Need Advise For Nitrate Phosphate Balance

[mike.metzger6]

Hoping to get Randy’s expertise here as I feeling like I’m going in circles. I have a 210 a 120 a 300 gallon sump and a 60 gallon frag tank all on the same system. Total water volume estimated at 575-600 gallons. Tanks are 18 months old. Parameters are very stable at 8.5alk, 1400 mag, 450 cal all tested daily on trident. Full of probably 400lbs live rock, SPS, LPS, and softies which all are doing well and growing. My struggle is nitrate and phosphate balance. Since im dosing I don’t do water changes. My nitrates sit between 30-35 typically and phosphate has become an issue with bottoming out regularly …both tested with Hannah testers. My goal was to get nitrates in the 10-15 range and phos .1 and under. I’ve been carbon dosing at 100ML per day DIY NoPox 500ml vinegar/400ml vodka/100ml ro water as stock solution for the last 6 months. I tried going up and down with the dose and nitrates didn’t really move. Went as high as 175ml daily and started getting white film so I dialed back to the 100ml dose. I recently added a fuge in a 5 gallon bucket full of Cheato and sea lettuce and an ATS200 algae scrubber. I’ve been running the scrubber and fuge opposite of the tank lights. That’s been going for about 2 months and still no reduction in nitrates. However major effect on phos which I expected. I’m now dosing Neophos at 30ml a day to try and keep the phos from bottoming out but since the scrubber is established and fuge is growing wildly all phos is being immediately consumed while nitrate is remaining the same. I feel like I’m at the point of overkill but dont know what to change or omit to get the.numbers where they should be. What’s the right combination ?I also run a Reef Octo SR6000 skimmer and 2 large filter socks which recently seem to overflow within 24hrs at most. Thanks in advance for any advice that can help me get these two parameters dialed in

 

[rishma]

I’m not Randy, but…
How do the corals look? Any other issues? Sorry, I know that doesn’t help you reach your goal but some great tanks have pretty high nitrates.

It is remarkable that nitrate doesn’t budge with all the steps you’ve taken. Especially carbon dosing. I’ve always seen nitrate driven down with carbon dosing. From a past experience with test kits going bad and chasing my own tail, are you confident in your nitrate test results?

Cheers

 

[am3gross]

If your corals look good and keep growing with no algae issues, my vote is you are good. Shouldn't chase numbers. What is good for my system might not be for yours.. for what's it's worth, I have close to the same setup, 375 display, 300 gallon sump, 50 gallon skimmer tank and 2 75 gallons for frag tanks.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

It sounds like you're nitrates stay the the same no matter what. I personally think you are doing to much. Many people running 25-30 nitrates and .03-.1 phosphate. I would pull back run skimmer part time until phosphate comes up and don't worry about 25- 30 nitrates

 

[mike.metzger6]

Yeah it’s strange they ju

I’m not Randy, but…
How do the corals look? Any other issues? Sorry, I know that doesn’t help you reach your goal but some great tanks have pretty high nitrates.

It is remarkable that nitrate doesn’t budge with all the steps you’ve taken. Especially carbon dosing. I’ve always seen nitrate driven down with carbon dosing. From a past experience with test kits going bad and chasing my own tail, are you confident in your nitrate test results?

Cheers

It’s strange they just don’t seem to move. I feel like I’m doing too much at this point. Everything seems happy I just wonder if it could be better I guess. I’m testing daily to look for changes and even with new reagents I get the same results. It moves up or down one or two numbers but that’s it.

 

[mike.metzger6]

It sounds like you're nitrates stay the the same no matter what. I personally think you are doing to much. Many people running 25-30 nitrates and .03-.1 phosphate. I would pull back run skimmer part time until phosphate comes up and don't worry about 25- 30 nitrates

I agree I feel like I’m doing to much. Just worried if I cut out something if the nitrates will then spike up or still sit where they are. Ideally I thought carbon dosing would be the answer and when it didn’t work I dialed that back and tried the more natural approach with the fuge and scrubber.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

This is the tight rope we walk. NP-Bacto-Balance helps me . A 120 with 40 breeder sump. Kinda a smaller version of your setup.

 

[rishma]

I would reduce lighting duration on fuge and ATS so that you are not fighting to keep phosphate up. My guess is nitrate won’t be effected much.

I wouldn’t turn off skimmer. Definitely not while carbon dosing.

I see sand in your sump? If it’s a DSB I would think it would help nitrate, any chance it’s holding a lot waste? Just wondering where this infinite reservoir of nitrate is coming from.