Starting to Dose Nitrate

[The-Russ]

Honestly I don't remember fine tuning my carbon dosing. Been doing it for a couple of years and I tweak the dose from time to time. It's been pretty flexible for me. I have always used vodka.

What ratio do you use?

 

[The-Russ]

Cyano, Cyano, Cyano... UGH!!! I HATE WATER

I quit dosing Vodka then sucked out the cyano. it was fine for a few days, not noticeable growth so I started back with the Vodka. In a few days, CYANO.

I know a lot of people have this issue, but how do you deal with it? Do you keep dosing Vodka and it will balance it's self out in a few weeks? Do I change Carbon source and try Vinegar? Do I stop dosing Carbon and let it die off?

I have stopped dosing Nitrate and the levels have not gone down so I have something going on.

@Russ265 @twilliard @jumplittlechloe

 

[Russ265]

Cyano, Cyano, Cyano... UGH!!! I HATE WATER

I quit dosing Vodka then sucked out the cyano. it was fine for a few days, not noticeable growth so I started back with the Vodka. In a few days, CYANO.

I know a lot of people have this issue, but how do you deal with it? Do you keep dosing Vodka and it will balance it's self out in a few weeks? Do I change Carbon source and try Vinegar? Do I stop dosing Carbon and let it die off?

I have stopped dosing Nitrate and the levels have not gone down so I have something going on.

@Russ265 @twilliard @jumplittlechloe

cyano will eat up nitrate like it's candy ime.
also i see these cyano posts from carbon dosers all too often when they are 5-15 nitrate or lower.

cyano loves carbon.

why are you dosing nitrate AND carbon?

 

[agfish12]

Carbon was the whole reason I had cyano to begin with. Stop using carbon IMO

 

[The-Russ]

I am dosing carbon to boost bacteria lower nitrate and remove phosphate. It sounded like a good idea.

After dosing nitrate and getting it to a readable level it does not go down. I thought the carbon would help with that.

 

[Jonathan Presseau]

I am dosing carbon to boost bacteria lower nitrate and remove phosphate. It sounded like a good idea.

After dosing nitrate and getting it to a readable level it does not go down. I thought the carbon would help with that.

I can also confirm Cyano started with Nitrate dosing in my tank. I have tried to balance the bacteria by dosing MicroBacter7. I have no tried a Carbon source. I am having what I think are the same issues as you.

 

[Russ265]

I am dosing carbon to boost bacteria lower nitrate and remove phosphate. It sounded like a good idea.

After dosing nitrate and getting it to a readable level it does not go down. I thought the carbon would help with that.

carbon wont lower po4. not to anything measureable ime. it just removes nitrate.

also you might want to double up on gac in a reactor if you do it.

bah. ill call ya

 

[Russ265]

I can also confirm Cyano started with Nitrate dosing in my tank. I have tried to balance the bacteria by dosing MicroBacter7. I have no tried a Carbon source. I am having what I think are the same issues as you.

since my system eats nitrate like there is no tomorrow. i notice the amount of doseage i have to increase if cyano is present. i mean. like 4x more dosing to retain 8ppm nitrate.

this could hold true though.
if i dose phosphate. (my system is nitrate dominant) then cyano appears. but it ebbs and flows.

but the short end of the stick is nitrate ime. those cyano matts will make 0 nitrate a reality in a jiffy and ive seen them hang around a while with or without dosing. i change out my GAC and thats all she wrote.

but cyano i generally see with heavy carbon loads.

just adding my .02

i do not see mb7 doing anything but eating carbon and nitrate iirc. been a while since i dosed the stuff

 

[Jonathan Presseau]

I actually do believe the 14 day dosing i just finished of MB7 helped with the cyano. There is not as much as there had been. I wonder though. Are you saying running carbon in a reactor will help combat the cyano and bring balance to the bacteria in the system? The tank i am dosing is all Zoas and fish. I am looking for "dirty" water with around 5ppm NO3.

 

[Russ265]

I actually do believe the 14 day dosing i just finished of MB7 helped with the cyano. There is not as much as there had been. I wonder though. Are you saying running carbon in a reactor will help combat the cyano and bring balance to the bacteria in the system? The tank i am dosing is all Zoas and fish. I am looking for "dirty" water with around 5ppm NO3.

from what ive read and my own experience. cyano is kind of an issue when it(nitrate) is lowish. 5-15ppm. with carbon dosing.

i never heard someone with 50ppm nitrate having a cyano outbreak. just a ton of variables and hard to conclude anything.

i will say this... carbon is a catalyst from my tests. without a doubt amino acids or carbon always bring about cyano with low nutrient/nitrate systems.

i cant give you much more beyond that. seems we are in finicky land.

i wish i had all the answers. the only thing i do to combat cyano is to reload gac and it seems to stop.

i could tell you to up flow or stop feeding or whatever the advice (of the cool kids) is but we know you would tune me out.

if you follow carbon though. we have a strong tie to cyano.

 

[Jonathan Presseau]

from what ive read and my own experience. cyano is kind of an issue when it(nitrate) is lowish. 5-15ppm. with carbon dosing.

i never heard someone with 50ppm nitrate having a cyano outbreak. just a ton of variables and hard to conclude anything.

i will say this... carbon is a catalyst from my tests. without a doubt amino acids or carbon always bring about cyano with low nutrient/nitrate systems.

i cant give you much more beyond that. seems we are in finicky land beyond that.

i wish i had all the answers. the only thing i do to combat cyano is to reload gac and it seems to stop.

i could tell you to up flow or stop feeding or whatever the advice (of the cool kids) is but we know you would tune me out.

if you follow carbon though. we have a strong tie to cyano.

Thanks for the advice! My NO3 is at 7 ppm at the moment. I think it was somebody else who had the very high readings on their Red Sea kit. I use the iDip and it seem pretty accurate to me. I do have a reactor and plenty of carbon to run through it (I used to run carbon and gfo, but stopped when I started dosing Potassium Nitrate).

 

[The-Russ]

I am looking for "dirty" water with around 5ppm NO3.

I think on these threads 5ppm is considered clean. Some would argue too clean. Right or wrong I don't know, but I am having a good time trying to figure it out.

 

[The-Russ]

Just a side note I would check your TDS readings with an appropriate "hand held meter" not a inline meter to insure 000 TDS as well

I got a handheld reader and my TDS in the holding tank was 15. hmmm.... It is zero on the inline reader but 15 sitting in the tank. Thoughts?

 

[jent]

If you mix salt in the holding tank it makes sense. If only RO goes in it then one of your meters of lying (my guess is in line).

 

[Russ265]

I got a handheld reader and my TDS in the holding tank was 15. hmmm.... It is zero on the inline reader but 15 sitting in the tank. Thoughts?

look on top of your fan blades. dusty?
how clean was your tank?
open your windows and watch dust particles fly!

-just spitballing

i wouldnt worry about 15 tds.

 

[The-Russ]

I have a room dedicated to my sump with no windows. I also have a tank that I just cleaned only for RODI.

I think maybe it is my DI Resin. I am going to do more testing when I get home. In the meantime I guess I will not worry about it.

 

[jent]

Yea, I should note i was assuming the container is sealed like mine. I get very low numbers from my ro container, but I am consious about contamination so I can rely on them.

 

[Russ265]

I have a room dedicated to my sump with no windows. I also have a tank that I just cleaned only for RODI.

I think maybe it is my DI Resin. I am going to do more testing when I get home. In the meantime I guess I will not worry about it.

correct me if im wrong but di just deionizes the water. the solids are removed by the membrane. actually i could be wrong on that. i always get 0 after ro anyway.

i get 48 tds coming in from my water here in gwinnett. not sure what forsyth's is.

 

[The-Russ]

correct me if im wrong but di just deionizes the water. the solids are removed by the membrane. actually i could be wrong on that. i always get 0 after ro anyway.

i get 48 tds coming in from my water here in gwinnett. not sure what forsyth's is.

When depleted. DI resin can and will leach out TDS. I knew that, BRAIN FART moment [emoji100]

I will order new resin sometime next week and will put a long term plan to add a tds meter with 3 inputs.

 

[Russ265]

When depleted. DI resin can and will leach out TDS. I knew that, BRAIN FART moment [emoji100]

I will order new resin sometime next week and will put a long term plan to add a tds meter with 3 inputs.

good times!