Vinegar dosing week 8! NO3 still high! tank revamp.

[Skynyrd Fish]

In the last 6 months I have been revamping an old mud system tank total water volume 140 gal. It has been fish only / LR for 8 years

6 months ago:
-pulled 2/3 eco mud out. It was in there for 14 years.
-10 gallon water change

5 months
-10 gallon water change

4 months
-10 gallon water change

3 Months ago
-Pulled rest of the mud out and installed a new to me reef dynamics 180 skimmer
-15 gallon water change

2 Months ago
- pulled 33% of old gravel out and replaced with fiji pink live 1/2" deep 20lbs
- pulled 40% of rock out to do gravel change and scrubbed rock with a brush in old tank water, put rock back in
- 24 gallon water change
- Started Vodka dosing/MB7
- NO3 100 (sailfert) PH 8.1 (sailfert) Alk 10.2 (sailfert) temp 81, 1.026 on the refractometer (calibrated)
- Started BRS activated carbon and A Cup of phosguard in a sock.

6 weeks ago
- remaining bio balls removed approximately 3 pint glasses worth.
- PO4 at .5
- switched to tropic marin pro reef salt from IO. 20 gallon water change
- Removed 20% more Gravel / Replaced with sea floor special grade live 1/2" 12 lbs
- Scrubbed remaining rock on that 1/2 of the tank in salt water and returned to tank
- Alk 9.0 (sailfert), NO3 100, PO4 .34 (hanna) PH 8.1 temp 81

4 weeks ago
- continuing with vodka as per chart.
- noticed some dino's. Started H2O2 1ml per gallon, 8 day dose, three day black out, continued vodka and MB7.
- NO3 100
- New reef keeper light! Temp 79.2

3 weeks ago
- end of black out PO4 .62 (as to be expected) Tank looked great. slowly got lights on to full cycle 1pm 2x B+. 3pm add 2 more B+, purple + and 6700k, on till 10pm. 10pm thru 12 am 2x B+.
- NO3 100
- All new filters and DI Resin in my BRS RO/DI Unit. Still using the old membrane 75 gal. TDS 0 in an 0 out of the DI.
- Sucked out 35% more old gravel (crushed coral 15 years in the tank. only 15% left in the tank) it was gross. 20 gallon water change. Backed the skimmer down a bit due to not wanting dino's back

2 weeks ago switched to Vinegar!
- 35 ML vinegar upped to 50ML
- cleaned back glass and siphoned scrapings into a filter sock
- NO3 100
- Skimmer not doing much. Skimmate dark and stinky

This week
- upped vinegar to 60ml Not going by the chart I'm on week 8 and ramming my head into the wall with NO3. continuing MB7 six drops per day.
- PO4 down to .49 with no media so I know carbon dosing is working.\
- two days after I cleaned back glass I fired up 1.25 cups GFO in a reactor.
- yesterday NO4 at 75ish (sailfert)!!!
- Today NO4 at 100?? I was hoping for 50.
- upped the skimmer a bit

The question is, How much longer for NO3 to go down??? Im going insane. I already know Randy is going to tell me ATS or Cheato. I just ordered 60lbs of Pukani dry so Im going to cook/cycle it and remove most of my current rock in about 4 weeks. My water and tank look great. The fish look like they are swimming in air. 3 tangs and 4 little fish. I'm still fighting a bit of remaining cyano, and diatoms on the new sand. I also know that this tank has undergone major surgery every couple weeks. I'd like to get this to an acro/mille tank. My sump has some live rock in it and a skimmer/return pump/+sock with some carbon. Is my skimmer to small (reef dynamics 180)? Any tips or ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you killed algae or other organisms with peroxide, they may still be releasing nutrients.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

The peroxide didn't kill all algae. theres still some on the back glass and a little on the rocks. It's the green film, not GHA (yet). Im not sure how I did this but I just realized I used 15 ml instead of 150ml per 150 gallon! It did however stop a Dino outbreak from becoming the kiss of death. I had massive dinos a couple years ago when I tried to get the tank ready for coral. I almost tore the tank down. I quite skimming and water changes and that cleared that one up quick (3 weeks).

Other than time, anything else I can or should try? I may build a ATS this weekend. Thank You Randy, you have been a big help to all of us!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think waiting more is probably the best plan, but upping the vinegar might also work. I dose more than you are now in my 120 display (~300 gal total).

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Thank you. Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank. I'll bump tomorrows dose up to 75ml vinegar and try that for a week before bumping it up again. I'm looking forward to getting this under control.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Good luck!