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Post by Jordan Emery on Dec 26, 2012 22:30:15 GMT -5
Soooooo I have been having a problem growing most any type of coral... hatever i get, just shrivels up and dies.... Anyways... i finally got sick of it (haha) so i started the investigation. I thought it was my calcium, alk, or mag... So i bought two dosing pumps and the BRS two part solution, got all three in check (they werent that far off anyway) and tried again, and nope everything new just once again shriveled up and died. So i looked further... NITRATES! in the 250's. Yup, that will do it! Anyways I have been dosing vodka for the past 8 weeks. i am up to .05/gallon. I bought a polyfilter from Cultivated Reef, but before i put it in i did a 75% water change... then two more after both 15%. Anyways... nitrates are down to 25-50ppm. I am hoping the vodka will keep the nitrates low.. i am going to keep testing though to make sure. Also started Zeozym! That stuff is AMAZING! it definately increases the productivity of the skimmer! I have also ordered some zeobak which works well with the zeozym so hopefully this is the end of this adventure!!!!!!
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Dec 26, 2012 22:42:19 GMT -5
Heavy skimming, regular water changes with RO or RODI water, having a good refugium, or adding a sorce of organic carbon dosing like vodka, sugar or vinegar for added bacterial growth are all great ways to lower nitrates. I did the vodka dosing thing for a few months and gave up right about at the same level your dosing because it was an added hassle for me at the time. I get a lot better results from my first three suggestions anyway. Keep us posted on any progress.
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Post by Jordan Emery on Dec 26, 2012 22:49:05 GMT -5
yeah i will! Its pretty easy with the BRS dosing pumps and the apex... the longest part was doing the math!!!!!!!!! hahahah but that was not all that bad... just time consuming.. excel helped though! I did take the skimmer completely out of the sump (PITA) and cleaned it all out really well... then i adjusted the bubbles with the pump... Seems to be working a bit better. I also changed the height of the output on the skimmer. So now its a little more wet than before but i think it will be a lot better. I do use a RODI unit. and have a small fuge with a light. I think the problem was A - Bio balls B- Skimmer not as effective as it should have been and C- DSB .... Hopefully this will be the end of it.. I really dont want to lower my bio load. I do have quite a bit of fish... ok maybe too many... but hopefully with the vin/vodka i can keep em all!
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Post by seamonkey84 on Dec 26, 2012 23:08:31 GMT -5
Nothing lowers nitrates like heavy water changes and making sure to remove the detritus in filter system and blast the live rock with turkey baster. Using he zeovite system and vodka dosing does work to make a system nutrient low, but you need everything in check first.
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Dec 26, 2012 23:27:55 GMT -5
I will second that Seamonkey84. I also like using a filter sock in my sump when I'm vacuming detritus out of my my shallow sand bed or rock. I syphon all the crud right into the sock and remove it when I'm done, then follow it with a water change. Works really well for keeping the sand bed from becoming a nitrate trap. I even did this to the top layer of my old deep sand beds and what a difference it made. Get the crud out before it has the chance to rot ans raise nitrates is how I see it.
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Post by gotareef on Dec 27, 2012 10:45:37 GMT -5
first off why are nitrates high?
if I remember right the tank has been up for a wile, it should have stabilized.
this tells me you are adding them somehow. how are the filters in your ro? do you overfeed? how many fish and in what size tank?
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Post by Jordan Emery on Dec 27, 2012 10:50:48 GMT -5
lol i have 10 fish in a 72... blue hippo, yellow tang, banghai, flame, lemonpeel, yellow wrasse, two black clowns, tribal blenny, and starry blenny... I was definately overfeeding.... i have cut the feeding down dramatically only 1 x day now... yeah the tank has been up for a while... i need to get a TDS meter to check my RO...
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Post by Jordan Emery on Dec 27, 2012 10:53:35 GMT -5
Also... i think the bio balls were producing a lot... i have been taking them out slowly, last night i removed the last of them and replaced with LR...
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Post by gotareef on Dec 27, 2012 11:30:17 GMT -5
I recommend a bigger tank lol !! you have more fish than I do in my 180g
it kind of stinks but either fish or coral or big $$$$$ filters.
anyway you need to get the tank stable. I would go and get a bottle of amquel+ it will bind the nitrates so you can get rid of them manually
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Post by Jordan Emery on Dec 27, 2012 12:03:37 GMT -5
i am going to wait and see with this whole vodka dosing thing... people have had a lot of good results running vodka with high bio loads... hopefully it works! hahah i will keep yall posted!
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Post by gotareef on Dec 27, 2012 16:22:30 GMT -5
the problem with vodka is it will initially spike nitrates. the reason it works is because it feeds nitrate so they multiply enough that eventually they starve because there is no food left. (you can use sugar to do the same) is there a schedule for the vodka dosing? I am guessing you start off by adding a little then increase and taper down at the end of the treatment?
that sounds great but without enough mechanical filtration (heavy heavy skimming)it can cause bigger problems.
make sure to turn the skimmer way up so it is skimming very wet
with amquel it binds the nitrate with no adverse effects
were you at the reed mariculture meeting a few years back they use amquel by the ton
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Post by Jordan Emery on Dec 27, 2012 21:00:21 GMT -5
There is a schedule with the vodka dosing. I am almost to the end so i just want to keep it up to see how it goes. I have indeed turned up the skimmer to get the most out...
No, i wasn't at that meeting...
Does anyone know if Deep Sea has a TDS meter? Or does anyone know of anyone local with a TDS meter? I think i am having some issues with my RO. I went down in the basement today because i noticed the bucket that i drain into was not emptying and found that my RO unit is just running constantly... not cool at all... I was going to bring some RODI water somewhere to get it tested to see. It has been a while since i have changed the filters.... Could that be the reason it keeps going.... Also... idk if it is related or not but i filled up a 36 gallon tote the other day and it only took like 3 hours to fill the whole thing? Is that normal? I know with the kent RO unit i had it took a long time to make up RODI water....
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Post by gotareef on Dec 28, 2012 8:13:46 GMT -5
yes deep sea has them, but I got mine from buy.com for free they had them on sale for $10 and a $10 credit if you sign up for buy.com
as far as output of the ro filters do make a difference but if it is a different unit that will also make a difference.
I have a 7 stage 100gpd, I only get just over a gallon an hour! it takes me 2 days to make water for a water change. mine is due to water pressure.
but a 3 stage ro puts out a gallon in about 10 min with the same pressure
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Post by Jordan Emery on Dec 28, 2012 9:58:52 GMT -5
yeah, i have the mighty mite from Air Water and Ice... not even sure of how many stages it is... i know it is RODI... but still... somethings up because it shouldnt be running constantly....
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Post by gotareef on Dec 28, 2012 10:27:48 GMT -5
well here is your unit
this is from the airwater ice site:
"RO MIGHTY MITE SYSTEM 50GPD"
"The unit comes complete with a full size in-line sediment filter, a full size in-line GAC (Granulated Activated Carbon) filter, and a TFC (Thin Film Composite) RO membrane. Also included are a faucet diverter valve, preset flow control, tubing, a diagram, and instructions. Reefkeepers may expand this unit into a full featured RO/DI system by simply adding an in-line DI cartridge. Our quick connect push-in fittings truly make this system plug-n-play!"
"Mighty Mite 50GPD with DI Added" same as above with an added di chamber
can you adjust the waste water flow? maybe it will run less.
or maybe add a permeate pump, ("Saves up to 85% of the water that normally goes to drain line")
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