anyone using nopox in rsm max?

[Shuttershane]

I have been controlling my phosphates using gfo. It works well but is a pain and truthfully works to good. If I run it I get 0 reading on my hanna test and if I don't change it often or turn it off I have brown stuff on my sand. Not sure if it is is diatom or cyno. I am looking for a alternative method. I read redseas info and watched the videos on nopox but haven't read any long term positive restult threads on it. Anyone care to share there method or results with nopox?

 

[RedSeaKev]

Hi Shane, there are now based on the amount of email traffic I get thousands of Max Owners using No3Po4-X and achieving excellent results, it is important to set your skimmer to produce a wet skimate and ensure you use a good accurate No3 test kit like our No3 Pro kit able to measure in increments of 0.25ppm through to 4ppm.

Hopefully you'll get some Max owners jump on this thread with their feedback soon.

 

[Shuttershane]

Thanks RedSeaKev. My tanks Nitrates have been at 0 for around 6 months now but my phosphates have been ranging from 0.0 to .13. I have some chaeto in my sump but it is now dying off, I believe this is happening because I replenished my gfo 4 days ago and currently have a reading of 0 on phosphates. The question for me is when to start nopox and how with my current readings being so low. I like the idea of using nopox over GFO. GFO works great but is really expensive and in my opinion works to quickly (the premium brs stuff atleast)

 

[jimv]

I just picked up some No3Po4-X and realised my test kit was not sufficient for the low range readings I needed. I ordered the red sea algae control tet kit and hope to have it in by the end of the week. I will keep you up to date on how it works for me.

Sent from my Ideapad K1 using Tapatalk

 

[mudhutbob]

This was a post I made awhile back and my experience with NoPox:

Wanted to give an update on my Red Sea NOPOX use. After 3 weeks and no changes in my numbers I found an article that said your ChemiPure and Purigen should be removed when doing NOPOX. Once I did my numbers dropped to zero very quickly for both nitrates and Phosphates. That's when the problems started. Everything seemed lifeless. The skimmer would hardly skim anything... and the fish and corals looked lethargic. I backed off the dosing (3ml) to zero and everything started to peak up.

That's when I noticed the cyano starting. After more reading it looks like cyano may appear when your nitrates hit 0. Now I have my nitrates at 20 and phosphates at .9 and life is perking up. Once I get the cyano whipped I'll work on balancing wc and my numbers. NOPOX appears to be a good product but should be watched carefully to avoid other problems. Good luck all.

Update on cyno: I ended up using Chemiclean to get rid of the cyno. A pain the arse but it worked like a charm. Skimmer went crazy but many water changes later my tank is back to normal with no sign of cyno and all the fish and coral are looking healthy again. Now I feed every 2-3 days and have removed much of my sand bed. I keep about 1/2" sand and the detritus doesn't build up too fast. My nitrates and phosphates have now dropped and the tank stays clean longer. My 2 cents.

 

[Shuttershane]

Mudhutbob,

That sounds very scary but also very odd. I would think your skimmer would be working a little harder than normal when everything started to look lifeless. To me it sounds like you had a overdose or your skimmer was having issues during this time.

If I would of seen what you did I would of done a 20% or more water change and also stop dosing, or at least cut it in half.

 

[RedSeaKev]

Folks, something I would like to make clear, we do not recommend zero levels of No3 or Po4, this was one of the main reasons of developing No3Po4-X so you could control these algae nutrient levels and not eliminate them.

We clearly cover in the instructions the recommended levels of No3 & Po4 along with the Foundation levels for the different programs of rapid growth or low nutrient (High Coloration) as below.

Low Nutrition
• Calcium 430 ppm
• Magnesium 1310 ppm
• Alkalinity 8.2
• No3 0.25ppm
• Po4 0.02 ppm

Rapid Growth
• Calcium 465ppm
• Magnesium 1390
• Alkalinity 12.6
• No3 1 to 2 ppm
• Po4 0.08 ppm


At zero No3 & Po4 you are effectively starving your corals, our Reef Care Program YouTube videos cover this and are defiantly worth watching for an in-depth explanation of the association of Zooxanthellae and nutrition for Corals, there are 5 RCP videos which can be found here http://www.redseafish.com/videos/

Cyano, again there are a lot of suggestions that high levels of No3 & Po4 are the cause of this bacterial outbreak along with poor lighting ( Color Temperature) flow and swings in Alkalinity high to low etc we have seen a lot of success with customers maintaining the No3 & Po4 levels we recommend, to those of you who are suffering with Cyano can I suggest before you reach for the treatment bottle you ensure you accurately check your No3 level, you'll need a test kit that can measure in increments of 0.25ppm like our No3 Pro kit and get some No3 back into your systems, if this means harvesting your Macro algae, feeding your fish more or even introducing more fish get some No3 back into your system, given time the Cyano will recede back to a balance, I am not suggesting this will work in every case but we have seen now significant numbers of customers who have had terrible cyano issues resolved by raising No3 to a detectable level and being able to control these levels using No3po4-X

 

[Shuttershane]

Thanks for that information RedSeaKev. As always you bring great knowledge!

I am in the stages of planning to convert to NoPox. Right now I have a API test kit for Nitrates and its minimum is 5ppm so I ordered a Redsea Nitrate test kit. For my phosphate I use a hanna meter.

I intend to start a thread showing my progress and hope RedSeaKev will read it to help me along the way. I also plan to keep it going. All the other threads I have seen about nopox seem to just die after 1-2 weeks. I would like to chart my long term values and how I go about bumping it up or down along the road.

 

[LakeLivin]

I put a cup of BRS bulk GFO (high capacity) granular ferric oxide in one of my little fishies 150 reactors because I was having a problem with the green powder algae on the glass. I know it's a normal algae that everyone has but I would clean the glass and within an hour or so the stuff would be growing again. I had to clean the glass multiple times a day. However, within 24hrs of turning on the reactor with the ferric oxide the algae was significantly reduced. Now I only have to clean the glass once a day. Not really necessary and could get away with less often but I'm kind of anal about keeping the glass clean.

 

[RedSeaKev]

Thanks for that information RedSeaKev. As always you bring great knowledge!

I am in the stages of planning to convert to NoPox. Right now I have a API test kit for Nitrates and its minimum is 5ppm so I ordered a Redsea Nitrate test kit. For my phosphate I use a hanna meter.

I intend to start a thread showing my progress and hope RedSeaKev will read it to help me along the way. I also plan to keep it going. All the other threads I have seen about nopox seem to just die after 1-2 weeks. I would like to chart my long term values and how I go about bumping it up or down along the road.

Hi Shane, well this is a simple one, you ask the questions and I'll do my best to answer them, that I am sure will keep this thread going, this is an open invitation to all using the Reef Care Program in your Max aquarium in the Max owners section, it doesn't matter how trivial you think the question is please don't be scarred to ask after all I'm here to help you.:hallo:

 

[Shuttershane]

Ok here goes my question.

Just bought nopox and did phosphate and nitrate test.
Nitrate is 0.75 (the same as it was three days ago) red sea test kit
Phosphate is 0 - hanna test

The instructions state for nitrate above 1 but below 2.5 to go with 1ml per 25g. Should I go with that, or do you suggest I I wait until my nitrate goes up. I can always feed my fish more. I feed everyday but small amounts. I would say I am medium stocked. I have 7 fish, 4 shrimp and a cleanup crew in a rsm 500

Also if you do suggest I start with 1ml per 25g should I stop my gfo now or wait a few weeks?

Thanks in advance

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

If your going with this method, most every post I have seen suggest not running other chemical filtration.

 

[RedSeaKev]

Hi Shane, Further to the No3Po4-X instructions we recommend reducing by 50% the dosage in the event of the Nitrate dropping below 1 ppm.

We first need to decide which route you are looking at, low nutrition or rapid growth ? either way stop using your gfo, however keep it ready for use again if needed, we sometimes see nutrient release from live rock so your Po4 may go up whilst establishing colonies of PHB's (Phosphate Harbouring Bactria) whilst we have zero Po4 it will be difficult to develope these bacteria as they need a food source of Po4 along with that within the No3Po4-X.

I'm going to suggest a very low dosage of No3Po4-X initaly of 0.25 ml per 25 gal/100 litre and also an increase in feeding, do not be scared to feed your fish No3Po4-X is very efficient and will quickly control the No3, Po4 does take longer as the PHB developement does take much longer.

It is important to set your skimmer to produce a wet skimate, this helps with the Po4 export, Po4 is consumed by the PHB's and when they die off laden with Po4 they are extracted by the skimmer.

You will see a change in skimate color from a dark green to a light golden tea color, this is normal so don't be alarmed.

Let us see your current Mg, Ca & Alk levels it is these that will set your No3 & Po4 levels.

 

[salty23]

In order to use this nopox stuff, do we need to be using the red sea salt to see full results? Thanks

 

[RedSeaKev]

In order to use this nopox stuff, do we need to be using the red sea salt to see full results? Thanks

Hi Salty, whilst there are many advantages to using Red Sea salts, No3Po4-X does and will work with all brands of salt, what is very important is the use of a good efficient protein skimmer with a water to air ratio of 3:1

 

[Shuttershane]

Ok here are my parameters.
Calcium 400
Alk 8.4
Mg 1600 - this is elevated due to me killing bryopsis with high mg. I intend to get this down to 1350

My goal right now is coral growth. I will take the gfo offline today.

Also I am going to start a new thread that will detail my journey with nopox.

 

[RedSeaKev]

Ok Shane, growth it is then, first thing now them is to allow your Po4 to rise to 0.08 and increase your No3 to at least 1ppm and this can go to 2 ppm.

Assuming your Salinity is at 35ppt your target for foundation elements is 1395 Mg, 465Ca and 12.6 dKH however it is important you do not raise your dKH yet until your No3 and Po4 are stable, dKH is the fuel for rapid growth and without the correct algae nutrient levels you do not want to accelerate growth just yet.

I would also take a look at our Reef Energy, this will ensure good nutrition for your Corals, in a fully stocked aquarium with 1 ppm No3 your looking to dose 2ml of each per 25gal/100 litres