Finding nitrates

[warriorcookie]

Originally Posted by Proteus

I change filter socks every three days and biweekly water change, the rock has alot of upward flow

I never used to do this until someone showed me. Whenever I do a waterchange now I grab a powerhead and blow all my rocks and corals and stir up as much crap as possible. Then I do the water change. Then I let the tank run over-night and change the filter floss/socks first thing next morning.

Doing this has made a huge impact on keeping my nitrates to a reasonable level.

[reefwars]

maybe this will help nick?


http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30366

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by warriorcookie

I never used to do this until someone showed me. Whenever I do a waterchange now I grab a powerhead and blow all my rocks and corals and stir up as much crap as possible. Then I do the water change. Then I let the tank run over-night and change the filter floss/socks first thing next morning.

Doing this has made a huge impact on keeping my nitrates to a reasonable level.

My other tank which has rock in dt I do blow off with turkey baster but this tank all the rock is in bin. Blowing off doesn't work as well.

Originally Posted by reefwars

maybe this will help nick?


http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30366

Thanks Denny I would never guessed nitrates in zeo start.
I do surf the zeo forum and never saw this thread. Good read

[Myka]

When carbon dosing, the bacteria use both NO3 and PO4. The system will usually get to "0" NO3 and still have remaining PO4 because the bacteria use many more times the NO3 than the PO4. Some people claim the Redfield Ratios, but others say that is not quite correct. Point being, you need both in the system in order for them to lower. This is why a lot of people who carbon dose with VSV or biopellets will still use GFO. If you use ZeoStart, you're not supposed to use GFO as they use the opposite theory - instead of removing remaining PO4, add NO3 so that PO4 (and the NO3 you added) can be lowered by the bacteria. What is in that reactor in your sump? Is it GFO?

There's a few possibilities here regarding the rock in the sump, the GFO (if that's what it is), and inaccurate testing. Essentially, if you like how the tank is looking, leave well enough alone.

[Proteus]

It is gfo.. I pulled the zeo rocks and went to gfo as the system was being stripped to the point acros were really pale.
The fauna system operates off the same idea, running ultra phos. With the carbon dosing.
From what I remember the red field ratio is 7:1

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Proteus

It is gfo.. I pulled the zeo rocks and went to gfo as the system was being stripped to the point acros were really pale.
The fauna system operates off the same idea, running ultra phos. With the carbon dosing.
From what I remember the red field ratio is 7:1

Yeah, if you don't want pale Acros you have to feed them. Or you can use the ZeoLites, but use less of them. There are all sorts of combos, but you really should subscribe to a whole system or it doesn't usually work the way it was designed. ZeoVit is all about balance. It's great for people who like to tweak things - terrible for people who don't.

Redfield Ratio (C)106 : (N)16 : (P) 1

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Proteus

It is gfo.. I pulled the zeo rocks and went to gfo as the system was being stripped to the point acros were really pale.
The fauna system operates off the same idea, running ultra phos. With the carbon dosing.
From what I remember the red field ratio is 7:1

The Red field ratio doesn't have much use to us but only to say more nitrogen is used alot more than phosphourous , the numbers will vary from animal to animal .

[Myka]

Originally Posted by reefwars

The Red field ratio doesn't have much use to us but only to say more nitrogen is used alot more than phosphourous , the numbers will vary from animal to animal .

Pretty much.

[reefwars]

Nick if your not getting any white film on the glass , corals are healthy you can continue to raise the carbon source , as mindy said as long as there is available po4 the bacteria will use up the available nitrates as well. The good news about being phosphate limited vs nitrate limited is phosphates are easily added via foods.

If you quit e gfo what happens? Do your phosphates go up terribly or do you run it just in case to keep it low? Your po4 test numbers fall pretty close to margin or error.

[reefwars]

Those who are very aggressive on phosphate removers often find them selves in the opposite boat as products like gfo bind quickly and remove po4 faster than bacteria can use it.

Nitrogen can be added in the form of potassium nitrate or things like amino acids