Skeptic9962
Well-known member
my nitrate level is by the elos test kit around 20-25ppm i really need to get this down to unreadable if possible other then 20% water changes with RODI water is there other ways of easily helping remove nitrate?
ways to reduce nitrate
- Thread starter Skeptic9962
- Start date
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More information about your tank would be helpful. There's several ways to help with nitrate issues. Protein Skimming, a Sump/refugium with macro algae in it, such as Chaeto, blowing detritus off of live rock during water changes (sucking up the extra detritus), making sure you aren't over feeding your tank, larger water changes, more flow through your rock work to keep detritus suspended in the water so it gets filtered out instead of settling on your rocks and sand bed....etc. As I said, much more information about your set up and maintenance schedule will help us give you more advice.
Ed Hahn
Life is A Highway...
One way is to clean out areas where food can get trapped such as Overflow boxes and sump.
Boomer
Well-known member
Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm
Skeptic9962
Well-known member
i have a 29gal AGA
-bak pak 2 skimmer with the mesh mod
-CPR fuge with cheato and calurpa
-cascade canister 700 that i run activated carbon in and i use polyfilter pads change the carbon and filters once a week
-1 Koralia 3 for flow + the canister return
- 1-2in sand bed
i do weekly water changes with RO water that i get from the local store (need to test this for nitrate and see if that could be a problem too)
during that water change i try to suck all the detrius out of the rockwork
also change carbon and polyfilters.
have a clarkii clown and a sixline wrasse that i feed once a day.
tons of diferent lps and soft corals...feed those once a week.
-bak pak 2 skimmer with the mesh mod
-CPR fuge with cheato and calurpa
-cascade canister 700 that i run activated carbon in and i use polyfilter pads change the carbon and filters once a week
-1 Koralia 3 for flow + the canister return
- 1-2in sand bed
i do weekly water changes with RO water that i get from the local store (need to test this for nitrate and see if that could be a problem too)
during that water change i try to suck all the detrius out of the rockwork
also change carbon and polyfilters.
have a clarkii clown and a sixline wrasse that i feed once a day.
tons of diferent lps and soft corals...feed those once a week.
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
polyfilters=Nitrate factories
Reeferdude
Reeferdude
Howdy Skeptic...I like that...Anyhow,
If I recall correctly your tank is fairly new, say....2-4 months plus or minus? Nice tank by the way. I would surmise that your Nitrate will subside after your tank matures a bit. Your rock probably isn't mature (even if you bought it that way it'll have to cycle a bit). Your sand bed isn't established yet and maybe reduce your feeding during this period to every other day and less for the corals when you do feed them weekly. I would keep doing the water changes while you allow your tank to mature....In other words reduce feeding, keep up on the water changes and your tank will stabilize. Forgot to add. I doubt you're getting Nitrate from that LFS...
If I recall correctly your tank is fairly new, say....2-4 months plus or minus? Nice tank by the way. I would surmise that your Nitrate will subside after your tank matures a bit. Your rock probably isn't mature (even if you bought it that way it'll have to cycle a bit). Your sand bed isn't established yet and maybe reduce your feeding during this period to every other day and less for the corals when you do feed them weekly. I would keep doing the water changes while you allow your tank to mature....In other words reduce feeding, keep up on the water changes and your tank will stabilize. Forgot to add. I doubt you're getting Nitrate from that LFS...
DonW
R.I.P.
Reduced feeding will help with nitrates if your over feeding. It is a fish tank so you need to come up with a balance between fish and bacteria. Feeding frequency will have more effect on polution than most realize. Just like your car unburned fuel or partially burned fuel creates polution. Your fish are the same, they tend to gorge themselves knowing that they wont get another meal until the next day. Only a very small portion of the food eaten gets digested because they ate to much to fast. Instead of making the fish suffer try feeding them the same amount split two, three or even four or more times a day.
Don
Don
Skeptic9962
Well-known member
ahh ok yeah i usually feed them when i get home from work and they gorge themselves and are allways asking for more...ill try to start doing that with them feeding in the morning and at night maybe that will help a bit...also the tank has been up for atleast 6 months or so since i moved it from its prior location before that it was up for atleast a year. should i just up my water changes for a bit by doing 10gal changes every couple days until nitrates get down a bit?
DonW
R.I.P.
freetareef
Well-known member
if you find your self in a situation where your nitrates don't resolve themselves there are many other ways like coil denitators, dsb's, remote dsb's, nitrate reactors and many more...
freetareef
Well-known member
any update??
aquariumdebacle
electrolyte addict
Deeep sand bed, but that won't solve your ultimate problem of phospahates, for that you need an export mechanism - I recommend a good protein skimmer
roscoe
Well-known member
Did you set up a new tank Dan?
roscoe
Well-known member
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Check out this great thread on Reef Central for a DIY Denitrator. It's a long thread but worth the read.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1288082&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
I'm using it on my 400 gallon Fish Only. My nitrates have been 40-80 ppm, even with weekly water changes. I've been using this for about 2 weeks and it's down to about 20 ppm and dropping. I may turn this into a softie tank once nitrates are down to zero.
The DIY nitrator in action.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1288082&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
I'm using it on my 400 gallon Fish Only. My nitrates have been 40-80 ppm, even with weekly water changes. I've been using this for about 2 weeks and it's down to about 20 ppm and dropping. I may turn this into a softie tank once nitrates are down to zero.
The DIY nitrator in action.
aquariumdebacle
electrolyte addict
werkin' on it! gotta get it done before the wife comes back from Russia!
I have high nitrates - 40 ppm
Sources for mine.
1. sludge in bottom of my sump.
2. Sludge in foam filter in sump.
3. Low flow in tank
4. Improperly calibrated skimmer.
To improve.
1. Bought small pump with hose to suck out sludge in areas that are diffucult to reach. Sort of a water vaccume cleaner.
2. I throw the foam out now. Use floss. Its nearly impossible to clean all the junk out of a foam block
3. Increase my return pumps flow.
4. Put skimmer on its own pump vs using a T off my return. Seems to skim much better. When cleaning the glass watch your skimmer, all that algae gets skimmed off.
5. Adding a refugium - if you don't grow algae under the tank it will grow in the display. Something has to eat the nitrates.
vimal
Well-known member
guys.i need help..my nitrate are 20lvl..i make weekly 20% water change..but still no different..my tank 1 month old..i added coral banded shrimp..but it dies in one day..when i add it..it move for while..and then it stop moving..and started to freeze in the same spot..i got snails now..its ok atm..what should i do..? should i add activated carbo.? engone..? ro water.?
