Suggestions needed: How do I raise nitrates and lower phosphate safety?

[happyreefer]

Nitrates are 0
Phosphate is .24


Just looking for simply suggestions to lower Phos and raise nitrates. I'm asking for a friend. I was going to tell him to stop feeding pellets (if he's using pellets) and start feeding frozen foods, and get more fishes, and since raising nitrates is a process that takes time, I wanted to recommend slowly dose nitrate for now.

I once heard from someone that there's 2 different chemicals that can help raise nitrates. I don't remember the exact names, I think one of them is called Sodium Nitrate and the other Benzo Nitrate and was told one of them is much safer to use than the other so I'm trying to figure out which one of them is the one I should recommend. Thanks.

 

[DanK.Reefer]

Raise nitrate by adding ammonium bicarb or using brightwell neonitro. I would not worry about brining down the phosphates to much until you get the nitrates up. If and when you do decide to lower phosphates you can use GFO in a reactor with regulated flow. My tank runs consistently at .18-.25 phosphate without issue.

The best way to reduce phosphates though is to feed less more often. 90% of your phosphates come from uneaten food waste.

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[Jimbo327]

Just add liquid nitrates. Buy any brand nitrate supplement. Or DIY with some pure Sodium Nitrate powder and water, but you will need to measure out with scale and cylinder to mix to right concentration before dosing.

 

[Sicklid]

Off topic but how do you operate your tank in order to keep nitrates at 0 ppm?,
im the opposite , phosphate levels last time I checked it was 0.018, in the other hand nitrates are around 25 ppm, i run some biopellets, also i run chaetto which I remove 50% every week (good handful), I feed alot, my fish eat different kind pellets 4 times a day, plus frozen in the afternoon
My Skimmer is underrated for my total water volume, i have to empty the collection cup twice a day


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[Jimbo327]

I can strip the water of nitrates easily with carbon dosing

 

[drexel]

Is this tank full of corals or is it new with just a few corals? Biomass will be the big difference in how you approach this. Also, are they truly at zero? Remember, nitrate doesn't equal nitrogen, they are two different things, so there's a lot to digest before anyone can recommend a solution. Give us more info and we can help.

 

[happyreefer]

Is this tank full of corals or is it new with just a few corals? Biomass will be the big difference in how you approach this. Also, are they truly at zero? Remember, nitrate doesn't equal nitrogen, they are two different things, so there's a lot to digest before anyone can recommend a solution. Give us more info and we can help.

Sure thing, let me get some more information. My fault lol. Thanks!

And thanks everyone for the comment

 

[m0nkie]

Unless you have an old heavy sps system thats draining your nutrients, i think best way is to increase feeding. You can run a little gfo to lower phosphate. If you got big colonies draining nutrients, then dose liquid nitrate or ammonia

 

[happyreefer]

Unless you have an old heavy sps system thats draining your nutrients, i think best way is to increase feeding. You can run a little gfo to lower phosphate. If you got big colonies draining nutrients, then dose liquid nitrate or ammonia

Thanks so much,

 

[happyreefer]

Is this tank full of corals or is it new with just a few corals? Biomass will be the big difference in how you approach this. Also, are they truly at zero? Remember, nitrate doesn't equal nitrogen, they are two different things, so there's a lot to digest before anyone can recommend a solution. Give us more info and we can help.

It doesn't seem like he wants to talk about his set up. I'd hate to bring it up again, it might make him feel uncomfortable so I'll just let it be. I didn't know much about nitrogen, seems kind of important. I'm reading into it now. Thanks for trying, I appreciate it.

I can strip the water of nitrates easily with carbon dosing

Gotcha, thanks for the info

 

[All Delight]

Use a little Rowaphos in a bag or reactor. Go slow! Putting it in a bag in your sump is less effective, so that in itself is safer in terms of going slow.

Dose Seachem Flourish Nitrogen.

I've used both of these products and they work.

 

[drexel]

It doesn't seem like he wants to talk about his set up. I'd hate to bring it up again, it might make him feel uncomfortable so I'll just let it be. I didn't know much about nitrogen, seems kind of important. I'm reading into it now. Thanks for trying, I appreciate it.



Gotcha, thanks for the info

That's unfortunate, this is kind of how we learn and no one should feel bad about not knowing everything in this hobby. So this is what I would do, first, do they have fish and corals in the system? If so, simple dose ammonium bicarbonate (in pulse doses) throughout the day, which will feed the corals/bacteria and supply nitrogen. Don't worry about PO4, 0.25 is perfectly fine, but they can use a little GFO/Rowaphos to bring it down, just use half of the recommended amount based on the Rowa calculator found here. They'll mix 20 grams of ammonium bicarbonate with 1L of RO water as a stock solution. Depending on the size of their tank, you'll dose a few mL in the sump several times a day. I like to do it when I hand feed the tank (which for me is several times a day). After several days, check NO3 and see if they are measuring anything? If you're measuring anything above 1ppm, you have plenty of nitrogen entering the system. Don't target a specific number here, but observe the corals. There's no difference in 1ppm or 5ppm of NO3.

 

[happyreefer]

That's unfortunate, this is kind of how we learn and no one should feel bad about not knowing everything in this hobby. So this is what I would do, first, do they have fish and corals in the system? If so, simple dose ammonium bicarbonate (in pulse doses) throughout the day, which will feed the corals/bacteria and supply nitrogen. Don't worry about PO4, 0.25 is perfectly fine, but they can use a little GFO/Rowaphos to bring it down, just use half of the recommended amount based on the Rowa calculator found here. They'll mix 20 grams of ammonium bicarbonate with 1L of RO water as a stock solution. Depending on the size of their tank, you'll dose a few mL in the sump several times a day. I like to do it when I hand feed the tank (which for me is several times a day). After several days, check NO3 and see if they are measuring anything? If you're measuring anything above 1ppm, you have plenty of nitrogen entering the system. Don't target a specific number here, but observe the corals. There's no difference in 1ppm or 5ppm of NO3.

I'll relay this over. Thank you so much, I appreciate it