NO3:PO4-X

[pegasus]

I'm (finally) going to take the plunge and try my luck with SPS corals. First things first... I need to reduce my Nitrates and Phosphates to "near" zero, but I'm not in a position to purchase dosing pumps or reactors at the moment. So, the best alternative appeared to be Red Sea's NPX. Nitrate is currently 5ppm, and Phosphate is .365ppm, so (hopefully) it "should" be a fairly easy fix. I am curious if anyone else has used this product, and how they fared with it.

 

[bang guy]

Search the Beaslbob posts and algae scrubbers. More effective & natural in my opinion.

Just a caution with the Beaslbob posts, I do not condone recommending macroalgae in the same tank as SPS Coral.

 

[pegasus]

Will do. Thanks, Bang Guy.

 

[geridoc]

Bang guy is right - algae scrubbers are great for lowering nitrates and phosphates. There are DIY plans and several well made units available online. I use units from turbo's aquatics, and they have been great.

 

[silverado61]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/397127/no3-po4-x#post_3539293
Bang guy is right - algae scrubbers are great for lowering nitrates and phosphates. There are DIY plans and several well made units available online. I use units from turbo's aquatics, and they have been great.
So for corals, it's better to use a scrubber in the sump instead of macro's?

I was thinking of building an upflow scrubber. I do know I can't do both (scrubber and macro's). Just wanted to know which is best.

 

[pegasus]

I've seen plenty of videos and diagrams for DIY algae scrubbers, and they appear simple enough. A scrubber is still an viable option at this point, but... I want to keep Chaeto in my refugium for the pods, but also want to reduce NO3 and PO4 to "near zero" so I can keep SPS corals. It may be tricky to do both. I like having a nutrient rich environment for my LPS corals, and growth has been very good. My 3 1/2 heads of Duncans has turned into 10 since they arrived on Sep 27, and my wall hammer is growing well, too. Another dilemma I am facing is whether to try for low NO3/PO4 so the SPS corals will have good growth, or ultra-low NO3/PO4 so the SPS corals will have good color. Do I settle for a brownish tint or vibrant colors? How will either choice affect LPS? Hmmm... I'm at an impasse.

 

[eric b 125]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/397127/no3-po4-x#post_3538648
Search the Beaslbob posts and algae scrubbers. More effective & natural in my opinion.

Just a caution with the Beaslbob posts, I do not condone recommending macroalgae in the same tank as SPS Coral.

You do not condone macro in the same tank or in the same system as SPS? If you think they don't belong in the same system, may I ask why?

 

[pegasus]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/397127/no3-po4-x#post_3538648

Just a caution with the Beaslbob posts, I do not condone recommending macroalgae in the same tank as SPS Coral.
I was wondering the same thing. Does that mean in the same tank, or same system (ie: refugium)... or both?

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric B 125 http:///t/397127/no3-po4-x#post_3539369

You do not condone macro in the same tank or in the same system as SPS? If you think they don't belong in the same system, may I ask why?

They are find in a refugium or separate tank in the same system. Most of the macroalgaes have the potential to overgrow or actually grow into SPS coral. This is VERY debilitating as SPS coral have no defense against macroalgae.

 

[pegasus]

Thanks for the reply, Bang Guy. I thought that would be your reply, but I just needed to be sure. I can't imagine not having macros in the fuge. Speaking of algae... I started dosing NPX today. I have an outbreak of either hair algae or bryopsis, and I've had a small nagging case of cyano for awhile too, so I hope this will clear up both problems. I had high hopes that Tech M would take care of the algae, but it didn't, even after pushing the MG level very close to 2000 ppm. It's been above 1800 ppm for over two weeks, and the algae shows no sign of weakening. *sigh* Tech M is supposed to work for bryopsis, but I haven't seen any mention of hair algae in any forum. Since I can't choke it, I'll try starving it... and hopefully the macro will help in the process. I'll update as soon as I see some results... good or bad. Fingers crossed.

 

[eric b 125]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/397127/no3-po4-x#post_3539432

They are find in a refugium or separate tank in the same system. Most of the macroalgaes have the potential to overgrow or actually grow into SPS coral. This is VERY debilitating as SPS coral have no defense against macroalgae.

I would have been very intrigued to hear an argument for not having macro in the system, haha. I agree that it should not be in the same tank as SPS corals.

 

[pegasus]

I HAD some fern caulerpa and shaving brushes growing in my DT, but my yellow tang and lawnmower blenny took care of those. I had a huge growth of fern in my refugium, and overnight, it died. Not sure what caused it, but one day it was dense and green. The next day it was limp and brown. It was quite fun cleaning it out while it broke into thousands of pieces. Glad I had Chaeto behind it to catch all the little pieces...

 

[pegasus]

Update:

I started dosing NO3O4-X last Wednesday when my levels were Nitrate 5ppm(+), and Phosphate .365ppm(+). I dosed 10ml per day for a week, and yesterday I tested the NO3/PO4 levels. Much to my relief, Nitrate was .50ppm and Phosphate was .16ppm. I want to keep Nitrate in the 1-2ppm range (accelerated coral growth), so I cut the dosage in half. If Nitrate continues to fall, I may have to stop dosing altogether until it gets back up to an acceptable level.

I never thought I'd hear myself saying I need to RAISE my Nitrate level! LOL!!!

Phosphates take longer to eradicate, but I think I'm well on my way to getting those down to 0.02(ish)ppm. The only signs of stress during the first week of treatment was some shriveling and deflating of Xenias, and early afternoon closing of Duncans. The Xenia is now back to normal, but the Duncans are now only opening from morning until early afternoon. This may be due to the lower Nitrate level, or it may be due to a recent move to a lower location (- 3") onto the substrate... or perhaps a combination of the two. I hope reducing the dosage will allow them to return to normal. They used to be open all day before starting treatment. Time will tell...

There are two reasons I chose to use NO3O4-X instead of an algae scrubber. 1: An algae scrubber requires space, equipment, and maintenance. 2: I can control Nitrate and Phosphate levels by adjusting dosage.