Question about Spectracide Stump Remover dosing
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OP
OP
sfg
Active Member
You should be able to test within 15 minutes. Initially my tank would eat up the dose within 24 hours. So check within 15 minutes and then again 24 hours later to see what your consumption is.
My tank for about 2 weeks consumed the same amount daily. About 1ppm. Here now I am seeing things balance out. I raised the level to about 5/6 ppm and haven't had to dose now for 3 days.. It's been holding in this area since.
My tank for about 2 weeks consumed the same amount daily. About 1ppm. Here now I am seeing things balance out. I raised the level to about 5/6 ppm and haven't had to dose now for 3 days.. It's been holding in this area since.
mr neon
Community Member
Got a new test kit today the Red Sea Pro Nitrate and my nitrates are off the chart! I did 3 tests couldn't even figure how high the nitrate is. All I know is that something is not right. I have a regular Red Sea kit that ran out and at most I got just a very faint color change after testing yesterday from dosing spectracide the first time. I figured the old test kit test could have been expired maybe bad liquid, but I never had any issues of chemistry with my tank since I have been using it. My nitrates always tested low or did not register even when I brought water to the fish store to be tested. They used API tests kits.
Is is possible that I did something wrong with the procedure? I read that the new RSP test kits have powder now instead of liquid so I don't have anything else to really compare it to other than doing a search on this brand and how some have had problems with their test kits. Hope that not mine. The expiration date on the kit is 5-16 so it should be good. I'll have to go to the fish store tomorrow and have them test my water to see what they come up with.
As for my corals, they looked better today like their coming back. My zoa frag was closed for a week and its seems it wants to open now. Fish are fine, I don't have algae..Only thing I did was dose last night for the first time 100ml of solution (mixed 1tlbsp to 1-litre of water) and this morning after testing using the old RedSea kit I dosed again the same amount as the test showed no color change.
Is is possible that I did something wrong with the procedure? I read that the new RSP test kits have powder now instead of liquid so I don't have anything else to really compare it to other than doing a search on this brand and how some have had problems with their test kits. Hope that not mine. The expiration date on the kit is 5-16 so it should be good. I'll have to go to the fish store tomorrow and have them test my water to see what they come up with.
As for my corals, they looked better today like their coming back. My zoa frag was closed for a week and its seems it wants to open now. Fish are fine, I don't have algae..Only thing I did was dose last night for the first time 100ml of solution (mixed 1tlbsp to 1-litre of water) and this morning after testing using the old RedSea kit I dosed again the same amount as the test showed no color change.
hawkinsrgk
Valuable Member
I have been dosing for 2 weeks now 8ml per day. My nitrates started at .25 and they are now at 2. My mixture is 6140 ppm
Not sure why I am having to dose so much less than everybody else to get the same results
Not sure why I am having to dose so much less than everybody else to get the same results
OP
OP
sfg
Active Member
I'm confused (it's late) so you're saying your nitrates are off the scale? And in dark purple on a Red Sea pro kit?
apex003
Aquaculturist in training
Is anyone dosing via their ATO water? I'm considering doing a bolus dose to 0.5PPM into the tank and then bringing my ATO water to 1PPM to keep the nitrate levels more consistent throughout the day. I would then test every couple days to dose back up to 0.5PPM, as needed, and make sure I'm not getting accumulation. Thoughts?
Last edited:
OP
OP
sfg
Active Member
Are you doing anything to try and balance things out? For instance I started cutting back on my macro algae. For two weeks I was dosing every other day. Cutting back the cheato for a total of three time and ended up with a 1/3 of what I had. Around this time my nitrates started to stabilize to where I haven't dosed now for 4 days. Not sure yet on it I've reached a balance or not as I am still testing every other day.
I would put this stuff on a regular dosing regime only after I've tried to narrow down any potential causes for the lack of nitrates. If possible that is
I would put this stuff on a regular dosing regime only after I've tried to narrow down any potential causes for the lack of nitrates. If possible that is
TDTA1181
Active Member
Any suggestions on ratio of 100 net/gal tank skimmer has been turned off for a lil over 2 wks. Have a small amount of cheato in sump a/b the size of ure fist. Measuring 2ppm on Salifert test kit that's been steady for a/b a wk now. Wanted to get some tomorrow and mix up in a 1gal deionized water jug but don't know how much to mix up in jug or how much to dose daily to achieve 5ppm on a constant basis. There was a series of pics earlier in this post of 1 frag over a 2 wk period that is exactly the series of unfortunate events that sps frags in my tank experience! Any help would be greatly appreciated...
SchnitzelReef
Valuable Member
Been battling pale acros and slow growth for months. Decided recently it was time to start testing. Api test showed nitrates were zero. Figured it was a bad test kit. Got a new salifert test, and still read zero. I picked up potassium nitrate off of eBay. I've been dosing it all week, and still haven't been able to register anything above zero with the salifert kit. Tank is 300+ total water volume, been testing every other day. I'll update here when I see any changes.
OP
OP
sfg
Active Member
So basically you think your prior tests could have been wrong concerning your nitrates? And you dosed and still wouldn't register nitrates but went and bought some new test kits and they showed off the scale numbers?
OP
OP
sfg
Active Member
From what I understand 64ppm won't harm your fish. But is harmful to SPS. If you indeed do have 64+ I would do some water changes to bring the level down closer to 3-5ppm (on the high end, 1-2 would be ideal)
Regarding this thread and people who may think that lack of nitrates is the problem for their tank I would highly discourage them from jumping right in without first attempting other changes first. Do them one at a time. Be patient. If a change doesn't yield the results then move on to another one, again with patience.
There is plenty of information in this post and others online around this topic and what ventures and changes that people have done to come to the conclusion that they do have a deficiency of nitrates.
I do not consider myself a "know all" surrounding this topic and to be honest don't feel comfortable slinging advice around regarding it. I do know I've tried just about everything and came to the conclusion but not without due diligence.
Everyone's tank is different and what might fix my tank may not be the answer to fixing yours.
Overall this is exciting to me and I think with others seeing the same results someone reading this thread might easily take on the notion that throwing in some stump killer is going to make miracles happen.
Please be cautious. I would hate for the end result of someone reading this thread run out and blow up their tank over misguidance and wrong info. So with that please understand if I don't lend a hand with "how much, how often, and mix ratios" beyond what I've already contributed because I'm not comfortable with doing so. There are plenty of what I consider "veterans" here that can lend a hand with those questions.
Happy reefing!
Regarding this thread and people who may think that lack of nitrates is the problem for their tank I would highly discourage them from jumping right in without first attempting other changes first. Do them one at a time. Be patient. If a change doesn't yield the results then move on to another one, again with patience.
There is plenty of information in this post and others online around this topic and what ventures and changes that people have done to come to the conclusion that they do have a deficiency of nitrates.
I do not consider myself a "know all" surrounding this topic and to be honest don't feel comfortable slinging advice around regarding it. I do know I've tried just about everything and came to the conclusion but not without due diligence.
Everyone's tank is different and what might fix my tank may not be the answer to fixing yours.
Overall this is exciting to me and I think with others seeing the same results someone reading this thread might easily take on the notion that throwing in some stump killer is going to make miracles happen.
Please be cautious. I would hate for the end result of someone reading this thread run out and blow up their tank over misguidance and wrong info. So with that please understand if I don't lend a hand with "how much, how often, and mix ratios" beyond what I've already contributed because I'm not comfortable with doing so. There are plenty of what I consider "veterans" here that can lend a hand with those questions.
Happy reefing!
OP
OP
sfg
Active Member
Keep us posted on what the LFS comes back with on your nitrates.
mr neon
Community Member
Not blaming anyone for my mess-up. I figured the original RedSea test kit may have been expired or old from the fish store when I bought it. I also took the skimmer off-line for 10 days. If anything, nothing bad came out of it and in fact some things are looking better. I never had issues with algae or spikes in my water since day one. I always did water changes and will definitely do one today. I more than likely put way too much spectracide in too fast based on the new test kit. Lesson learned and certainty avoidable for anyone else looking to up their nitrates.
Make sure your test kits are up to date and reliable. Test and re-test to double check.
Make sure your test kits are up to date and reliable. Test and re-test to double check.
mr neon
Community Member
Back from the LFS and as true to the newer test kit I just bought, my nitrates are up. They used an API kit and it was registering between 60/80ppm. So water changes are in store for today and in the next few days.
I relied on an older test kit that gave me false readings when I probably had high nitrates to begin with only thinking I had zero. Good thing is that it must of creeped up over time as nothing is looking dead or dying. I'll be more careful next time when getting test kits.
I'll get it back down to where it needs to be..been in the hobby too long and always learning something new!
I relied on an older test kit that gave me false readings when I probably had high nitrates to begin with only thinking I had zero. Good thing is that it must of creeped up over time as nothing is looking dead or dying. I'll be more careful next time when getting test kits.
I'll get it back down to where it needs to be..been in the hobby too long and always learning something new!
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