ways to reduce nitrate

[Ed Hahn]

temperature and ph are two most common killers...

A tank one month old is still cycling. Carbon is always a good way to clean water. If I walked into your Tank and started checking. I would first start with salinity. I would check your salinity in your tank. I would make up water with filtered water to same temperature as tank mixing it with powerhead to same or target salinity. Here is one thing a pet shop may or may not tell you. When you buy a fish from unknown system. I mean unknown because you did not test the parameters of LFS water. The water at LFS may be excellent. But your water may be a different PH. PH and temperature kill animals. So always have good water flow to create oxygen or a gas exchange.
Acclimate animals slowly with water movement- such as air stone or small powerhead.
always take your time with making changes to tank. Again, one month from set up you are going to have tank cycling hard. Two months is usually a safer number. Think of your tank like a marathon runner. It has to build up a tolerance to adapt. Again, Carbon and safe water changes usually soften the blow of accidents. Anytime anything dies remove it as soon as possible and do a water change with thoroughly mixed water. You never add salt to tank without it being throughly mixed. A proper water change and carbon can go a long way. Match Ph and temperature or slowing change both and your animals can usually adapt. Good luck. I hope you have fewer losses in the future.
sincerely,
Ed

 

[fbacungan]

Patience, grasshopper....I agree with Ed. Get an ammonia and nitrate tester. When they're down to zero, then add livestock, slowly.....

 

[vimal]

A tank one month old is still cycling. Carbon is always a good way to clean water. If I walked into your Tank and started checking. I would first start with salinity. I would check your salinity in your tank. I would make up water with filtered water to same temperature as tank mixing it with powerhead to same or target salinity. Here is one thing a pet shop may or may not tell you. When you buy a fish from unknown system. I mean unknown because you did not test the parameters of LFS water. The water at LFS may be excellent. But your water may be a different PH. PH and temperature kill animals. So always have good water flow to create oxygen or a gas exchange.
Acclimate animals slowly with water movement- such as air stone or small powerhead.
always take your time with making changes to tank. Again, one month from set up you are going to have tank cycling hard. Two months is usually a safer number. Think of your tank like a marathon runner. It has to build up a tolerance to adapt. Again, Carbon and safe water changes usually soften the blow of accidents. Anytime anything dies remove it as soon as possible and do a water change with thoroughly mixed water. You never add salt to tank without it being throughly mixed. A proper water change and carbon can go a long way. Match Ph and temperature or slowing change both and your animals can usually adapt. Good luck. I hope you have fewer losses in the future.
sincerely,

Ed

thx sir..appreciate so much..but i got live rock and a snail..the snail look healthy..but my nitrate are 20ppm..what should i do..?i made constant water change.but still nitrate exist in the water..i using canister filter.no sump or refugium..

 

[Ed Hahn]

Nitrates are most likely being processed by your live rock. There is die off of Algae because of changes in environment(lighting where rock was previously). Again, your best best is to wait and let the rock mature on its own. Set up your lighting, place rock in the center of tank so flow goes around it with no dead spots, get your temperatures stable and let tank mature on its own. When people see how gorgeous the animals are in Saltwater aquariums the hardest thing to say is No.

 

[vimal]

Nitrates are most likely being processed by your live rock. There is die off of Algae because of changes in environment(lighting where rock was previously). Again, your best best is to wait and let the rock mature on its own. Set up your lighting, place rock in the center of tank so flow goes around it with no dead spots, get your temperatures stable and let tank mature on its own. When people see how gorgeous the animals are in Saltwater aquariums the hardest thing to say is No.

so the nitrate will go down by itself..?? or should do anything else..??

 

[fbacungan]

Fish can withstand a moderate level of nitrates. I talked to the curator of the Rain Forest Cafe in Southcenter, and their tanks had about 60-80 ppm nitrates. Since they weren't allowed to use Live Rock, he had to find always ways to reduce the nitrates, yet many of the fish were able to tolerate these levels. It's not recommended. I had a fish only tank that had 60 ppm nitrates, then I added LR and it went down to about 20-30 ppm and stayed there for years without ill effect on the fish.

Many soft corals and LPS can with withstand (and even thrive) in small amount of nitrates, so I wouldn't worry about 20 ppm. I'd be more worried about your ammonia levels. Get an ammonia test kit and make sure these levels are 0 before adding any livestock.

Once the tank is established, if you want to keep nitrates down, put some macroalgae in your sump. Kind folks on this website give away chaeto all the time. Macro algae love nitrate.

 

[vimal]

Fish can withstand a moderate level of nitrates. I talked to the curator of the Rain Forest Cafe in Southcenter, and their tanks had about 60-80 ppm nitrates. Since they weren't allowed to use Live Rock, he had to find always ways to reduce the nitrates, yet many of the fish were able to tolerate these levels. It's not recommended. I had a fish only tank that had 60 ppm nitrates, then I added LR and it went down to about 20-30 ppm and stayed there for years without ill effect on the fish.

Many soft corals and LPS can with withstand (and even thrive) in small amount of nitrates, so I wouldn't worry about 20 ppm. I'd be more worried about your ammonia levels. Get an ammonia test kit and make sure these levels are 0 before adding any livestock.

Once the tank is established, if you want to keep nitrates down, put some macroalgae in your sump. Kind folks on this website give away chaeto all the time. Macro algae love nitrate.

my amonia are o!!!my nitrate aint getting down!! i do have a chaeto..thx..
well,i added a boxer shrimp..once i add it..it was ok..but it stopped moving and died in the same spot..can i knw y..??

 

[FishOnTheBrainC]

I would ditch the canister filter...Nitrate factory if it is not religiously clean well.. Freaquient largge water changes to get it down then cut back the volume.

 

[fbacungan]

I'd double check your ammonia and nitrate levels at a local fish store and get a second opinion. It's possible your test kits aren't reading right. If they are correct, there is something in the water that's not right. Instead of adding sensitive livestock like shrimp, add an inexpensive fish. Then wait a few months to add shrimp and corals.

 

[vimal]

I'd double check your ammonia and nitrate levels at a local fish store and get a second opinion. It's possible your test kits aren't reading right. If they are correct, there is something in the water that's not right. Instead of adding sensitive livestock like shrimp, add an inexpensive fish. Then wait a few months to add shrimp and corals.

hmm..thx you..

 

[FreakinReefin]

hmm..thx you..

ACLIMATION! Remember you can't just throw a shrimp, fish or whatever in the tank and expect it to live. The "freezing" in one spot is a classic example of this shock to it's system. Slowly aclimating them into the water is a long process, but very very necessary. Even with 20ppm or 40ppm a shrimp can live as long as they are properly aclimated (although not recommended). Just relax and let the tank cycle. The frequent water changes could easily be hurting the system rather than helping...you have to let the nitrogen cycle complete in order for the bio-filter to work right. The water changes could be stopping and restarting the system without letting it complete.

 

[vimal]

ACLIMATION! Remember you can't just throw a shrimp, fish or whatever in the tank and expect it to live. The "freezing" in one spot is a classic example of this shock to it's system. Slowly aclimating them into the water is a long process, but very very necessary. Even with 20ppm or 40ppm a shrimp can live as long as they are properly aclimated (although not recommended). Just relax and let the tank cycle. The frequent water changes could easily be hurting the system rather than helping...you have to let the nitrogen cycle complete in order for the bio-filter to work right. The water changes could be stopping and restarting the system without letting it complete.

so what should i do..?

 

[FreakinReefin]

so what should i do..?

Wait to cycle the tank and slowly introduce livestock to the tank...again don't just get something and drop it in the tank or the crab/shrimp will freeze in time, sink to the bottom and stay like that until they die.

 

[vimal]

Wait to cycle the tank and slowly introduce livestock to the tank...again don't just get something and drop it in the tank or the crab/shrimp will freeze in time, sink to the bottom and stay like that until they die.

hmm..water change..??i also realise that my damsel are haevily breathing..i dont knw why..?? nitrate 20..ammonia 0 and nitrite o..whay huh..?

 

[OldFishMan]

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/nitratecontrol/a/aa051398.htm

salt water mangroves

Sump with your favorite algae

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/algaephotosclassificati/Algae_Photo_Gallery.htm

Enjoy

 

[vimal]

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/nitratecontrol/a/aa051398.htm

salt water mangroves

Sump with your favorite algae

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/algaephotosclassificati/Algae_Photo_Gallery.htm

Enjoy

ok...anything else..?

 

[fbacungan]

>i also realise that my damsel are haevily breathing..i dont knw why..??

What kind of circulation do you have in your tank? Heavy breathing is a sign there's not enough oxygen in the tank, which means you should increase your circulation. Put another powerhead or koralia pump and see if that helps.

 

[OldFishMan]

ok...anything else..?

Nitrate --- any thing that acts like a filter and breaks down waste will produce nitrate. All that dark interior of those water pipes are covered with bacteria and produce nitrate. The better the filter the more nitrate produced.

Freshwater 150-ppm okay

Saltwater --- I know you want ZERO !

There are many articles on sand beds and plenums. You need anaerobic bacteria or plant life to reduce nitrate. Live rock has many holes and pores where anaerobic bacteria can live and many forms of plant life and algae you do not see.

Look for articles like these : Yes, they go on forever and everyone has a different view on the matter. It is your tank, do it your way and see how it works out.

http://www.simplifiedreefkeeping.com/faq/plenum.htm

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1561805/how_to_build_a_plenum_for_a_saltwater.html

http://kb.marinedepot.com/Article.aspx?id=10151

Hydrogen Sulfide Gas ??

An old UGF plate works nice as a plenum --- it will release gas that you can see !

Yea, I have tried it all

Enjoy

OFM

 

[vimal]

ok..how abt carbon..?? how often should i change it..??

 

[vimal]

>i also realise that my damsel are haevily breathing..i dont knw why..??

What kind of circulation do you have in your tank? Heavy breathing is a sign there's not enough oxygen in the tank, which means you should increase your circulation. Put another powerhead or koralia pump and see if that helps.

hmm..there is a koralia pump and canister filter....ok..currently my nitrate,nitrite and ammonia are zero..