Cant increase nitrates

[this is me]

FWIW, my tank runs 0.04-0.1ppm PO4 and undetectable NO3 with both RedSea Pro test and Hanna checker.
I don't believe in this unbalanced nutrients create algae issue.
Why are you running skimmerless?

 

[ChrisV]

Can never be 100% with hobby grade kits lol. I plan to get a high range Hanna as an Xmas gift for myself. May try swinging by All Things Aquatic this weekend for a 2nd opinion

The high range Hanna kits are awesome. Just make sure to buy some reagent refills. They have been less available.

 

[Chlorinated]

FWIW, my tank runs 0.04-0.1ppm PO4 and undetectable NO3 with both RedSea Pro test and Hanna checker.
I don't believe in this unbalanced nutrients create algae issue.
Why are you running skimmerless?

Well it's not algae issues, it's bateria. We've all seen dinos an cyanocobalamin take hold due to nutrients.

I run skimmerless because waterchanges have always worked well for me for nutrient control. Plus I am extremely limited in my options for skimmers for my tank. The IM versions have horrible reviews, and the few others need modification to work. Even if you get them in, most don't work well.

 

[Chlorinated]

The high range Hanna kits are awesome. Just make sure to buy some reagent refills. They have been less available.

I've read that. I will take your advice and stock up

 

[coralfishreef]

Possibly something unexpected like putting hands or tools in the tank with traces of soap or vinegar on them.

Tank close to the kitchen and cooking spay getting into the tank.

Perfume or deodorant spray nearby.

Not reef safe filter floss with residual chemicals.

Cat using the tank as a toilet.
Kid using the tank as a toilet.

 

[Chlorinated]

Possibly something unexpected like putting hands or tools in the tank with traces of soap or vinegar on them.

Tank close to the kitchen and cooking spay getting into the tank.

Perfume or deodorant spray nearby.

Not reef safe filter floss with residual chemicals.

Cat using the tank as a toilet.
Kid using the tank as a toilet.

I am usually pretty diligent about clean hands in the tank, but things happen.

Open concept kitchen/living room but the tank isn't remotely close to oven.

Same polyfill floss been using for many years.

No other pets.

No sump and 4yo can't reach the top of the tank...thankfully haha.

O debated aerosols in the house but like I mentioned, no candles or air freshener or the such. Wifes perfume stays in the bathroom 2 rooms over. Besides, it would need to be persistent right? This issue has been constant for over a year even after a tank move to a new apartment.

 

[Chlorinated]

Been a while since I've updated this.

The fist and easiest thing I wanted to try was just raising nitrates. I bought a bottle of Brightwell NeoNitro. While I was waiting for the bottle to be delivered, I noticed my return flow was super low...like barely flowing. So I decided to pull my return pump...it has been a few months...and give it a scrub.

Normally when I pull the pump I pull it apart and give it a good scrub with a toothbrush. I haven't bothered with the tubing as it's a major pain to pull apart and cleaning the pump alone has always gotten flow back. This time I pulled the tubing as well. I should have taken a picture but I didn't unfortunately...the tubing was 95% clogged with white snot!

Without scrubbing, I dropped the pump and tubing in a bucket of citric acid and let it run for an hour. The snot wasn't even changed, flow was still slow, but the bucket stank really bad. So I pulled the pump and tubing apart, cleaned it all with Qtips to clear the snot and re-ran in CA again. Needless to say flow was back to normal.

I also took the time to pull my reactor and heater and run them in CA as well to clean them out well. Refilled with fresh carbon and got the tank running again.

The flow was increased so much I had to top off water because the level in the display went up.

Corals looked good, and then I dosed nitrates to 3ppm. I tested last night and....no nitrates!

So I went a step farther. Pulled my media racks..which had been pulled 2 days ago....and they were covered in slime. So I gave them a bath. I then scraped the glass and went to town on every inch of sand I could find and basted it over and over.

After a few hours the tank cleared...changed floss atleast 6 times. I dosed again with nitrates to 3ppm. Plan to test tonight.

If there's more of this bacterial snot somewhere i don't know where it could be hiding. I certainly got the major mass of it anyway.

I will report back with test results...