How do I reduce High phosphate and Nitrate levels

[CJG]

I've got a fish only tank with both high phosphate and nitrate levels, which probably means that the ammonia levels are high. I don't have a tester for ammonia but will get one soon. I'm open to any recommendations to help reduce all three. Thanks

 

[Scooterman]

Normally this is caused by over feeding & not cleaning enough. Try to feed little bits at a time but maybe more frequently, make sure the fish have time to eat it all up in a few seconds. Last, vacuum, blow the rocks & do WC's, If your doing small weekly changes, do two or three really big ones back to back, within a few days apart!

 

[Jan]

adding to the advice above, make sure that you have a good, efficient skimmer, run it on the wet side, and make sure you have lots of flow to kick up the detritus into the water column (so that it can be skimmed out).

If you don't have a phosphate reactor they are fairly inexpensive and will help remove phosphate--as will keeping chaeto in your sump with lights on it, or a refugium with macroalgae.

 

[Boomer]

Just to add some reading.


Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

Phosphorus: Algae's Best Friend
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm


Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm

 

[dnjan]

I've got a fish only tank with both high phosphate and nitrate levels, which probably means that the ammonia levels are high.

Not necessarily. As long as your tank isn't cycling, the transformation from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate happens fairly quickly/easily. Getting rid of that nitrate, however, is a bit more diffcult.

Phosphate is probably coming from the food, and is relatively unrelated to ammonia level.

 

[CJG]

thanks a lot for the feedback so far you guys. As far as the phosphate reactor, How do you know what size you need?

 

[OldFishMan]

Hello;

You did say fish only. How high is high ? 20-60 ppm is fine for a fish only and some phosphate will not harm anything in a fish only system. Are you having problems with unwanted algae, diatoms ?

Some macro algae would help --- a sump with algae on a reverse light schedule would be great. Siphon cleaning your substrate helps a lot in fish only tanks. Water changes while taking care of the immediate problem will only help for a week or so and the high levels will return. Snails are a great help keeping the glass and decorations clean of algae.

Everyone has offered good advice --- but a nitrate sink like macro algae would help if not eliminate all nitrate. This is my best choice and the one I use and I test 0.00 ppm nitrate.


Enjoy!