightmare . Best way to save everything is waterchanges. I had to talk and teach my sister how to do it cause I was not able to. Vibrant works very good to clean the tank .just make sure you do what directions say.. when in doubt waterchange.. waterchange... waterchange....

 

[Doglips56]

First - glad to hear you back home and doing better.

Second, do you run a Refugium with chaeto? I’m a big proponent of natural PO4 & NO3 control.

Yes I have a refugium with chaeto but I can’t get it to grow at all, had a grow light on it about 12 hours a day. I got the chaeto from another reefer.