Nitrate and SPS's is low amounts ok??

[jase0723]

Hi,

My nitrate level always seem to hover around 40 to 60 ppm. All my corals seem to be doing ok. I recently started aquiring SPS's frags and eventually hope to have my tank occupied mostly by SPS's.

Has anyone had success keepign SPS's with the nitrate levels as described on a long term basis? Will this amount of nitrate level eventually kill SPS's?

ANy input would be appreciated.

Thanks
Jase

 

[B-Random]

Generally, when keeping SPS, you don't want any nitrates. The corals that you have now may be used to your nitrate level because they've been in there so long, but If you plan on adding more, I would be sure to do something about those nitrates. Here are some good ways to get rid of nitrates:

1.Big Water Change (Best for speed)
2.Big Skimmer (reduces waste before being processed into nitrates)
3.Macro algae ( No filter change, hearty, can be kept in sump/refugium)
4.Xenia (decorative way to pull out some nitrates, as long as your nitrates are around 20-40)

HTH,
Brandon

 

[jeffsreefdotcom]

4.Xenia (decorative way to pull out some nitrates, as long as your nitrates are around 20-40)

I didn't know xenia reduce nitrates. Maybe I should think again before pruning mine.

 

[wanareef]

What about clams I have heard or read that they intake some nitrate's (hope I got the right one) for their metabolism.

:lol: Besides looking nice, wouldn't they help- a little? Or am I just puffing air

 

[G~]

chemistry is not my strong point, so i will not even try to say how they do it. both Xenia and clams can reduce low level nitrates even lower. they feed off he organic matter that is associated with production of nitrates.

pruning the Xenia is actually the best thing you can do. the Xenia will bind the nitrates within their tissue. so when you remove the Xenia you are reducing the nitrates also. i suggest not doing this with clams though.

Mike can probably give a better explaination.

G~

 

[fishermann]

If you have those levels of nitrate you have something wrong somewhere, it is either your substrate bed is full of detritus, you are overfeeding, or something is happening to cause this condition. I would find this out first and correct it before i added anymore animals to the system. It is true that the above mentioned animals consume nitrates but I doubt it is at a level great enough to help much with your levels of nitrates. If you are feeding DT's or stuff like that I would quit, spend the money and get a good protein skimmer, if you have bio balls in your sump that can be a contributer. Post what your system is and maybe we can come up with what is the cause, which well make a good cure

 

[NaH2O]

Jase, my first question is what type of test kit were you using...sometimes if the reagents are bad we can get false readings. Secondly, can you give us the particulars of your system...size, inhabitants, equipment, other test parameters, your passwords (j/k!!!)...lol. Lastly, when was your last water change, and what kind of maintenance routine do you do? fishermann made a good point about overfeeding.

wannareef & G~ - good point on the clams. If we were all zillionaires we could have refugiums full of clams...lol.

As far as Xenia goes...check out this thread....top of page 2 touches on it briefly with a follow-up from Mike a couple of posts down. Lots of other good info there on macros as well:
Basic Refugium Maintenance

 

[jase0723]

Thnaks for the replie, my system is...

Thanks for all your replies, my systems is a 55 gallon Oceanic glass tank w/ built-in overflow. I have approx. 50lb of liverock in there along with about 2-4 in. of sand in the fron half of the tank. My sump is a 20 gallon plain glass tank which holds the skimmer (ETS Reef Devil). I recently did a 25 gallon water change which dropped the level fron 60 to 40 ppm of nitrate. Before I used to do a 5 gallon per week or two of water change. I'm suspecting that if I remove most of my sand from the tank this may help with the nitrate level? Anyways, thanks for all your input and any more will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jase

 

[B-Random]

I would say that 40ppm is at least safe enough for biological nitrate filters. I certainly wouldn't put SPS in it, but it's at least to a managable point. I would do another water change too.

-Brandon