Running a refugium, Phosguard, changing filter socks regularly , and limiting my feedings and still run NO3-19 and Phosphates-.291. Have added Phosphate E with some improvement but it always comes back up to these levels. Was considering dosing NoPOX. Any suggestions to prevent my SPS corals from browning out and having poor growth? Having a problem with recurrent Cyanobacteria as well. Would love some guidance on this. Thanks.
Possible Old Tank Syndrome
- Thread starter asunshine
- Start date
Could.you supply more info about the system?
A couple of bags of chemi-pure elite can balance things back evenly if needed. Whatsbcausing the issue is the question. Have you siphoned out the sump if it's dirty? Anything added that might be unbinding phosphate from the rock? Could try some microbacter clean and microbacter 7 in tandem. It's a long play time wise but I've seen it work effectively.
My tank is 10 years old. It is a 215G. I run 2 RO/DI systems for water changes and ATO with each having 2 DI resin cartridges. TDS is zero. ICP test show low FE and I, presumably related to by Refugium. i feed pellets once a day when I am away and rinse frozen food when home. I feed reef roids and AB+ once per week. Other parameters are pH-7.99, Ca-460, Mg-1375, dKh-8.96. I do a 10-15% water change every 7-10 days. I recently redid the rock stack and suctioned out as much detritus as possible. I clean my refugium and sump once a month. With such limited feeding, I am amazed at how dirty my filter socks get after 3-5 days. I have only 7 fish and a handful of corals because I won’t add until I have optimum conditions.
I recently bought some Rowaphos and NoPoX to try in my tank. Is there any difference in these vs. the products you recommend? Hopefully this info will. Did my best to answer your question.
I recently bought some Rowaphos and NoPoX to try in my tank. Is there any difference in these vs. the products you recommend? Hopefully this info will. Did my best to answer your question.
Just wondering, why are you feeding reef roids and AB+? With your high phosphates and measurable nitrates, I would lay off those two. It's not helping your situation. The rest of your parameters look good.
Rowaphos will work for your phosphates, but I believe it is much more costly than just using GFO. Just like GFO tho, it can strip your phosphates pretty quick if you use too much at a time. Also, when you were dosing Phosphate E (branded lanthanum chloride), did you have a filter sock <10 micron to capture the particles as it bound to the phosphates? Lanthanum Chloride is probably the most cost effective way to reduce phosphates, but this can be detrimental to your SPS if you do it too fast.
NoPox works great on Nitrates, but it just takes time. Again, NoPox is just a branded version of a carbon source for bacteria to proliferate. You can dose straight vodka (make sure its unflavored and 40% alcohol/vol). Or, you can mix it with vinegar. NoPox is a mix of Vinegar, Vodka, water, and Methanol. I use Vinegar/Vodkar mix to achieve the same results as NoPox.
Rowaphos will work for your phosphates, but I believe it is much more costly than just using GFO. Just like GFO tho, it can strip your phosphates pretty quick if you use too much at a time. Also, when you were dosing Phosphate E (branded lanthanum chloride), did you have a filter sock <10 micron to capture the particles as it bound to the phosphates? Lanthanum Chloride is probably the most cost effective way to reduce phosphates, but this can be detrimental to your SPS if you do it too fast.
NoPox works great on Nitrates, but it just takes time. Again, NoPox is just a branded version of a carbon source for bacteria to proliferate. You can dose straight vodka (make sure its unflavored and 40% alcohol/vol). Or, you can mix it with vinegar. NoPox is a mix of Vinegar, Vodka, water, and Methanol. I use Vinegar/Vodkar mix to achieve the same results as NoPox.
Based on your feeding and livestock, I would have to agree with this assessment. Just take it slow when it comes to reducing phosphates. Keep us updated.
In addition to what civics said regarding cutting out the Reef Roids & AB+. Your NO3 a little high, but not crazy high I shoot for 5-10. Yes the PO4 is really high.
I would not start dosing NOPOX until you get your PO4 better in line. Again NO3 isn't that high, and if you strip it out without lowering the PO4 you will likely make the cyano much worse. I would also not recommend using the Phosphat-E unless you have the equipment needed to dose it correctly. Mixed 1:1 or 1:2 with RODI water dosed with a dosing pump into the tank overflow with an automatic doser and using 5-10 micron filter socks. The sock will probably need to be changed out every 24-30 hours as they clog fast even without dosing lanthanum. If you are dead set on trying to use it I will post up some links for you to read. But be aware, no matter what Brightwell says. If used improperly you will not only run the risk of killing coral but possibly losing fish too.
This would be my 1 month plan to get things back in line. Using GFO at half the recommended amount in a reactor combined with several larger water changes to get the PO4 down. With the phos that high the GFO will likely absorb all it can in a day or less. That is why you need to go slow and not strip it out too fast. Test before and after to see how much it drops. You don't want more than a .05 drop per GFO use initially and once you get it down to 0.15 you'll what to go much slower to get it to 0.05~0.10. During that month, increase the water changes to 25-35% of the total system volume. Done at one time, not 3 10% changes back to back. Those water changes should also bring the NO3 down all by themselves without you needing to do anything else. Use the GFO as described every other to every 3 days, testing after a day. If you drop the PO4 too fast or zero it out entirely you will piss the SPS off really bad.
What are you using to maintain Alk & Cal? Using Kalk with measured doses via a dosing pump will help keep your PO4 in check once you get it down.
I would not start dosing NOPOX until you get your PO4 better in line. Again NO3 isn't that high, and if you strip it out without lowering the PO4 you will likely make the cyano much worse. I would also not recommend using the Phosphat-E unless you have the equipment needed to dose it correctly. Mixed 1:1 or 1:2 with RODI water dosed with a dosing pump into the tank overflow with an automatic doser and using 5-10 micron filter socks. The sock will probably need to be changed out every 24-30 hours as they clog fast even without dosing lanthanum. If you are dead set on trying to use it I will post up some links for you to read. But be aware, no matter what Brightwell says. If used improperly you will not only run the risk of killing coral but possibly losing fish too.
This would be my 1 month plan to get things back in line. Using GFO at half the recommended amount in a reactor combined with several larger water changes to get the PO4 down. With the phos that high the GFO will likely absorb all it can in a day or less. That is why you need to go slow and not strip it out too fast. Test before and after to see how much it drops. You don't want more than a .05 drop per GFO use initially and once you get it down to 0.15 you'll what to go much slower to get it to 0.05~0.10. During that month, increase the water changes to 25-35% of the total system volume. Done at one time, not 3 10% changes back to back. Those water changes should also bring the NO3 down all by themselves without you needing to do anything else. Use the GFO as described every other to every 3 days, testing after a day. If you drop the PO4 too fast or zero it out entirely you will piss the SPS off really bad.
What are you using to maintain Alk & Cal? Using Kalk with measured doses via a dosing pump will help keep your PO4 in check once you get it down.
This is just amazing. Three days ago I was at NO3-19.4 and P04-..359 (testing with Hanna kits). Did a 15% water change and started with fresh ROWA phos and cleaned out my refugium (trimmed caulerpa back to increase flow), sump, socks, overflows. You name it!! Two days later P04-.527 (tested twice). Fed the tank very sparingly. The only think that makes sense is that my rocks and sand are full of Phosphates. Thoughts?
I've never heard of a swing like that even if rock's are the cause. It reads to me like you took some steps to eliminate PO4 and ended up nearly doubling it somehow? Something doesn't sound quite right. If it were the rocks, why would they not have pushed the levels higher in the past? Please note that I'm not the smartest guy around but these questions are what comes to my mind immediately.
As far as reducing NO3 - I use NOPOX and it works (after 6 weeks or so.)
For PO4 - I've always used the Two Little Fishes Phosban of the BRS High capacity GFO. I've used both with great results.
As far as reducing NO3 - I use NOPOX and it works (after 6 weeks or so.)
For PO4 - I've always used the Two Little Fishes Phosban of the BRS High capacity GFO. I've used both with great results.
Making progress. Used RowasPhos @x treatments this week and did a water change. Also dosed Phosphate Rx and my new numbers are N03-11.4 and P04-.153. So now I can go slow. Will do a water change today(10 days later) and see where I am at tomorrow. I don't know how to maintain it except to keep on testing and changing out GFO. Hopefully I can get this settled down so I can confidently put more coral and fish in the aquarium. Thanks for your assistance!!