How do YOU lower your Nitrates and Phosphates?

[lobsterboy]

I am on the full zeovit system, its a bit tricky when you first start it but after it gets easier with the dosing recommandations. If you are committed to dose everyday and check water conditions, its a great system.

Nitrates are 1
Phosphates are 0.00

[Zoaelite]

I'm all over the map as far as nutrient sinks go, my phosphate is @ zero (Elos) but my nitrate hovers around 10ppm. The Bioload is... a little over the top so to combat:
Water Changes (20% Monthly)
Vertex 15 NP BioPellet Reactor
20g Cheato Reactor
Hydor Performance 700 Skimmer
TLF Running GFO
Carbon refreshed monthly
150 Red Mangroves
350lbs of Liverock
200lbs of Livesand including a 30g 8 inch DSB

Have also started running the full ProdiBio lineup but it's a little early to tell how well that is working. Even at 10ppm I'm getting some wicked color in the SPS.

[ScubaSteve]

Originally Posted by zoaElite

I'm all over the map as far as nutrient sinks go, my phosphate is @ zero (Elos) but my nitrate hovers around 10ppm. The Bioload is... a little over the top so to combat:
Water Changes (20% Monthly)
Vertex 15 NP BioPellet Reactor
20g Cheato Reactor
Hydor Performance 700 Skimmer
TLF Running GFO
Carbon refreshed monthly
150 Red Mangroves
350lbs of Liverock
200lbs of Livesand including a 30g 8 inch DSB

Have also started running the full ProdiBio lineup but it's a little early to tell how well that is working. Even at 10ppm I'm getting some wicked color in the SPS.

Holy balls, Levi! All that and you're still at 10 ppm? You, uhhhh, should send some of them zoas my way... you know.. lower that bioload a little bit.

My bioload is... medium/high I guess. I only have 4 smaller fish (one of which I am only fish sitting until December when my friend gets back) but I have quite a few corals. I have many SPS, a couple LPS and a growing collection of zoas.

All this is making me think that I may just stick with the reactor I designed. It is similar in principle to a sulphur denitrator except it doesn't make acid (it's output is actually basic) and runs off a 9V battery. Maybe I'll take some pics during the rebuild and give a lesson on these things.

One thing I might try in the mean time is Vitamin C dosing. It is a carbon source and might help battle the nitrates and it has anecdotally helped promote zoa health. If I do try, I'll go slow and increase it over a couple weeks.