Zero po4 and high No3

[erikokelf]

I have been battling zero po4 and very high no3 for quite sometime.

Even with bio-pallet and also biosphere added to my skimmer, the no3 just doesn't seem to drop a single bit.

Water change on weekly basis of 40% also doesn't help at all.

From one of the posting here, i recalled bro Fuel have mentioned the limiting factor might be po4 and hence i have done some research online and finally came to someone whom have discuss it. Hope you guys find it helpful here if you are having the identical issue.

Below is an posting i found from another reefer from another forum which i feel might be useful to our reefers here.

"When either NO3 or PO4 is excessively out of balance, you may experience the other remaining high for a long time, which is what you are seeing now. I would recommend that you take your GFO reactor offline for a while and get your PO4 levels up to around 0.03-0.05ppm. In simple terms, you want more bacteria growth in your water column in order for that the increased bacteria count can consume the excess NO3. Bacteria need both NO3 and PO4 and if PO4 is low, then the PO4 becomes your limiting factor to getting the bacteria count up so that the nitrates can be driven down naturally."

[MarcoVan]

Instead of taking gfo offline, how about dosing more bacteria?

Judging from article it seems like gfo sucked the po4 making bacteria count drop due to lack of po4 as food hence no3 rises.

but you are already running biopellets which has both bacteria and carbon source.

so technically your bacteria count shld be steady as the carbon source in pellets feed only the bacteria.

so I am abit confused with the article's direction on removing the gfo part.

Hope to understand more

[surreal1228]

I also confused on this since i got this issue before by using BIOS pellets.

IT was solved by dosing vodka and bacteria. Try to use. Different bacterial brands together. As i feel bacteria are picky for carbon sourse and tank. Haha. I tried 3 brands. Plus crazy feeding oyster fest.

Also my another tank was solved by algea scrubbers.which. is also very good for. U to try.i got one spare can lent u.

So. I suggest u to try Turn down The flow of ur gfo fr. And feed more and multiple brands bacterial dosing.

Algea scrubber works really well.

[erikokelf]

This is the link to the original article. Symptoms is exactly same as me except that my tank already running more than half a year. Hopes this help clears up the doubt.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2281729

Sent from my PadFone 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[erikokelf]

I also confused on this since i got this issue before by using BIOS pellets.

IT was solved by dosing vodka and bacteria. Try to use. Different bacterial brands together. As i feel bacteria are picky for carbon sourse and tank. Haha. I tried 3 brands. Plus crazy feeding oyster fest.

Also my another tank was solved by algea scrubbers.which. is also very good for. U to try.i got one spare can lent u.

So. I suggest u to try Turn down The flow of ur gfo fr. And feed more and multiple brands bacterial dosing.

Algea scrubber works really well.

So you have given up in biopallet totally? I have dose 2 type of bacterial so far for my bp reactor. The flow of my gfo is also quite minimum as I only let it wriggle on the surface and not furiously.

Btw I have totally turn off my gfo yesterday and try to do test every other day with my salifert test kit to see if it helps.

Sent from my PadFone 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[surreal1228]

Yes. Big Tank Using BIOS sphere. But results soso.

So no 3 not very low now. But dosing vinger and vodka. Plus cheato

Small Tank. ONLY rowa phos and Algea scrubber.

Btw. Just realize that why not change more water and minmize feeding to get no 3 lower first.

Also try. Another no 3 test. Kit

[Marcuss]

Your case more to test kit accurancy faulty to me.Try using different brand no3 test kit

[yellowtang]

What is your NO3 reading? No need to be zero. I am keeping a mixed tank, with many Spses and fishes, feed aggressively, NO3 is never Zero. But I dose 10 ml of bact daily.

YT.

[surreal1228]

Fully agreed with MIKE. Personally still prefer no 3 ard 1-5.

ULN gives sps lighter color i feel.

[erikokelf]

My no3 is at 100 based on salifert test kit. my feeding also quite minimal only once per day with new life spectrum pallet. no3 is the main reason why I ain't adding coral till now although I'm dying to do so.

maybe I will try getting another test kit I do have API as well but don't think they are really that good from what I read on many forums.

Sent from my PadFone 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[surreal1228]

U use salt mix bro? Test ur salt mix see if no 3 also high

[erikokelf]

U use salt mix bro? Test ur salt mix see if no 3 also high

Yup i'm using DD salt with RODI water. That's something new to me didn't know salt mix could contain high no3.

Thanks for the advance will try that as well.

[kraken]

I am using DD salt with RODI too, I do not think it is a case of the salt containing high NO3, I have zero NO3 in my tank