Nitrate/Phosphate question

[njtiger24 aquariums]

Good morning guys.

I wanted to get everyone's thoughts. I would believe that I have phosphate and nitrate even though they test low. My phosphate jumps between 0.00 and 0.10. My nitrate is around 10.

I have a tight sump but was thinking of creating a small refugium but not sure. Here are some of my ideas (in no order) that I am kicking around so let me know what you guys think; please note I am running GFO

* install some egg create in my sump to create a small refugium section.
* use my old coralife skimmer as the container for the refugium (not sure if that would work also worry about leaking)
* use chempure
* pick up a bio pellet reactor
* create a upflow algae scubber
* create a waterfall algae scubber
* use Red Sea NoPox
* open to suggestions

 

[art13]

.1 phosphate is high, how quick does the jump between 0-.1 happen? also, any reason you want everything lower other than just for the fact that they are detectable? 10 nitrates is fine.

 

[horseplay]

I don't like the idea of having a refugium in the sump after having one. It's usually too small to make an impact and all kind of stuff will start growing in the sump making it messy to work with.

You can run a bio-pellet reactor which is easy to setup. Start with a small amount, like 100ml for a few weeks before adding more and watch your tank carefully. Once the BP reactor is established the key is to feed more so you can have some nutrients in the system. You can take your GFO offline for a while but you might need it later because the NO3 is almost always removed faster than PO4. I have not tried other chemicals but BP is more cost effectively and easier to work with. I use a reef octopus reactor (not the recirculating one) and pretty happy with it.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

.1 phosphate is high, how quick does the jump between 0-.1 happen? also, any reason you want everything lower other than just for the fact that they are detectable? 10 nitrates is fine.

@art13 it depends. i used to test weekly but lately I been swamp and dont get to test weekly. normally it only gets around the 0.10 when its time to replace my GFO. I understand the 10 for nitrate isn't bad. I should had explained my issue (which i meant to but forgot)

I have to clean my glass every night or it gets very nasty looking. I also though some of my corals should be growing faster than they are.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

I don't like the idea of having a refugium in the sump after having one. It's usually too small to make an impact and all kind of stuff will start growing in the sump making it messy to work with.

You can run a bio-pellet reactor which is easy to setup. Start with a small amount, like 100ml for a few weeks before adding more and watch your tank carefully. Once the BP reactor is established the key is to feed more so you can have some nutrients in the system. You can take your GFO offline for a while but you might need it later because the NO3 is almost always removed faster than PO4. I have not tried other chemicals but BP is more cost effectively and easier to work with. I use a reef octopus reactor (not the recirculating one) and pretty happy with it.

What model reactor are you using? Also does it clog? If a reactor does clog does it over flow or stop working?

 

[iTzJu]

IMHO I wouldn't chase numbers for those parameters unless you are going for a ULNS or having bad algae problems. I would observe your corals and see if they are happy. Your NO3 and PO4 values are not bad - your PO4 is a tad high at .10 but it's manageable. I would try NOPOX first if you want to try any carbon dosing since it doesn't require a separate reactor and can easily get a 500ml bottler for less than $25 or find your self a bottle of vinegar or cheap vodka.

 

[art13]

I would go with cheap vodka if you really want to try and bring it down, but if you have no receding or algae issues, i wouldn't bother with it much. I know someone who was getting amazing growth and his nitrates were around 40ppm and phosphate was well over .1.

 

[horseplay]

I have the medium sized model (BP 110) and it never clogged. I have not touched it for 6 months. If it's clogged you will see the pellets tumbling slower I guess. I used to connect the output of the BP reactor to the intake of the skimmer. I don't do that anymore and it makes no difference.

Randy Holmes-Farley recommends vinegar/vodka over BP. And a lot of people use it with great success. It basically costs nothing to get started. But I have not used it.

 

[mnat]

After adding a bigger fuge to my setup, and talking to people who have done the same recently, I would recommend that direction. I tried the egg crate in the sump type thing and as other said it was not enough. I would look at the algae scrubbers/reactors out there and give one a try. I also run a nature reef reactor which works wonders.

With that being said, where do you think the nitratres and phosphates are coming from?

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

With that being said, where do you think the nitratres and phosphates are coming from?

To tell the truth I am not sure. I don't believe I am over feeding, I feed a little once a day. In fact there times I wonder if I am feeding my fish enough. I know I am not putting nitrate into the system; I did a test of my tank water, my top off, and my new saltwater mix and both the top off and new salt mix was 0. I did not test them for phosphate but I should do that I think; maybe I will do that this weekend cause I am due for a water change.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

guys thanks for the info. add more to my research into which route i want to go.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

I would go with cheap vodka if you really want to try and bring it down, but if you have no receding or algae issues, i wouldn't bother with it much. I know someone who was getting amazing growth and his nitrates were around 40ppm and phosphate was well over .1.

The only thing that really making me think I have a problem is the need to clean my glass every night. If I didn't have to clean my glass every night then I wouldn't even be thinking this.

 

[art13]

how old is your tank?

 

[mnat]

How old are your sandbed and rocks? Do you do any maintenance on them?

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

tank is over a year old (about 15 to 16 months) rock and sandbed same age of the tank. @mnat what do you mean maintenance on them?

 

[art13]

vacuuming the sand bed, blowing out the rocks with a powerhead.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

I do blow the rocks off but no I have not vacuumed the top layer of the sandbed

 

[art13]

Quite honestly, if your only issue is cleaning the glass often, thats not a bad issue to have. I'm all for the less you have to do to a tank the better, and try to run nothing but a skimmer and a fuge for filtration. I'm only carbon dosing with gfo right now to combat the bryopsis and hair algae caused by a number of things, my last tank, before i broke it down, i ran nothing but a skimmer and live rock in the end. I also had a 3-4 inch sand bed on that tank that i never touched.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

Thanks for the info guys. @art13 your right cleaning the glass isn't that bad just a pain lol. I was more concern that was a sign of a bigger/unseen issue but my corals are doing well so I guess I can take that as a good sign

 

[art13]

If everyone is happy, don't mess up a good thing chasing numbers. do yourself a favor and get a magnetic cleaner, i have a flipper, takes about a minute to clean the glass.