Help with high nitrates and phosphate

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#21
I agree with Emac, what might work for me to reduce nitrates and phosphates might not work for your set up. I have a 150g mixed reef with a heavy bioload and has been running for 15 years. I used to do 40-50g water changes twice a month, and I can’t keep nitrates and phosphates down to acceptable levels. I couldn’t keep SPS alive to save my life lol, hence the high N/P. So, I decided to dose Vodka/vinegar. This method has been working for me, and I’m able to sustain some SPS. Again, this method works for my tank and it might not work for yours, but it’s worth looking in to and trying. I’m sure I’m not the only one here using this method. Happy reefing and New Year everyone!
 

Bighauck

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#24
Started nopox on Tuesday will test tank on Monday and post results
Debating switching to tropic Marin once nopox is gone
 

drexel

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#28
Btw, the combo of TM Elimi-NP and PNS Probio did the trick for me with lowering PO4. I now use PNS Probio and Biodigist Prodibio every other week (alternating between the two).
 

Bighauck

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#30
Dosed 3ml no3po4x for a week now
Po4 is now 0.62
No3 is still 75
Could have Lowered 75 is the max on the Hanna so who knows how highly it is
Going to continue dosing 3ml this week
And see where I stand
I have to move the tank this weekend to the new house hopefully it goes smooth with little loss
Move me my nano today
Moved all coral and fish from nano to this tank and moved to new house
Will let it settle for a day or two move all coral and fish to nano then move this tank let settle then transfer everything back to this tank and hopefully be able to break down the nano
 

joseserrano

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#34
I have held the button till the timer started
the couple times
It’s how to accurately do the test. As well as shake reagents and mixtures for other test kits. For example api nitrate test kit requires 30’seconds of shaking part 2, then one minute of shaking the sample with part 2 drops. You have to accurately do the tests to get more accurate reading.
 
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#35
To add to Eric's post, there's no quick fix here and water changes will never get you to the point where things are normal (in the short term). Too many water changes can cause more harm than good.
I would take to using an actual refugium long term. This would include a deep sand bed along with chaeto or your macro algae of choice. Buy Ron Shimek's book "Sand Bed Secrets" on amazon and give it a read through. Using a DSB is the secret to long term nutrient control and biological diversity. One of my most successful tanks was my 15g/10g display/refugium in the 90's. It was powered by a 150w Iwasaki 6500k metal halide and was filled with corals and gorgonians. I only kept a handful of fish in there, one of them being a spotted madarin. It never ran out of food because of the refugium produced so much food (pods) that I kept a pipefish in there as well. But to my point, I never had algae problems, corals grew like crazy and that system thrived. I'm resetting my 90g now and I'm going to use a DSB in the sump. DSB work, but you need to set them up properly and leave it alone.
I will add this, buy a few bottles of PNS Probio and start using it weekly. Your nutrients will start to come down and your corals will thank you. Also, buy a bottle of PNS Yello Sno and use it once a week at half the recommended dose. This will provide food for your corals and also vitaman b12 for the bacteria to thrive and do its job. My PO4 was running too high in my tank and after using PNS Probio/Yello Sno it turned it around. The other thing you can do is use Eco-Balance, but split the dose up over the course of the week and not a one-time dose.
I know this is a lot to take in, but it took a long time for your nutrients to rise this high, so it's going to take that long to drop/reduce, as it should. I'm always a proponent of natural ways of running/maintaining a reef and I've never been one to use chemicals to do a job that nature can do on it's own. Chemicals work when they are absolutely needed, but they shouldn't be used all the time. I will also add, don't cut food drastically, but be aware of how much food you're adding when feeding your fish. Add smaller amounts over the course of the day if you can and also make sure that the food is eaten and not floating past your fish.
In future, If the Nitrate and Phosphate are in check, should I continue adding PNS probio every week? I have 300 gallons tank. So, Its kind of expensive to add PNS every week to low down the nitrate and phosphate.
 

joseserrano

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#36
In future, If the Nitrate and Phosphate are in check, should I continue adding PNS probio every week? I have 300 gallons tank. So, Its kind of expensive to add PNS every week to low down the nitrate and phosphate.
No need to be adding that. Maybe every 6 months or so for bacterial diversity.
 

drexel

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#37
In future, If the Nitrate and Phosphate are in check, should I continue adding PNS probio every week? I have 300 gallons tank. So, Its kind of expensive to add PNS every week to low down the nitrate and phosphate.
Once you get them in check, then see how they tend afterwards. You could do biweekly smaller maintenance doses for basic good biology. I know several reefers who use eco balance by Dr Tims and take the dose and split it up over the course of the week. Telegraham does this without issue. Prodibio is good to use every two weeks as well. I would seriously consider an algae reactor or bed a nutrient export, especially if you tend on the high side of N&P. Dosing phyto is another way of exporting PO4 by the way of consumption. I love natural methods for export, as they tend to feed other things in the food chain.


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