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Unread 09/16/2019, 02:49 PM   #1
Chris918
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Join Date: Jul 2016
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Exclamation Potassium Nitrate overdose. Advice needed.

Hello friends

After numerous discussions and trying to get advice from trusted reefers, I determined that my tank was running "too clean." As a result of my tank being bare bottom, only being 7 months old, and having 0 Nitrate and 0 Phosphate, my tank developed a kind of gross looking brown algae. I had tried so many things so the recommendation to raise my nitrates to get some biological competition going in my tank couldn't hurt.

The problem? Me! I misread the instructions and instead of increasing my Nitrates to 3-5 ppm over the course of a few days I increased them to 15 ppm all at once.

I did a 25% water change but ran out of reserve water. My test kit shows no change 24 hours later but my test kit may not be sensitive enough to detect the change. The rocks are already showing new kinds of algae. There's a tiny bit of green for the first time. Still I know I increased the nitrates too quickly. I'm assuming the fish will be fine. I have two acropora and one torch. They don't show any changes or reactions so far.

What should I do? More water changes? Let it run its course?


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Unread 09/16/2019, 05:19 PM   #2
outssider
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris918 View Post
Let it run its course
this is what i'd do. 15 isn't too bad. Your tank runs low naturally so it should come down slowly on it's own.


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Current Tank Info: 75 Gal. Mixed reef mostly sps
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Unread 09/16/2019, 05:22 PM   #3
Chris918
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Thank you for your reply.


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Unread 09/16/2019, 05:27 PM   #4
bertoni
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I suspect that the tank will be fine. A few water changes, 10-15% each, probably would help if any animals show signs of problems.


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Unread 09/16/2019, 05:43 PM   #5
Chris918
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Hey bertoni. Thanks for stopping by. Yeah I did the initial large one, but I think I'll calm down and just keep a more consistent schedule. My tank was nutrient deficient in the first place so eventually it will go down.


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Unread 09/16/2019, 07:21 PM   #6
bertoni
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You're welcome. I suspect the tank will be fine.


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