Bicyclebill Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Wow, looks like my old Elos nitrate test kit must have expired a while ago. Just got new Red Sea pro kit (very nice btw), and I'm looking at 16 ppm! Had to use the high range adjustment! Looks like I'll be starting some sort of carbon dosing. What a pain; I've been falsely thinking all this time that my refugium was magic 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 16 Isn't too too bad...some people may even admit to higher nitrates being good. Any other Nitrate test kits lying around to double double check? Abracadabra~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Be careful dosing too much carbon sources. Been there and now I'm dosing nitrate to get a reading above 0 :( Shoot for 2-10 and everything will be happy. Especially if you have a mixed reef, my lps have been pissed with no nitrates. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Be careful dosing too much carbon sources. Been there and now I'm dosing nitrate to get a reading above 0 :( Shoot for 2-10 and everything will be happy. Especially if you have a mixed reef, my lps have been pissed with no nitrates. That's exactly what I'm thinking. 3-4 should be high enough for my fuge to stay alive. I think I'm going to try the Red Sea NO3:PO4-X product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackice Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 How dose the tank look is every thing normal and growing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Be careful dosing too much carbon sources. Been there and now I'm dosing nitrate to get a reading above 0 :( Shoot for 2-10 and everything will be happy. Especially if you have a mixed reef, my lps have been pissed with no nitrates. I find when carbon dosing I have to spot feed my LPS. I can't seem to find a middle ground between carbon dosing and not spot feeding IME. I do also feed several times a day so there is food present more often. Then again if I wasn't feeding several times a day, maybe I wouldn't need to carbon dose... That's exactly what I'm thinking. 3-4 should be high enough for my fuge to stay alive. I think I'm going to try the Red Sea NO3:PO4-X product. I'd be curious what is in that and if it is actually any better then other carbon sources like sugar, vinegar, or vodka. $15 bucks isn't bad, but if your paying $15 for 500mL of some vinegar with sugar added to it that would kinda suck. Not saying that is what Red Sea NO3:PO4-X is because I don't know, but vinegar, sugar, and vodka all seem to do the same thing. If you do decide to go with carbon dosing, make sure to remove your GFO. It will make things much more effective IME. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Yeah I have been feeding the tank a lot lately. I usually don't spot feed as my fish go ape when food starts flying around. Don't want them nipping at the LPS for food scraps. I try to early morning and late night if I can. I would also suggest trying vinegar or vodka dosing. It's easy, cheap and proven. At least do your research before trying the Red Sea product. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peng Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Skimmer, water movement, bacteria, fish population, feeding... I never really worry about NO3. If you don't have a lot of fish and you don't feed a lot maybe you can try add some BioSpira bacteria; they keep your NO3 really low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Any updates? Did you carbon dose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Any updates? Did you carbon dose? I'm a week into the Red Sea N03-X product. Dosing 11 ml/day with my handy dandy BRS doser. Reading about it, it is something between vodka, vinegar, and sugar. Read about lots of great long term results with it, and it's really not that much more than a bottle of vodka. Plus, I'm less likely to drink it :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Probably to soon to see any real results yet? I'm still curious so I gotta ask, how's it workin [emoji2]. My wife dipped into my fish tank vodka back when I used Kettle One. Since I switched to Gilbert's she drinks her own. It does save you from going into the liquor store and asking for the biggest cheapest bottle of vodka they have and the looks that come with it [emoji6] Please do keep is updated Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Well almost one week out and taking my first measurements. Nitrates aren't registering on test kit, even at low range. I've cut back from recommended 11 ml/day to 3 ml/day. I expected it to take at least a couple weeks to start dropping. Tank looks completely unphased though luckily. More next week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Crazy cool! That's nutZ. Maybe it is a magic bottle Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) Crazy cool! That's nutZ. Maybe it is a magic bottle I was hoping it would be a little slower actually. No algae or cyano outbreaks though, so I'm not really sure what to think. My fuge still looks totally the same too. Edited December 30, 2014 by Bicyclebill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rworegon Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Well almost one week out and taking my first measurements. Nitrates aren't registering on test kit, even at low range. I've cut back from recommended 11 ml/day to 3 ml/day. I expected it to take at least a couple weeks to start dropping. Tank looks completely unphased though luckily. More next week! That's great Bill. Looks like you found your answer. Let us know if things change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icepikbiker Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 A while back I also used the Red Sea NOPOX, when my nitrates and phosphates started getting high. That stuff IS magic in a bottle! Works fast and works good. I think my spike was caused by adding uncured rock and feeding too much. Since using NOPOX the rock has cured in the tank and I've cut back on feeding, my nitrates are undetectable and phosphates are very low. Took maybe two weeks of use to stabilize the tank. Haven't had to dose it anymore after the two week "bio rebuild". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Huh, so in your experience you didn't have to keep dosing... crazy. With Carbon I have to dose everyday, for years now. If I take a break the levels rise again. I think you guys are talking me into a new product. *Subscribed* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icepikbiker Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Huh, so in your experience you didn't have to keep dosing... crazy. With Carbon I have to dose everyday, for years now. If I take a break the levels rise again. I think you guys are talking me into a new product. *Subscribed* That's how it worked for me. Before the rock was added I had some nitrate and phosphate but not much, probably cause I like fat fish and thought more food equals fatter and healthier fish. I think the rock caused the spike, I controlled the spike with the NOPOX. Once the rock was cured levels went back to normal and didn't need to dose anymore. Since then I have cut back on feeding and nitrates are undetectable and phosphates are low, with API test. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexinverts Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 How is the NO3PO4X working out for you, Bill? Have your nitrates climbed back up at all? I just started using the stuff too, and I am using a little less than the recommended amount after reading about your experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badxgillen Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I have been messing around with this product as well and I must agree, using it as directed has dropped the nitrates much faster than I had anticipated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 I'm dosing 10 seconds a day with my 1.1 ml/min pump, which is too small for me to figure out right now. I'm still showing zero nitrates. Tank is looking good though. I've noticed s couple things though. My fuge has no more cyano slime growing on top, and it has an explosion of small brittlestars all over in the algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexinverts Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 We should get one of those nano-dosers. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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