Reducing Nitrates & Phosphates

[fstofberg]

Was taking a look thru your tank thread:


Just a thought - Are the pellets + biocubes before or after the skimmer?
If their after the skimmer perhaps this could be happening?
The released bacteria from the cubes/pellets are heading back to the display where their getting killed on the way from the UV & getting dropped back into the display dead & then releasing back into the water the no3/po4 your trying to remove.
If their prior to the skimmer they stand a better chance to get skimmed out.
Might be factor depending how you have them?

Hi,

My setup works as follows:
1st return pump from return chamber to display runs via 6 x 55W uv into the display tank.
2nd return pump feeds from return chamber the chiller, pellet reactor, carbon reactor, ocra cubes reactor, phosphate reactor into the overflow chamber in sump, then into filter socks, then into skimmer chamber then back to return chamber
The pellets, all reactors and cubes are all before the skimmer - Skimmer has a Ozone line into it.
Was thinking of adding an addition skimmer to see if it helps?

 

[Subtech]

No you good buddy, seems you got it covered! I am confused as to why your phosphates are high. With 2 small reef oct reactors running seachem seagel I have have readings of 0.1 phosphate and I only change my media every 4-5 months.

 

[fstofberg]

I just stocked up on some new supplements so will be changing the media out and give it a week or 2 to kick in. I have switched off the UV for now and added more bacteria from biodigest

 

[Subtech]

Dam buddy!!!! Lol, think you got enough

 

[fstofberg]

I hope so swapping everything out as we speak from pellets to carbon

 

[2una]

I think the UV off will help the most...its not like the system is broken but it seems like you've got a power of stuff your throwing at it to get it to budge from where its at.
That phosguard or orca gfh should nail your po4 easy...if it stays highish then maybe your LR is leeching a bit?
If your trying to get the cubes to kick in pulling down PO4 ain't going help you......I battled with mine till 4age suggested i turn my gfo off & after that i finally got headway....The titanium cubes your running should work around that tho.
When you rescaped did you remove LR or is it still the same amount you did have in there before?
Maybe some extra matrix might help if you don't see an improvement with that UV off now

I hope so swapping everything out as we speak from pellets to carbon

I don't understand what your doing there - the stuff takes time to work....

 

[fstofberg]

I think the UV off will help the most...its not like the system is broken but it seems like you've got a power of stuff your throwing at it to get it to budge from where its at.
That phosguard or orca gfh should nail your po4 easy...if it stays highish then maybe your LR is leeching a bit?
If your trying to get the cubes to kick in pulling down PO4 ain't going help you......I battled with mine till 4age suggested i turn my gfo off & after that i finally got headway....The titanium cubes your running should work around that tho.
When you rescaped did you remove LR or is it still the same amount you did have in there before?
Maybe some extra matrix might help if you don't see an improvement with that UV off now


I don't understand what your doing there - the stuff takes time to work....

I used the same live rock when I rescaped and didn't add any new live rock to the system.

I replaced the following:
1 lt of new Carbon to replace old ones
1 lt seachem phosguard added to my phosphate reactor
topped up the pellet reactor with additional 500g of vertex pro pellets
turned off the uv
adding an addition reef octo rops 5000 to increase skimming capacity.

 

[2una]

I used the same live rock when I rescaped and didn't add any new live rock to the system.

I replaced the following:
1 lt of new Carbon to replace old ones
1 lt seachem phosguard added to my phosphate reactor
topped up the pellet reactor with additional 500g of vertex pro pellets
turned off the uv
adding an addition reef octo rops 5000 to increase skimming capacity.

Ah okay sweet....it sounded like you just thru the pellets out & changed them on that earlier post.....another RO 5000??.....LOL your not playing around are you.
You going to face the same dilemma i am now with throwing too much at the problem WHEN it starts working too well as to what to take out & what to leave in.
I got zeomix/biopellets/AF bac & carbon on the go as well as recently got my hands on AF Probiotic salt & got reduction happening now & starting to switch things down to ease the fall....so far it looks like the biopellets feed the af bacteria just fine anyhow so that's 1 crossed off the list.
Hoping to just leave it at zeomix & biopellets & use the DC pump on the zeomix to up/down the flow to up/down my no3/po4....that's what i hoping will work anyway.

 

[fstofberg]

Thx for the feedback holding thumbs to see what happens

 

[fstofberg]

 

[fstofberg]

So next question can I place orca bio cubes into the skimmer as it will get water and air passing it ?

 

[dallasg]

So next question can I place orca bio cubes into the skimmer as it will get water and air passing it ?

dont, just use the bag they come in and thats it, use a strong airpump

 

[fstofberg]

Thx I have some in bags with airstones and some in a custom reactor with airstones in the bottom. Was thinking the skimmer would do the same job

 

[fstofberg]

Seems patience and plenty of Orca cudes is the key to reducing nitrates and phosphates.
Went down from 5ppm to 0.50ppm nitrates and phosphates dropped from 0.64ppm to about 0.20ppm.

Will update again in next week

 

[fstofberg]

Seems patience and plenty of Orca cubes is the key to reducing nitrates and phosphates.
Went down from 5ppm to 0.50ppm nitrates and phosphates dropped from 0.64ppm to about 0.20ppm.

Will update again in next week

 

[jairus1]

How much did you spend to get to where you are now with your Nitrates and phosphates?