Adding LR to help remove nutrients?

Holla,

Are there any drawbacks to adding 1 year old LR temporarily to help with the bio load and clean up of a high nutrient tank issue?

 

You would probably be better off doing a large water change and possibly running your skimmer a little wet. Siphon out as much detritus as you can as you do the water change.

 

What kind of nutrients? Organics, nitrates, phosphates or what?

The LR will have some die-off areas from the move. This might be better in a longer term.

 

I agree that adding LR would probably help long term but probably wouldn't do much for the short term. What are your levels and what are you trying to get rid off?

Easiest approach for a "quick fix" for phosphates would be GFO. You'll want to start slowly to avoid any ill-effects, but adding LR would probably not have any effect on reducing phosphate levels...in fact...you may add more from the initial die off.

If you are having nitrate issues then additional live rock will help long term...but it has to be relatively mature rock to make a difference.

Best short term approach IMO would be increased skimming, more frequent small water changes, and adding a filter sock to catch waste...if you have detritus collecting in the tank siphon it out or stir it up and let the socks catch it. Also check the return chamber of your sump for any buildup of gunk...it tends to collect somewhere if you aren't using a filter sock...and this seems to be the number 1 location for it in my tank. ymmv

 

Honestly IMO water change will do best in your interest. Siphon the sand bed cause where those nutrients are. I had the same issue and I did a good water change and siphoned the sand. Not only does the sand look crystal white but my nitrates went from around 10 to nothing at all in one day. You can try LR but I think that's just a band aid for your issue. it may help overtime but like stated above for more short term success I would advise a WC
Good luck

 

FWIW - detritus has very little organic phosphate in it. Most is excreted in fish urine. Go ahead and siphon the sand so that the critters can use it more effectively, though.

 

Thanks guys for the help! I wont add any LR. I don't have a fuge or sump since its a red sea max. I have lots of LR in there now, I was looking for something supplemental to all the good stuff you guys mentioned. I did a big 15 gallon wc yesterday and a 20g wc 2 weeks ago. My normal is only 5g per week. Ive been taking the top grains of sand off every change and scrubbing the rock, ect. My test show I have 0 of everything, which is not really valid considering the results. I don't have a giant bio load, like 70 corals and 4 fish. If I don't feed the fish they just eat pods or algae, its whats I've been doing for a couple weeks now and supplementing with small amounts of pellets. There isn't a bunch of deterus laying around I can see. I did find a bunch of cheato that broke apart in small units, maybe that was deteriorating causing a bloom?

So I have been trying to make a thread for my tank build for years lol. I am currently taking 17 credits and work plus the whole life bit, but since I am asking so much I thinks its just about time. I will make it fast so at least I can provide some what of a better picture. Thanks again for all the help and ideas in this thread and my previous one about the sand! I thought I was a reef tank genius since I went without a big hitch for years lol, this will teach me for sure!

 

Oh and in my attempt to get to the root of my tank issues I found out today that my daughter uses hairspray where my clean buckets are. Why? I don't know she says, it was out of the way and she walked off. I have a feeling there is probably some trace stuff that is not helping, right?

So big lesson learned, always wash my buckets for wc, even though I washed them when I was done from last time.

 

Done and done! I just had to take her hairspray and video games away for a day to get the, "I will never do it again!!!!!"