nitrate dilemma
- Thread starter russ-iv
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500 efflo is the best grower so far. Although mine turned bright red for some reason. I'll stop by this weekend and see if you have any other cool pieces
I wouldnt get the phosphate additive. I messed with it, and i just introduced stress and grew turf algae. I just cut gfo off and let whatever trace po4 do it's thing until it shows up on my test kit.
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Why not add a clown? Everyone loves a "Circus!"
Wannabee
sorry i feed the corals every other day. (i think i meantioned the coral food unless fish can eat oyster feast)
i feed fish morning and evening
WannabeeaReefKeeper;1042886 wrote: Why not add a clown? Everyone loves a "Circus!"
Wannabee
lol because they just swim against a powerhead treading water all day without a host. or swim aiming down against an overflow.
You also mentioned cyano being visibly present. I once had an "outbreak" and through some research and through others, I found out I actually had detectable nitrates and phosphates. I was thrown off because the cyano was consuming(fueling) it. Once I treated the cyano and retested, I found out I had 10ppm of Nitrate.
Something to consider...
Something to consider...
I used Chemi-pure. I wouldn't think twice about using it again. Your skimmer becomes useless once the dosage is added. As it will over-skim for severals and maybe a week. However, that is OK as you're adding oxygen back into the system.
No matter what you do, there will ALWAYS be a dominate alage form in the system...
I still suspect you have the same issue I had going on. I think your nitrates are much higher then you think, but your cyano and othe alage's are consuming it as food and fueling their growth. So in essence, if you're testing with a salifert kit, you may be getting a .5 nitrate reading.
Because not many people have this issue. I came across a poor guy who is undergoing my issue as well. Albeit, not as extreme.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2368351">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2368351</a>
combination of cooking corals, higher than 7.5 alk with ulns
Im glad i caught the last part about no3 without po4 will kill corals from another's experience.
Time to look in to the [IMG]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redfield_ratio">redfield ratio</a>
[QUOTE=][B]Sn4k33y3z;1042939 wrote:[/B] I used Chemi-pure. I wouldn't think twice about using it again. Your skimmer becomes useless once the dosage is added. As it will over-skim for severals and maybe a week. However, that is OK as you're adding oxygen back into the system.
No matter what you do, there will ALWAYS be a dominate alage form in the system...
I still suspect you have the same issue I had going on. I think your nitrates are much higher then you think, but your cyano and othe alage's are consuming it as food and fueling their growth. So in essence, if you're testing with a salifert kit, you may be getting a .5 nitrate reading.[/QUOTE]
i also know that there is always a balance in a system if you just wait it out.
I'm not going to nuke my system with antibiotics and add another unnecessary variable.
Tbh, i dont find cyano as bad as other's make it out to be unless you let it get out of hand. If i get tired of it, ill lights-out for 2 days.
I introduced phyto to jump start the dominant strain of algae I wanted for that very purpose.
All those antibiotics kill all bacteria, heterotrophs, anaerobic, aerobic, everything.... not to mention die off. (maybe 10ppm of it)
I will admit i considered purchasing a skimmer just to bomb cyano, but im keeping with my original plan unless I see the need.
for now ill chalk it up as the "uglies" stage of a newer tank
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2368351">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2368351</a>
combination of cooking corals, higher than 7.5 alk with ulns
Im glad i caught the last part about no3 without po4 will kill corals from another's experience.
Time to look in to the [IMG]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redfield_ratio">redfield ratio</a>
[QUOTE=][B]Sn4k33y3z;1042939 wrote:[/B] I used Chemi-pure. I wouldn't think twice about using it again. Your skimmer becomes useless once the dosage is added. As it will over-skim for severals and maybe a week. However, that is OK as you're adding oxygen back into the system.
No matter what you do, there will ALWAYS be a dominate alage form in the system...
I still suspect you have the same issue I had going on. I think your nitrates are much higher then you think, but your cyano and othe alage's are consuming it as food and fueling their growth. So in essence, if you're testing with a salifert kit, you may be getting a .5 nitrate reading.[/QUOTE]
i also know that there is always a balance in a system if you just wait it out.
I'm not going to nuke my system with antibiotics and add another unnecessary variable.
Tbh, i dont find cyano as bad as other's make it out to be unless you let it get out of hand. If i get tired of it, ill lights-out for 2 days.
I introduced phyto to jump start the dominant strain of algae I wanted for that very purpose.
All those antibiotics kill all bacteria, heterotrophs, anaerobic, aerobic, everything.... not to mention die off. (maybe 10ppm of it)
I will admit i considered purchasing a skimmer just to bomb cyano, but im keeping with my original plan unless I see the need.
for now ill chalk it up as the "uglies" stage of a newer tank
FYI No3 does not bind to sand or rock.
Last and if your stance is you want more No3 and you subscribe to a skimmer creates more No3 than it removes :doh: .... My light bulb is telling me you should incorporate a skimmer to do with what it is designed not to do or to do in your situation.
what is the most abundant algae in the ocean?
it doesnt reproduce off unicorns and rainbows
your skimmer removes it first.
case in point.
lol@substrate and rocks not leeching nitrate. you can do a 100% water change, clean that same substrate and still have turf algae growing off it.
why do you think people switch out their substrates every few years? its not just po4.
crushed coral traps detritus but even if you clean it, its still bound up.
i had nitrate issues for a year with my 220 and couldnt get it below 20 until i changed the substrate and rocks.
ask anyone or check youtube of people with the same issue.
also. too many people have ditched their skimmer and biopellets for the very same issue. countless articles litter the net.
i have no pellets, no skimmer, feed my pants off, and still have nitrates i cant keep above .5 ppm. skimmer has already been invalidated.
the only time i would use a skimmer is if the tank was overstocked and you had too much poo and trash for your natural biosphere to take care of it.
even then... you will still have nitrates climbing and have to resort to an ats or carbon.
In all my years I've never found an amphipod or bristleworm in my skimmer cup.
Maybe you're doing it wrong?
If a skimmer is working properly, it's fractionating proteins.. the ones that cause the surface tension that create the bubbles, which collect in the cup.
In all my years I've never met anyone who either had trouble accumulating nitrate... or wanted to.
My head hurts
Jenn
Maybe you're doing it wrong?
If a skimmer is working properly, it's fractionating proteins.. the ones that cause the surface tension that create the bubbles, which collect in the cup.
In all my years I've never met anyone who either had trouble accumulating nitrate... or wanted to.
My head hurts
Jenn
In summary, the skimmer is pulling out a solid, water-insoluble mixture of compounds that consist by weight of (approximately):
44 % of CaCO3
5% of MgCO3
11% of biogenic opal
34% of organic material
0.5% of phosphate</em>
50% of your skimmate is calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.
to each their own.
http://www.waldonell.com/reef/reef-articles/what-is-in-your-skimmate/">biological analysis of skimmate</a>
not doc only
