Nutrient export

[islandVib3s]

Just wondering what everyone uses to control nutrients (phosphate/nitrate) couple weeks ago my nitrates were at 35ppm and phosphate at .69 , recent test(today) is 15ppm and .22. I increased fuge time,reactor w/rowa and carbon, also carbon dosing 4ml per day every 12hrs 2ml. Also just added pods and fed phyto 1x a day. I'm waiting for things to lower a bit more before using bio pellets and hoping to get away from gfo. But I think that's impossible for such a young tank and having the semi crash during vacation.  Here's a picture of it today lol don't mind the mess and the cabinet is still a work in progress 🤙 also the panels have push button releases which I thing is pretty cool and I will black it out when done so they will be a little hidden.

[Eatfrenchfries]

Nice tank! You should be able to manage everything good biopellet reactor and carbon dosing vinegar without GFO once levels are a bit more manageable for you. Just don't know if you'll be able to trust your auto feeders on vacation again. Nitrates are easy but phosphates suck without chemical filtration. 

 

Nutrient Export: macroalgae for nitrates, soft coral for phosphates. DE filter or DSR power filter during routine maintenance. Continuous WC 1% daily 

Nutrient Cycling: carbon dose without a skimmer to make N + P more available to larger organisms. 24/7 Phyto drip to keep nutrients available without fouling

Nutrient Sink: Tridacna clams and pacific oysters. Clams I'll keep but the oysters I harvest as I reach certain nutrient thresholds to keep from zeroing out. 

 

Formerly ran a zeo reactor for dialing in nutrients to acceptable levels before tackling with natural filters. Lanthum chloride for extreme phosphate control (love this for bb tanks that I can't zero in on the nutrient sink). 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Eatfrenchfries

[Lexinverts]

In my systems, I use mesh bags in filter socks with rowaphos to lower phosphate. I do it this way because it doesn't lower phosphate too fast like a reactor can.

My chaeto and skimmer keeps my nitrates pretty low, so I usually end up dosing nitrate to keep it around 15 ppm.

[Rugops]

Xenia, Chaeto and skimmer. I had 0 PO4 at one point. I have to feed a little heavier now.

[islandVib3s]

22 minutes ago, Rugops said:

Xenia, Chaeto and skimmer. I had 0 PO4 at one point. I have to feed a little heavier now.

Yea I'm thinking of putting some xenia in my sump with my refugium lol.just a little worried it can make its way to my pump.

[Rugops]

2 hours ago, islandVib3s said:

Yea I'm thinking of putting some xenia in my sump with my refugium lol.just a little worried it can make its way to my pump.

Personally, I want the xenia to outcompete the chaeto and other macro algae just so I can get rid of it and have the sump look amazing. I don't mind the extra growth. I think the display looks even more amazing with it growing everywhere.

[ShoeCrew]

I do run an algae turf scrubber and a chaeto tumbler in addition to an oversized skimmer. I am 100% on auto feeders with Freeze dried  mysis shrimp. No rowaphos, no carbon dosing. I don’t measure phosphate and nitrates. 

[Jeff.Tichenor]

Filter roller, skimmer, algae scrubber. I strongly recommend filter rollers.

[Emerald525]

On 5/4/2023 at 7:49 AM, Lexinverts said:

In my systems, I use mesh bags in filter socks with rowaphos to lower phosphate. I do it this way because it doesn't lower phosphate too fast like a reactor can.

My chaeto and skimmer keeps my nitrates pretty low, so I usually end up dosing nitrate to keep it around 15 ppm.

I noticed in my lagoon , chaeto is very efficient at clearing nitrate so I took out my skimmer . Granted the nano skimmers are difficult to dial in. Have you considered turning off your skimmer ?

3 hours ago, jtichenor said:

Filter roller, skimmer, algae scrubber. I strongly recommend filter rollers.

I was not going to go with a filter roller due to it being something mechanical that could break but seems like most people don’t have too many issues.  I also don’t have much room in my sump for both s skimmer refugium and filter roller but I think I can get by without one. 
 

Do you have problems with low nitrate or do you have a heavy population of fish and feed heavily ?

[Jeff.Tichenor]

8 hours ago, Emerald525 said:

I noticed in my lagoon , chaeto is very efficient at clearing nitrate so I took out my skimmer . Granted the nano skimmers are difficult to dial in. Have you considered turning off your skimmer ?

I was not going to go with a filter roller due to it being something mechanical that could break but seems like most people don’t have too many issues.  I also don’t have much room in my sump for both s skimmer refugium and filter roller but I think I can get by without one. 
 

Do you have problems with low nitrate or do you have a heavy population of fish and feed heavily ?

The great thing about a roller is it will take out uneaten food pretty effectively before it can break down. I had to supplement the roller with an algae scrubber. Both of those running to their max did cause my nitrates and po4 to get too low. I dialed back my scrubber to only run at night and that seems to be a good equilibrium for my system for the way I feed (mostly LRS reef frenzy 3x per day & nori).

Rollers do take up a lot of room in the sump. Sump manufactures have a lot of opportunity to improve their designs to incorporate rollers more effectively. 

The other thing to consider on rollers is that Clarisea uses 50 micron filter paper and RedSea uses 200 micron. The Clarisea will pull much more waste but will use more paper (all things being equal). However, the Clarisea has a bypass valve that will allow some of the water to not get filtered if your nutrients are getting too stripped. 

[Emerald525]

41 minutes ago, jtichenor said:

The great thing about a roller is it will take out uneaten food pretty effectively before it can break down. I had to supplement the roller with an algae scrubber. Both of those running to their max did cause my nitrates and po4 to get too low. I dialed back my scrubber to only run at night and that seems to be a good equilibrium for my system for the way I feed (mostly LRS reef frenzy 3x per day & nori).

Rollers do take up a lot of room in the sump. Sump manufactures have a lot of opportunity to improve their designs to incorporate rollers more effectively. 

The other thing to consider on rollers is that Clarisea uses 50 micron filter paper and RedSea uses 200 micron. The Clarisea will pull much more waste but will use more paper (all things being equal). However, the Clarisea has a bypass valve that will allow some of the water to not get filtered if your nutrients are getting too stripped. 

That’s good information I didn’t know there was a difference. I was leaning  towards the clarisea roller anyway and I am thinking I can probably get by without a skimmer and just use a refugium. I never used a refugium vans was amazed at how efficient the tiny one I had in my 25 tank was at removing nitrate. 
The bypass valve is good too. I don’t want to have to dose nitrate as that’s the main thing I’m trying to keep low . To me it’s like mopping a floor and then putting dirt on it again.😀 Sumps will be better designed and I think filter rollers will get smaller. I thought about just getting a trigger sump for a with the roller mat but I heard they weren’t as good as the clarisea l.

[JC7]

I do 20% weekly water changes and it keeps my levels near identical on both tanks. I use skimmer only, no filter media or pads. Also I only feed nls pellets small amounts 2x daily

red sea 350: powder blue tang, 10 chromis, royal gramma, mandarin goby, clown

red sea 750: 1 angel, 1 butterfly, 5 tangs, 5 wrasse, 2 clowns

Nitrates : 5 salifert

Phos: .05-.1 hanna 

Edited May 8, 2023 by JC7