Nitrates

[convictblenny]

Ok, I have a 55 gallon satwater tank with about a third filled with live rock and abot 2 inches of live sand. I have a cpr bak pak clone skimmer, and a rio 1100+ powerhead for circulation. The tank and rock is a couple years old, lots of coraline algea.

I always have nitrate problems. running like 30 to 40 bright orange red on the tests.

My stock is as follows.
1 blue hippo tang
1 yellow tang
1 tomato clown
3 convict blennies
1 gold spotted sand eating gobie or blenny. I always forget.
3 peppermint shrimp
1 sand sift star
1 green serpent star
3 feather dusters
lots of hermits and assorted snails

Do I have enough filtration with just the skimmer and rock?

Would a bio-wheel help? I know they produce nitrates, but I figure I already got them anyway, and the live rock could then concentrate on nitrates and not the whole system load.

Should I just keep adding rock until the nitrates start to drop?

My fish and most inverts seem happy, I occasionally lose a snail or two, but I figure it is predation and not water quality.

 

[Brenden]

How much rock is a third full? (lbs) You need to do a series of WC to lower the NO3. You also need to find the source. Do you us RO/DI water? What do you feed and how offend?

 

[Krish]

Would a bio-wheel help? I know they produce nitrates, but I figure I already got them anyway, and the live rock could then concentrate on nitrates and not the whole system load.

Not in any way will a bio-wheel help. It's end product is nothing but nitrates so you will just be making matters worse

Should I just keep adding rock until the nitrates start to drop?

That won't help either ...It's not about how much rock you have as if it were that simple, everyone would just pack their tanks with rock(LOL) What test kits are you using to read your nitrates? Also, are you using ro/di water and how do you go about tank maintenance? Just a few questions and thoughts to get started...If your levels are as high as you say they are, we'll have to find the source first before figuring out how to get rid of it

 

[mmkeeper]

It seems to me that he has quite a bio-load for a 55 and no sump. If you are adding live rock at the beginning you will spike your nitrates then they mite drop some.

 

[Brenden]

It seems to me that he has quite a bio-load for a 55 and no sump.

Def but I am also wondering how often water changes are performed?

 

[Damsel13]

I wonder if more water changes would help?

Just an idea.

Debbie

 

[returnofsid]

IMO, you have your tank overloaded and will have a real problem with Nitrates. Just the 2 Tangs alone is too much for a 55 gallon tank. IMO, you're going to continue having a nitrate problem until you either get a larger tank or get rid of a few fish.

 

[burning2nd]

IMO i would look for a better skimmer (cough cough Remora)

add some more movement....

where a single power head is good i guess.... but one large one will not get around the corrners like serveral small ones would....

a sump?
some macro?
and a bunch of water chagnes (if useing RODI)

GOod luck

 

[convictblenny]

So it sounds as if a sump might help. Anybody know of a good place to buy a complete sump setup with everything I need, including the pump and hoses, online of course.

 

[mmkeeper]

i found several on Ebay. Stay away from bioballs and sponges. The main reason for a sump in more water volume.

 

[twilliard]

I don't think adding a sump is the key to this, maybe to maintain but not to cure.

By looking at your avatar (this is your tank?) the hippo's are not big enough YET to overload your tank. How much are you feeding? What goes in has to come out and then the end process is nitrates.
Water changes, water changes and more water changes.
Also what brand of test kits do you use and how old are they?

I typically don't speak out but I think you will be spending money (new sump/equipment) and not seeing the results you are wanting.

 

[burning2nd]

agreed.......

 

[convictblenny]

I use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals saltwater master liquid test kit. I feed flake nutrifin max marine flake food almost every night, they eat it within two minutes, none seems to remain. Blue hippo eats the most. a couple times a week I feed one chopped cube each of san francisco brand frozen emerald entree and ocean nutrition brand formula one. The food never seems excessive as they eat it all within minutes. I chop a shrimp up every once in a while to feed the star, and the orange spot. I thought origionally mabey the sand bed was holding/creating the nitrates, so I got the sand sifters. my sand is now totally clean on top. but my nitrates remain high no matter how much I change. I change five gallons every week which is like ten percent with ro water from the supermarket machine. I mix it with instant ocean salt. I mix at half cup per gallon. I really do not want a sump, as my pergo floor would totally warp if were to flood even once. but high nitrate levels seem to indicate a problem.

 

[Bainic]

I think that the root of your problem lies with your sand bed! 2 inches isn't enough for NNR (natural nitrate reduction), it is better to either go with 3/4 of an inch or less, or 3 inches or more.

 

[convictblenny]

Ok to just add live sand over the top? to say like four inches?

 

[sc18702]

Can we raise the nitrate question again. I have never been able to get mine lower than 20-40. I do weekly 10-15% water changes. I had been feeding small amounts daily but am now experimenting with less frequesnt feedings.

I have a sump without bio balls. It does have sponges but I clean them a few times a week. Coralife skimmer, good flow (maybe not great flow) , less than an inch of sandbed.

All fish seem fine. Long tenacle (suppose to be nitrate sensitive) looks great.

Have some trouble with polyps (don"t stay open and sometimes melt)

OK, how important is keeping nitrates low and everyone keeps saying water changes but not helping. I have tested my water before adding to the tank and the nitrates are zero so it is happening in the tank.

 

[twilliard]

OK, how important is keeping nitrates low and everyone keeps saying water changes but not helping. I have tested my water before adding to the tank and the nitrates are zero so it is happening in the tank.

Depends on what you have for coral. Some can tolerate higher levels some cant.
With what you state, water changes and feeding, you should be a LOT lower on nitrates.
Again I would have to ask what test kits are you using and the age with proper use of the kit.
In the past I was freaking out because I had high nitrates and come to find out I was doing it wrong. (the math end of it).
If your solution is coming out bright red then you have high nitrates. I think most all kits use a red regiment to read it.
Nitrates to me is the easiest to take care of. Water changes. With such a shallow sand bed then I cant see you having an anaerobic problem/issue.

So lets concentrate on your testing first.

Oh sorry.. also how big is your tank?

 

[Damsel13]

Until I got rid of most of my sandbed my nitrates would not drop. Now I have a shallow sand bed and my nitrates have dropped from off the chart to between 5 and 10 ppm according to a salifert NO3 test.

Oh P.S. Listen to Krish!!!!

 

[sc18702]

I'll check on the test kit but I don"t think it is too old as I have only had the tank since November. Maybe it sat on the shelf at the lfs.

 

[sc18702]

Forgot to respond to one question in the reply......70 gallon with approx 100lbs of LR