So my cycle seems to have stalled at high nitrates. Help please? :D

[Xyres]

I just did something that I hope will be the solution to my problems. There is a foam block in my protein skimmer... That hasn't been cleaned since I set it up... Let's hope that this works.

[Cal_stir]

Problem with vodka dosing is that it requires more po4 than no3 to work, and if you don't have enough of one or the other available then the process stops and you are just getting the fish drunk.
Fish are very tolerant to no3, 100 ppm doesn't hurt them.
You should be able to bring down your no3 with water changes, if notthen I would suspect your WC as a source of no3 and test it before and after you mix the salt.
That foam in that skimmer is to prevent the bubbles from getting out.

[Enigma]

Try Instant Ocean Nitrate Remover if you can find it. It will be a bandaid solution (you'll still need to get the nitrate source figured out), but I can tell you that it does work. It is a biopolymer that you add directly to your system water. It takes a bit of time to work.

http://www.instantocean.com/product-...e-reducer.aspx

[mrhasan]

Hello Shelly,

By how much can it reduce the nitrate? I think I currently have a 40ppm of nitrate and will be doing a massive water change and will add chaeto but would also like to have something that can work in reducing the nitrate.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by mrhasan

Hello Shelly,

By how much can it reduce the nitrate? I think I currently have a 40ppm of nitrate and will be doing a massive water change and will add chaeto but would also like to have something that can work in reducing the nitrate.

I only had 5ppm when I used it in my QT tank. It reduced those nitrates very quickly (overnight). I don't know how much it will reduce how quickly, but I do know that it works.

You should do the big waterchanges first (that's instant nitrate reduction). I'd only use this stuff if waterchanges weren't possible (or illadvised) or if the source of the nitrates couldn't be identified and stopped.

[Myka]

That IO Natural Nitrate Reducer is essentially ground up biopellets suspended in a liquid.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Myka

That IO Natural Nitrate Reducer is essentially ground up biopellets suspended in a liquid.

I suspected as much. Good to have confirmation! As long as the dosages on the bottle are followed, an OD shouldn't happen. It is probably a good product for easing into the use of non-recirculating biopellet reactor, then. Do you think?

[Myka]

I don't know anything about a non-circulating biopellet reactor, sorry. The IO product seems like a good choice for a nano tank or an application where there is no space for a reactor. Overdosing would be the same as biopellets (or any other carbon source) where the biggest problem would be bacteria bloom which threatens the tank with oxygen deprivation (lethal firstly to fish). So essentially not usually a problem with a functioning skimmer.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Cal_stir

Problem with vodka dosing is that it requires more po4 than no3 to work, and if you don't have enough of one or the other available then the process stops and you are just getting the fish drunk.
Fish are very tolerant to no3, 100 ppm doesn't hurt them.

This is correct. I have a fish only system that nitrate is consistently 60-80 ppm. Nitrate bothers inverts (inc coral) much more than fish.

Vodka dosing did not a thing for my SPS tank, although it did manage to brown the corals out really well. From chats with Randy Holmes-Farley, I think vinegar is the better solution, especially when combined with lime water (kalkwasser) dosing.