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Nitrates=0!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by dead fish, Apr 20, 2013.

  1. dead fish Dead Fish

    832
    Iowa City
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0

    Some of you might remember a while back when my nitrates were so high that they coupldn't be measured by the API test kit. Well, I'm happy to provide this visual evidence that after many months I've successfully got them down to 0. I never thought it would happen. I feel a swelling of pride.


    [​IMG]


    How did I do it, you might ask? Well, a homemade algae scrubber and about 1.5 cups of white vinegar every day. And water changes, but not nearly as often as I thought I should (30 gal every two weeks or so the past few months).
     
  2. bmurphy

    bmurphy Inactive User

    25
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    congrats!! Im also striving towards the same goal/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif What ratio did you dose the vinegar? And did you build up the dose over a period of time?
     
  3. dead fish Dead Fish

    832
    Iowa City
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    I found a titration guide online somewhere. Came up in google. I started there, but just worked my way up to 1.5 cups over time without really using the guide after a while.
     
  4. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Now that its stabilized are you backing the dosage down a little bit, or just keeping it the same?
     
  5. dead fish Dead Fish

    832
    Iowa City
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    I just tested this morning for the first time in a few weeks. I'll back it down a little and see what happens. I'm curious to know if it's the vinegar or the scrubber, which has really started to grow some nice stuff in the past couple months.
     
  6. Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

    Marshalltown, IA
    Ratings:
    +233 / 1 / -0

    What size tank do you have? Did you have problems with cyano when first using the vinegar? Did you have GHA? If yes, do you have any left in the DT?/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif
     
  7. dead fish Dead Fish

    832
    Iowa City
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Is a 180. Had cyano before I started dosing but it's completely gone now.
     
  8. Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

    Marshalltown, IA
    Ratings:
    +233 / 1 / -0
    Thanks!
     
  9. dead fish Dead Fish

    832
    Iowa City
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Oh, and no GHA.
     
  10. mpivit Well-Known ReefKeeper

    494
    Dubuque
    Ratings:
    +28 / 1 / -0
    Congrats Were you adding vinegar to your kalk, or dosing on its own?
     
  11. Andy The Reef Guy

    Andy The Reef Guy Inactive User

    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    FINAF!@%INGLY! lol Good work man I knew you could do it!
     
  12. dead fish Dead Fish

    832
    Iowa City
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    I'm just adding it straight into the sump.

    In celebration of this event I went out and bought a RBTA and two heads of frogspawn.
     
  13. Jamie

    Jamie Well-Known ReefKeeper Vendor

    591
    Ratings:
    +24 / 0 / -0
    How did that much vinegar affect your ph? Seems like 1.5 cups/day would really pull your ph down. Doesn't the vinegar have a ph of something like 3
     
  14. dead fish Dead Fish

    832
    Iowa City
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    pH was about 7.8 at the time of that nitrate test. I've been buffering on and off.
     

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