Why wont my Nutrients rise?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am dosing the recommend amount to bring the numbers to my target however after only a couple hours I'm back to zeros. Something is consuming the N&P. And I have verified test kits are accurate.

That does not seem especially unusual. The amount you are likely dosing is going to be much less than the daily flux of N and P through organisms.

 

[TheDuude]

That does not seem especially unusual. The amount you are likely dosing is going to be much less than the daily flux of N and P through organisms.

So would my best course of action be to continue dosing the recommended amount and watch for the "catch up" or should I start increasing my dose until I hit my target numbers?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So would my best course of action be to continue dosing the recommended amount and watch for the "catch up" or should I start increasing my dose until I hit my target numbers?

I'm not sure what the "recommended" amount means, but if you are not maintaining at least 1-2 ppm nitrate and 0.01 ppm phosphate 24 h after dosing, I'd increase the dose.

 

[TheDuude]

I'm not sure what the "recommended" amount means, but if you are not maintaining at least 1-2 ppm nitrate and 0.01 ppm phosphate 24 h after dosing, I'd increase the dose.

I'm dosing the amount that should bring me to my target according to the instructions. I will start raising my dose up over the next couple weeks and keep testing.

 

[TheDuude]

Do you measure right after dosing, then a few hours later measure 0? Or just a few hours later?

Tested today within 5 mins of dosing. Nitrates .5 and phosphate 0.

 

[spiraling]

Tested today within 5 mins of dosing. Nitrates .5 and phosphate 0.

What did you dose to?
It sounds like you have heavy consumption and / or your test kit(s) aren't good. Have you put the recommended amount in a bucket of salt water and measured the rise there to test your kit?
Also - what test kits do you have?

 

[TheDuude]

What did you dose to?
It sounds like you have heavy consumption and / or your test kit(s) aren't good. Have you put the recommended amount in a bucket of salt water and measured the rise there to test your kit?
Also - what test kits do you have?

I dosed 25 ml Neonitro and 15ml Neophos. Using nyos for nitrate and salifert for phosphate. I have verified both test kits are working with reference solutions by adding neophos and nitro to rodi

 

[GainesvilleReef]

Are you still running your lights at full strength? Sounds to me that you are just feeding the dinos. I have gone through this on a new tank earlier this year. I reduced my lighting to the minimum where the fish can see their food.

 

[TheDuude]

Are you still running your lights at full strength? Sounds to me that you are just feeding the dinos. I have gone through this on a new tank earlier this year. I reduced my lighting to the minimum where the fish can see their food.

Yes I have reduced my photoperiod, taken out all whites, and reduced intensity as much as I feel comfortable with. I have LPS, softies, and still a few SPS corals that are thriving so I do not want to starve them of light. I have not done a blackout yet. I am beginning to see some positive improvements. The dinos no longer contain trapped air, they seem much less stringy, and I am starting to see pods in the sand again. Current plan is to stay the course until I hit my target N&P numbers. Once there, I may do a good vacuuming into a filter sock followed by a blackout to knock them back good.

If I blackout is it necessary to block out all light or will just powering down the tank lights be sufficient? The tank gets some ambient light from a window nearby but not really any direct sunlight.

 

[spiraling]

I dosed 25 ml Neonitro and 15ml Neophos. Using nyos for nitrate and salifert for phosphate. I have verified both test kits are working with reference solutions by adding neophos and nitro to rodi

Wow, I guess you have heavy consumption
You could try dosing 2x day

 

[GainesvilleReef]

Yes I have reduced my photoperiod, taken out all whites, and reduced intensity as much as I feel comfortable with. I have LPS, softies, and still a few SPS corals that are thriving so I do not want to starve them of light. I have not done a blackout yet. I am beginning to see some positive improvements. The dinos no longer contain trapped air, they seem much less stringy, and I am starting to see pods in the sand again. Current plan is to stay the course until I hit my target N&P numbers. Once there, I may do a good vacuuming into a filter sock followed by a blackout to knock them back good.

If I blackout is it necessary to block out all light or will just powering down the tank lights be sufficient? The tank gets some ambient light from a window nearby but not really any direct sunlight.

I have never needed to do a total blackout. But I have turned off my lights for a day or two. Less light the better. But I have always compromised. It's all about growing enough bacteria to outcompete the dinos. It sounds counter-intuitive but you might make faster progress turning off the UV. It might kill some of the dinos, but it will definitely inhibit the bacteria you need to grow.

 

[TheDuude]

I have never needed to do a total blackout. But I have turned off my lights for a day or two. Less light the better. But I have always compromised. It's all about growing enough bacteria to outcompete the dinos. It sounds counter-intuitive but you might make faster progress turning off the UV. It might kill some of the dinos, but it will definitely inhibit the bacteria you need to grow.

I was thinking the same thing last night so I now have my UV running only at night when the Dinos are most likely to be in the water column. Although I am 90% sure I have Amphidinium. I was thinking about plumbing my siphon through my UV when I decide to vacuum the sand. Think that would do anything? Im going to wait to disturb the sane until I can get my N&P consistent.

 

[TheDuude]

Wow, I guess you have heavy consumption
You could try dosing 2x day

I am upping my dose now and will begin splitting the dose morning and night. I am just so surprised the N&P can get absorbed that fast. I literally tested right after dosing last night and still nothing. At this rate dosing NeoNitro and Neophos is going to get costly so I am going to order some dry KNO3 and PO4 which will also allow me to make stronger solutions as well.

 

[chuckfu5]

Give it time and don't go too quick. Mine was the same way when I was trying to raise P04. I couldn't get it to go up. But after about three weeks it finally started to climb and then got really high. I wouldn't change your dosing more than a few ML at a time.

 

[spiraling]

I am just so surprised the N&P can get absorbed that fast.

I thought that too, although I would raise my nitrate to about 5, then the next day it would be just above 0. It took several months, but it did finally go up. The dinos are certainly consuming it.

 

[zachj7]

Update for me: been dosing NeoNitro like you, started with an increase for 1ppm per day (25mL for me) the next day would be back to 0ppm. Upped the dose to a 2ppm increase. And this morning I'm finally getting a non 0 nitrate reading from the previous days dose, I'm at 1ppm. Just did another 2ppm increase dose and see if it holds at 1ppm tomorrow, or increases. Will figure out how much I need to dose going forward this way.

Like you, depending on how much i need to keep dosing NeoNitro may or may not be very economical. I don't know much about the KNO3 stuff, will have to reasearch. What are all the options? What's recommended?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Phosphate will rapidly bind to rock and sand. It's reduction (if, in fact, it is declining) does not imply consumption by organisms.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Like you, depending on how much i need to keep dosing NeoNitro may or may not be very economical. I don't know much about the KNO3 stuff, will have to reasearch. What are all the options? What's recommended?

Food grade sodium nitrate. Readily available from Amazon and elsewhere. Loudwolf is a good brand many use.

 

[TheDuude]

Phosphate will rapidly bind to rock and sand. It's reduction (if, in fact, it is declining) does not imply consumption by organisms.

I assume there is a finite amount of Phosphate that can bind to the rock and sand? So eventually my rocks and sand will be saturated and more will remain the water column?

 

[TheDuude]

Update for me: been dosing NeoNitro like you, started with an increase for 1ppm per day (25mL for me) the next day would be back to 0ppm. Upped the dose to a 2ppm increase. And this morning I'm finally getting a non 0 nitrate reading from the previous days dose, I'm at 1ppm. Just did another 2ppm increase dose and see if it holds at 1ppm tomorrow, or increases. Will figure out how much I need to dose going forward this way.

Like you, depending on how much i need to keep dosing NeoNitro may or may not be very economical. I don't know much about the KNO3 stuff, will have to reasearch. What are all the options? What's recommended?

I ordered the reef tank fertilizer package from green leaf aquariums. Couldn't beat the price.