I am having problems getting my nitrates down and was wondering if anyone could give me some ideas. I have a canister filter has no media inside it is basically used to push water. It builds up alot of junk and is a pain to clean. I had NO powerheads in my tank so that was my only flow. Its a spray bar that goes across the top of the tank. Really no flow through the rock work. I got two powerful powerheads now so I am taking the canister system out today. I have cut 2/3 of my bioload out by slimming down my fish count. I have cut back my feeding to every other day and am very careful to feed only whats being eaten. I have anthelia, xenia and a clam in the tank. I use RODI water, do water changes every two weeks and I have a skimmer that pulls some pretty chunky nasty stuff. Will increasing the flow in the tank help from stuff (detritus and crap) getting stuck in dead spots and rotting away? I have a mildly deep sand bed, about three inches in some spots and two and a half inches in other areas. I have close to 100lbs of live rock. I really cant clean the sand because its super fine, but I do have a dragon goby the leaves the sand WHITE. I have very very small amounts of algae. I can go a week without cleaning the front of the tank. I get almost no green algae on the glass, or in the sand or on the rocks. Does anyone have any tips? How I can get those nitrates down? I don't want to remove my sand bed and I am trying to hold out on a refugium as I am getting a larger tank thats drilled when we get a home, hopefully in April. I don't want to shell out $ for an overflow and stuff that won't be of use to me when I change tanks in a few months. What am I doing wrong????
Nitrate issues
- Thread starter BCT182
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Ed Hahn
Life is A Highway...
Will increasing the flow in the tank help from stuff (detritus and crap) getting stuck in dead spots and rotting away?.....Yes.
You do not explain how large your tank is compared to Live Rock in your tank...I recommend a pound a half per gallon.
You do not explain which skimmer you are using. If your skimmer is overloaded due to tank size it will not work properly.
no dead spots definitely helps...any food, anything dead, if you can get it out as soon as possilble
You do not explain how large your tank is compared to Live Rock in your tank...I recommend a pound a half per gallon.
You do not explain which skimmer you are using. If your skimmer is overloaded due to tank size it will not work properly.
no dead spots definitely helps...any food, anything dead, if you can get it out as soon as possilble
My tank is a fifty gallon with 100lbs of rock. The skimmer is a hang on back berlin, but it does remove some pretty nasty stuff. Since my tanks not drilled as I had said before, hang on is my only option. I know its probably not the best, but what collects in the cup is really dark and thick.
Also if someone could recommend some effective nitrate consuming corals or inverts I could put in my display tank. I've heard of clams you stick in your sand bed, and shaving brush, or barbers brush. Also, is that stuff basically only available online?
wrightme43
Well-known member
You might try some purigen by seachem, It does a good job for me. Split it up into two media bags and put one in the canister filter. It seems to keep everything real nice. It seems to do well on everything. Nitrates on my 75 with only 77 lbs tonga, stay around 5ppm with 20 gal rodi change every two weeks. Lots of fish and lots of food twice a day. It is also my understanding that clams actually clean the water. What kind of Nitrate reading are talking about? You can regenerate it with bleach. It seems to last about 3 months between cleaning and while its out for cleaning put the other bag in. This is only what works for me. Others may or may not agree with what I do. HTH. Steve
Ed Hahn
Life is A Highway...
How mature is your tank? If you have a hundred pounds of Live Rock your tank should be pretty stable. I am assuming you have some waste trapped somewhere.
Are you using Bio Bale or Bio Balls as media for a sump?
Are you using Bio Bale or Bio Balls as media for a sump?
I upgraded my skimmer to a EuroReef ES 5-2 when I had a nitrate problem. As soon as I stuck a good skimmer in, everything disappeared. You might want to invest in a 10 gallon glass tank ($10) as a temporary refugium. I'll let you have some chaeto if you want it. That really helped me out. You'd also need an overflow and small pump (or powerhead)...
My tank isn't drilled and I have 0 nitrates and I overfeed like crazy... (I know I shouldn't but its soooo fun!)
My tank isn't drilled and I have 0 nitrates and I overfeed like crazy... (I know I shouldn't but its soooo fun!)
DonW
R.I.P.
It really sounds like a flow issue. 100 lbs of LR is going to have lots of dead spots and cavities. Two powerheads are not going to keep all those little spots cleaned out.
Don
Don
mattseattle
Well-known member
4 powerheads and 2 returns don't get all my dead spots 
i have to baste my rock every few days. once a week i attach a small tube to one of my powerheads and blow behind, underneath and in between the rocks. amazing the crap that comes out.
i have to baste my rock every few days. once a week i attach a small tube to one of my powerheads and blow behind, underneath and in between the rocks. amazing the crap that comes out.
40-50ppm nitrates is what I tested at and thats what it has ALWAYS been. I removed the canister and it was nasty. Major build up. Now I added the powerheads. I put one slightly weak powerhead rated at 50gph on the back side of the rockwork to keep flow behind the tank and two powerheads on the sides pushing water into the center of the tank. Is there a chance I am now moving too much water? Both powerheads are rated as up to 300gph. Its not blowing sand all over the tank or anything like that but it does look like its not as easy for the fish to swim as it was when there was no flow.
mattseattle
Well-known member
well i have one SEIO M820 which pushes 820gph, 2 maxi-jet 1200's which push push 300 gph each and another powerhead that pushes 280. i also have my return which pushes 300 on top of another return that pushes probably 250. i still think i should add another flow device to get the right flow in the tank.
so the answer in my opinion is no you are not moving too much water.....not sure if you can unless you see rock starting to chip away and your fish are being thrown about.
so the answer in my opinion is no you are not moving too much water.....not sure if you can unless you see rock starting to chip away and your fish are being thrown about.
SerenitySystems
New member
How old is the live rock? I would suggest after 2 years replace older live rock or acquire some more. Over time when your coraline grow over the rock it also covers the micro size holes that are benificial to oxygen exchange. There are other alternatives, what kind of test kits are you using to test for nitrates?
I understand that flow may be a contributing factor, you may want to take a turkey baster and shoot water onto and in between corals and rock. and do a water change of 30% afterwords. A great way to stir sand is to install a water bar with holes placed every 2in or so in the back of the tank near the bottom.
Lastly another idea is to use nassarius snails that move through the sand. Neat snails!
Do at least 1 per 2 gallons, may seem a bit much but you don't see them mostly until you feed the tank then they surface.
I hope I was any help. SerenitySystems
I understand that flow may be a contributing factor, you may want to take a turkey baster and shoot water onto and in between corals and rock. and do a water change of 30% afterwords. A great way to stir sand is to install a water bar with holes placed every 2in or so in the back of the tank near the bottom.
Lastly another idea is to use nassarius snails that move through the sand. Neat snails!
Do at least 1 per 2 gallons, may seem a bit much but you don't see them mostly until you feed the tank then they surface.
I hope I was any help. SerenitySystems
fishman
Fishman
I have a question?, when you turkey baste of blow your LR with a powerhead do you just let the detritus blow around in your water? Doesn't this get all over your corals etc.? I need to clean my live rock and need to know how to do it properly. I have a bunch of Detritus under my LR (no sand/bare bottom).
Angelscrx
Import Fish
I would test with another brand of test. If it has always been that way you may have a bad test kit. A turkey baster works wonders too.
Angelscrx
Import Fish
fishman said:
Turkey basting is mainly designed to place the detritus into the water column so that your filtration will pick it up. If you don't have good water flow then yes it will settle on things.
NaH2O
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2004
- Messages
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SerenitySystems, Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!
I agree completely on the turkey basting/blasting with powerhead, and I also wondered about the test kits. One point that I disagree with is about coralline overgrowing rock, limiting processing. The amount of pores in live rock is so substantial, that I don't think coralline will hinder its ability at all. Live rock can become "old" and if not properly cared for (i.e. freeing up detritus) may become problematic overtime.
Angelscrx is right on - turkey basting helps to clear the processed "junk" (love the scientific terminology) out of the rock.
BCT - you indicated you slimmed down your fish count....what do you have in the tank now? You also may want to play with your circulation a little bit. Ideally, you want to remove as much waste as possible, so keeping it in suspension to be removed by filtration is great - play around with placement and see which way is the best to keep things suspended. As indicated, a lot of live rock can create dead space, where detritus and waste products collect and rot. Taking a turkey baster to your rocks often will help. Have you tried bumping up your water changes to every week? Also, I don't remember if it was mentioned....how much of a water change are you performing every 2 weeks?
I agree completely on the turkey basting/blasting with powerhead, and I also wondered about the test kits. One point that I disagree with is about coralline overgrowing rock, limiting processing. The amount of pores in live rock is so substantial, that I don't think coralline will hinder its ability at all. Live rock can become "old" and if not properly cared for (i.e. freeing up detritus) may become problematic overtime.
Angelscrx is right on - turkey basting helps to clear the processed "junk" (love the scientific terminology) out of the rock.
BCT - you indicated you slimmed down your fish count....what do you have in the tank now? You also may want to play with your circulation a little bit. Ideally, you want to remove as much waste as possible, so keeping it in suspension to be removed by filtration is great - play around with placement and see which way is the best to keep things suspended. As indicated, a lot of live rock can create dead space, where detritus and waste products collect and rot. Taking a turkey baster to your rocks often will help. Have you tried bumping up your water changes to every week? Also, I don't remember if it was mentioned....how much of a water change are you performing every 2 weeks?
mattseattle
Well-known member
a couple of my fish love the flow. they kinda ride it like a wave. you'll see them shoot across the tank in the current then swim back and do it again.
my clowns don't seem to *love* the flow like the other 2 fish i have. they tend to stay more in their anemone unless it's feeding time.
so as far as my flow i don't see it causing any stress to anything in the tank.
my clowns don't seem to *love* the flow like the other 2 fish i have. they tend to stay more in their anemone unless it's feeding time.
so as far as my flow i don't see it causing any stress to anything in the tank.
BCT182 said:
