Battle with NO3- hitting plateau

[joeyttk]

Hi guys,

I posted my issues with NO3- previously and gotten a lot of advise from experts in this forum. Thanks

I am now in a plateau with my NO3- problem and hope that you could provide more advise

My NO3- is still between 10-25 ppm and Phosphate is around 5. I am growing calupura in my sump and has being quite successful with the help of Iron supplement. I am not sure if this will be enuff. Here's some questions

a. I read from other threads and website that bio balls may be home ground for NO3-. Should I remove all my Bios ball from filter and relay solely on my canister filters and DSB ?

b. I am putting Seachem NO3- Denitrator in my JEPO canister filter. I am afraid that the flow rate may be too fast for it to take effect. Will this work ? Or should I get a FR ?

c. My tank is pretty barren now and I re-arranged the LR. At some area, it cause release an awefully strong nasty smell. Are those the bacterias/O2-lacking areas that is helping me with my fight against NO3- or are those bad. i.e. should I clean up my DSB ?

Here's some specs of my tank

a. 5.5ft length, 3ft++ height and 1.5ft width

b. DSB about 5 inch thick

c. 3ft Sump has another SBed of 5 inch in middle compactment

d. 2x150mh [currently switch from 7 hours back to 5hours due to LR turning brown, and red coralline turning white]

e. NO3- still between 10-25

f. Phosphate still around 5

g. CA around 500, and KH around 8dkh

Will be testing for magnesium and PH later today

thanks and any advise is welcome

joey.

[vagabond]

Wow!

5.5ft length, 3ft++ height and 1.5ft width!?

Can we have a pix or two on your sysytem?

[weileong]

1. Clean up your sandbed.

2. Clean up your sump.

3. Do regular water change at least 25% every week.

4. Improve water circulation

5. Better skimmng.

6. Reduce bioload.

7. Add rowaphos

8. Get of the bioballs and canister filter.

[joeyttk]

not to doubt your advise but I thought we are not supposed to disturb the sandbed ?

changing 25% very week is 150l of water to me. I have very little livestock and I think I will not go to such a drastic measure unless it is absolutely necessary. Too much disturbance to the water parameters.

[rotala]

how r the corals and LS? If they r ok and with such a big tank i believe u can leave it alone. My tank has the same amount of NO3, the LS and corals are all fine and healthy.

[decentkid]

10-25 ppm nitrate isnt that bad....if it is like 100+ ppm of nitrate...thats when one better do something

my 2 cents

[weileong]

Cleaning sandbed means just to clear up the very top part of it. You can also improve the water circulation which should help too.

As for changing 25% of the water, it is to help export the nutrients and to lower the NO3 and PO4, you mention you have 5ppm PO4? This is way too high, doing 25% water change will not have to drastic effect to your reef tank especially when the nutrient levels in your tank are so high.

[joeyttk]

Thanks. I will stir up a sand storm tonite Currently, the bottom 3 inches are pretty awful. I will probably vacuum the top 2 inches later.

[YellowTang2]

I'm currently using AZ NO3 which seemed to have dropped my NO3 from 100+ to 30+ in a week and now on the 2nd week. Reducing the quantity based on the instructions. Let you know in a week what the readings are like....

[tineng]

errr.....i dun't think you should go all the way down to the 2 inches....just a small layer, maybe 1/2 inch will do.....also if you have cleaning crew, it might not be enitire neccessary to clean your sandbed...

don't think your Seachem NO3- Denitrator can be put in a canister as it requires only a slow flow rate of at most 250L per hour....just put the media in a box with a small hole underneath and use a small pump to pump water in.....

the other method is to try AZ-NO3...when N03 brings down to zero slowly wean the system of the product....its very very effective product...

[joeyttk]

In which case, maybe I will put it in a FR. Do u know where to get cheaper FR ? The one I saw at PM is 78SGD. where got sell resun FR ? heard it is cheaper

[minsmarine]

FR from BioOcean 34.

[joeyttk]

Hi,

thanks for all the advise, just a little update on my situation.

I measured that NO3- is around 10ppm today and my phosphate is actually 0.5 not 5.

I havent get my PH and Magnesium test kit yet, and currently my Calcium is way high at 600 [using Sera]

I think most of my corals are pretty okay except for my 2 open brain who doesnt look too good. I wonder if it is NO3- problem ?

[strat]

Sera not very accurate. Better get a more accurate testkit for your calcium

[steven]

IMO, 10 ppm is ok...

should focus on other parameter... lighting, oxygen level, calcium, strontium...etc...

[joeyttk]

thanks for all your advise.

The latest situation is that my NO3- is about 0.5ppm, however, my PO4 is still in the 0.5 range, and brown algea colony are growing like crazy on my walls and sandbed.

I think I have the dirtiest sandbed in SRC.

anyone know where can get rowas ? a lot of places sold out