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High Nitrates / Low Phosphates ?

iTzJu

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
So I'm stuck on something I've never encountered before, High Nitrates but undetectable Phosphates. I've done a large water change this pass weekend to try and lower it a bit but I am confused on why I have such high nitrates.

My water Param are

Temp: 77-79
Cal: 420
Alk: 8.1
Mg: 1320
PH: 7.98
No3: High (Salifert: 50ppm-100ppm) (Red Sea Pro: Off the charts)
Phos: Undetectable (Hanna: 0.0)


I started feeding every other day, with a variety of frozen and dry to try and control it. I also started dosing Red Sea NOPOX about 5 weeks ago but no noticeable difference in Nitrates. I've been doing my 10% weekly water changes also. I don't have any cyano or any unwanted algae growth. I also even took off the GFO reactor to try and raise phos thinking that might be the reason why the nitrates are soo high. I have some sort of imbalance or something. my SPS are still growing but not coloring up the way I know they could. My Miami Hurricane chalice is starting to loose my flesh, just noticed it this morning. Other than that.. thanks looks good, no deaths or extreme negative reactions. any ideas what could be driving my nitrates to be so high?
 
Rwc

Rwc

Do you run a deep sand bed that could be holding detritus or maybe buildup behind rock work from not enough circulation. Feeding every other day holy cow ,if I feed twice a week they are lucky but I don't have a heavily stocked tank
 
iTzJu

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Rwc said:
Do you run a deep sand bed that could be holding detritus or maybe buildup behind rock work from not enough circulation. Feeding every other day holy cow ,if I feed twice a week they are lucky but I don't have a heavily stocked tank
Click to expand...

I don't think it would circulation in the display, I have 2 wp25 running one in Pulse mode and the other in Else. everything moves, lol.

it could be build up in the refugium but to a point where my nitrates are that high?? keep in mind I am also carbon dosing for the past 4-6 weeks, i have not seen my PO4 go up at all. I've keep refugiums before but never experienced anything like this.

I was reading other articles, with similar problems and it seems that my nitrates are high because my tank has low PO4. is that a possible reason? should I try and introduce PO4 into the tank? stop carbon dosing?
 
Empire

Empire

The test kit is still good right? Are you using bio pellets? How much sand in your fuge and do you have enough sand sifters? What skimmer are you using? Sounds like you are not dissolving organics fast enough.
 
Rwc

Rwc

I had an issue a few weeks ago with my sump and po4 which ended with me shutting it down and shop vaccuming the whole thing out that was the source of my problem.
 
iTzJu

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Empire said:
The test kit is still good right? Are you using bio pellets? How much sand in your fuge and do you have enough sand sifters? What skimmer are you using? Sounds like you are not dissolving organics fast enough.
Click to expand...

Used two different kits thinking the same, Salifert and Red Sea, Salifer bought within the past 2 months and the Red Sea just a week ago. Not using pellets yet. 6" DSB in the fuge, might need to get more snails in there. NAC7 currently.
 
iTzJu

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Rwc said:
I had an issue a few weeks ago with my sump and po4 which ended with me shutting it down and shop vaccuming the whole thing out that was the source of my problem.
Click to expand...

hmm, i have not issues with PO4, undetectable with my kits. My nitrates are what's puzzling me.
 
@marko@

@marko@

you can feed often and not have a nutrient issue. i feed 2x a day and have undetectable NO3- and undetectable PO4---. :)

itzju, do you dose amino acids maybe? they contain a lot of N (each amino acid has at least 1 amino group), and no P. most foods contain P:N ratios in biological ratios, since they are made from whole animals, not extracted and purified residues.
do you dose carbon? its great for pulling out nitrogenous material.

what has been working in my tank is running fuge with a DSB and cheato, activated carbon replaced monthly, purigen, biochemzorb, skimming, and dosing EtOH.
 
iTzJu

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
I haven't officially started my dosing regimen yet. so that isn't the problem.

I'm a dosing NOPOX, which is ethanol based. I have undetectable Phosphates. Ive stopped dosing this week to see if I can raise my phosphates up a bit, do a massive water change and go from there.

Also plans for upgrading the skimmer are there too.
 
@marko@

@marko@

did you test your fresh water (meaning the water you do the WCs with)?
50-100 ppm is massive - way more than i have in my freshwater planted tank, and in there i dose KNO3. you have to be adding it with something, food alone shouldnt do it unless your dumping flakes in by the fistfull.
 
iTzJu

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
yup tested a fresh batch of saltwater this past weekend when I was doing my water change and its undetectable with both test. the water I'm making is clean. I also ordered a set of new RODI filters to make sure.
 
iTzJu

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Picked up a Reef Octopus NWB200 this past weekend. hopefully that helps with the nitrates, also did a 30 gallon water change. going to do another one next weekend.
 
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