Time for nopox?

[Caseyoidae]

Thanks! Just order a bottle of trisodium phosphate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, regarding vinegar dosing, I’ve been reading your articles and found a link to the chart pictured below. Is this a good starting point? Is a small consistent dose better long term as opposed to ramping up? ( to avoid bottoming out effects on no3, po4, ph and possibly o2) or is the whole point to ramp up while continuing to check no3 and po4 to find my tanks dose. assuming the chart is ml per day? My nitrates are 20 ppm and po4 is .04 ppm would this be a good time to start? Thanks for all the help guys!

Despite my name on the article, I didn't make that chart.

IMO, it scales up oddly with tank size and is much slower to ramp up dosing than is needed, IMO

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you ! Any recommendations on po4 additives?
Edit; I found one option. Brightwell Neophos. I’ll order some and give it a try

Sodium or potassium phosphate, food grade, from Amazon or other places is a fine choice.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Thanks! I ordered this one.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That’s a good choice.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Starting to see the correlation between feeding and po4/ no3 via testing.
Po4 showing 5ppb on Hannah and my Triphospate solution is now ready to go if I need it.
Nitrate is around 30 ppm so I bumped up vineager to 5ml following the chart. If it’s a slow chart that may work in my favor. Also following the 25 gallon regimen on a 40 gallon tank to be even safer.
Alk is finally down to 8! Just started the dosing pump back up to buffer it slowly down a little more. Consumption around .3 dkh daily.
Plan for now is 5 gallon bi-weekly water changes.
Thanks guys!!

 

[Caseyoidae]

I dosed .5 ml of Trisodium phosphate solution and waited a few hours. Tested twice and results were 8ppb and 9ppb. First time I’ve seen the polyps of my fox flame since I don’t know when

 

[Caseyoidae]

So I’m having to dose more often. Is trisodsium phosphate solution safe to run with a dosing pump? I dosed 1.5ml and tested immediately and the result was 9ppb/ .028 ppm. 5 hours later I tested and it was back to 0. Seems like my tank needs at least 4 ml daily. Thanks!

 

[Caseyoidae]

Just dosed again to get it back up. 1.5 ml brought it from 0 to 12ppb. I have found other cases of this zeroing and most seem to pass in a month or so and the dosing can be stopped. This zeroing must be from binding. I have also found others who have used Brightwells phosphate in dosing pumps. I plan on 1.5 ml before work 7am and 1.5ml when I get home 5pm for now

 

[ReefGeezer]

Just dosed again to get it back up. 1.5 ml brought it from 0 to 12ppb. I have found other cases of this zeroing and most seem to pass in a month or so and the dosing can be stopped. This zeroing must be from binding. I have also found others who have used Brightwells phosphate in dosing pumps. I plan on 1.5 ml before work 7am and 1.5ml when I get home 5pm for now

That should work, but I would often for a while to verify your process.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Testing daily. At least lol

 

[1mbrews8]

Testing daily. At least lol

how is this working for you currently?

 

[Caseyoidae]

I am up to 10 ml of vinegar and going to 13 Friday following the above posted chart but I’m following the 25 gallon regimen on a 40. No affects on nitrate yet. The trisodium phosphate dosing works awesome. Keeps me at an average 10ppb with 4ml solution daily via dosing pump.Testing po4 and alk daily. Nitrate every other day.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Up to 25ml daily vinegar all in one shot. No effect on nitrate (30ppm still) or ph (8-8.3)but the phosphate has been rock solid except one little slip up on my part where it went low again. Few more burnt tips but back to .03. Corals seem to really be appreciating the stability and even the tort I posted at the beginning of this thread has some polyp extension. Was unsure whether or not to cut off the dead parts so I cut a couple and left the rest to see what happens. Frag sized corals are loving it.

Alk has been steady at 8.2 with 5ml daily alk dosed. Just turned off my alk dosing to let it fall the final time to 7.6. My ending target.

Thanks for all the help guys! Lost one frag so far that was questionable to begin with. Would have been much worse without you guys!

 

[Caseyoidae]

Bumped up to 35ml vinegar today. I put it on dosing pump because ph swings began. Seeing some white stringy film growth on glass. Thinking it’s bacterial also my po4 consumption has almost doubled. Up to 10ml po4 solution from 4 last week. Not quite sure why but it must be part of the denitrification process/ bacteria using it. No3 is still around 35ppm. Good thing vinagers cheap!Most corals look okay but my alk consumption is still next to nothing! Corals still not happy I guess.

 

[Caseyoidae]

it’s been a few weeks, up to 50 ml vinegar daily and finally seeing some results. No3 has dropped to about 15 however ph has also followed the trend. Hitting 7.9 at night even with skimmer intake plumbed outside.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

it’s been a few weeks, up to 50 ml vinegar daily and finally seeing some results. No3 has dropped to about 15 however ph has also followed the trend. Hitting 7.9 at night even with skimmer intake plumbed outside.

Those values seem fine. I would not increase the dose.

 

[Caseyoidae]

Those values seem fine. I would not increase the dose.

Will hold steady! Thanks Randy!!

 

[Caseyoidae]

I’ve been holding steady at 50 ml and my no3 has been slowly lowering. It’s now somewhere between .5 And .75. Time to cut back on the vinegar?i added 2 boxes fluval bio rings (siporax knock off) In some panty hose to sump. white stringy bacteria growing great! I tested with Salifert and Red Sea. For some reason the Red Sea always looks purple to me, not pink like the others on the color wheel.
Edit, my gut is telling me to cut it back to 45ml daily.doing this for now just to be safe

 

[Big E]

The original directions were to cut dose in half once you have lowered levels to your liking. From there you then make minor adjustments to keep the level consistent without much movement. I followed that and it worked well for me. It also allows for the Po4 to make a rise so you can reduce/eliminate Po4 dosing.

Rule #7

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

You've had a pretty steep drop off in the last few weeks.......I'd probably drop a lot more than 5mls because of how low you are now.

.5-.75 is a little low for me, but it's your call.