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Unread 08/15/2018, 08:06 PM   #7
da5speed
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Huntington NY
Posts: 123
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefgeezer View Post
I have a "Simple" 90 gallon... 60-ish lbs. very porous rock, skimmer, and a overflow section that, by happy accident, acts as an algae turf scrubber of sorts. The system has a lot of fish in it and I feed pretty heavily.

Don't use GFO or GAC on a regular basis.

Don't use a filter sock on a regular basis.

Don't use a fuge.

30% water changes done in small increments sporadically over a month... or all at once if I get lazy. I even skip a month once in a while.

Dose 20 ml/day of vinegar.

Add potassium nitrate (Solution of Stump Killer in RODI water) to keep nitrates above 0 to 5 ppm.

This is the way the tank runs best. It may seem weird to add nitrate & vinegar, but this keeps the carbon dosing process from becoming nitrate limited so it can control phosphate better. The carbon dosing also keeps the water clearer. I target 2.5-5 ppm of Nitrate and .03 ppm of Phosphate, but I don't get bent out of shape if it is somewhat higher at times... unless algae starts to show up too much... then it on! I hate algae.
Where do you purchase your potassium nitrate? Could you tell me more about how you dosed in the beginning and how offin you dose.


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