i been battling raised nitrate and phosphates last few months, my bio pellets were inaffective after over two years of working well. I switched to NOPOX and I cant get my nitrate below 8-10ppm and phosphates under 0.5ppm. I did some poking about in my sandbed which is few years old and it’s pretty disgusting infact it’s filthy! I siphoned out 6sq inches today and it was pulling out sooooo much detritus that the water looked like chocolate milkshake.....that be where the nitrates are coming from I think!
So what’s the safest way to protect my corals while I perform the detritus sandbed exorcism?
PLAN: I’m going to siphone out sections at a time straight into a water butt as I do water changes 150litres at a time in a 1200l system. But I wondering if I should add something as the organics being released is considerable and I’m upsetting a very old substrate layer. But what be best? Something that could detoxify ammonia and/or a product designed to boost the bacteria and consume sludge nitrates and phosphates boost the nitrogen cycle? Any product suggestions please?
I’m not planning on adding any sand back going bare bottom, but any advice on what to expect and damage control is greatly needed!
Thanks
So what’s the safest way to protect my corals while I perform the detritus sandbed exorcism?
PLAN: I’m going to siphone out sections at a time straight into a water butt as I do water changes 150litres at a time in a 1200l system. But I wondering if I should add something as the organics being released is considerable and I’m upsetting a very old substrate layer. But what be best? Something that could detoxify ammonia and/or a product designed to boost the bacteria and consume sludge nitrates and phosphates boost the nitrogen cycle? Any product suggestions please?
I’m not planning on adding any sand back going bare bottom, but any advice on what to expect and damage control is greatly needed!
Thanks