All the wonderful ways to reduce nitrates!

[Deleted User 6]

Ok, Here's what I'm doing with my tank to not have gigantic nitrate levels:

 

1. Weekly 10-20% water changes

2. Chemi-pure elite bag (been in there a month - how frequent to change?)

3. Biocube protein filter (more green-brown water than skimmate - trying to adjust)

4. Not overfeeding

5. RO/DI water

6. Fuge with chaeto in chamber 2 of my biocube.

 

I'm starting to have diatom and cyano algae problems and I'm pretty sure my nitrates are helping to cause it.

 

Nitrates: 15ppm

Phosphates: 0ppm

 

So lets here how to reduce nitrates!

[Deleted User 6]

Wow. No views, lol. That makes me feel a bit lame.

[SaltWaterNewb]

Ha ha nOOb.

[mmelnick]

change more water if your nitrates are too high. It's the cheapest fastest method.

[SaltWaterNewb]

Actually I am just not sure what you are wanting. It seems like you pretty much listed most things.

[Mr. Fosi]

Define:

 

4. Not overfeeding

 

Also, give your tank some time, it's still pretty young.

 

How's the chaeto growing?

[JKUNZ]

I know of a few people who do 100% water changes. They pump in new water, which is atleast 2 degrees colder than the tank into the aquarium. The cold water goes directly to the bottom, forcing the warmer water upward (physics, hmm). They have over flows leading to ball valves. The vales are switched to dump the warm water instead of letting it back in the sump. That way they don't drain the tank, yet remove the 'old' water. Besides the two of them having near zero nitrates constantly, I'm yet to find a way.

[SaltWaterNewb]

You also need to find the cause and eliminate that.

 

I know of a few people who do 100% water changes. They pump in new water, which is atleast 2 degrees colder than the tank into the aquarium. The cold water goes directly to the bottom, forcing the warmer water upward (physics, hmm). They have over flows leading to ball valves. The vales are switched to dump the warm water instead of letting it back in the sump. That way they don't drain the tank, yet remove the 'old' water. Besides the two of them having near zero nitrates constantly, I'm yet to find a way.

 

They do that for every water change? How often? That seems like it could be an expensive and unnecessary way to maintain a tank.

[JKUNZ]

Thats what I thought at first. Yet, Anthony Calfo actually does his own tank that way also! (if you don't know who he is, you have some reading to do) I actually saw one of his seminars and beyond that, he said if you want a good reef tank, and truly see your coral grow, "over feed your fish because corals thrive on detritus."

 

I know, bizare.

 

To answer your question, calfo, and my buddies all do weekly to bi-weekly. They all have perfect levels, use minimal filtration (no protein skimmers, no sponges, no uv sterilizers) and instead depend on 'new' water....calfo also said that it's the rocks and sandbed that hold everything that you need once they're cycled, not the water.

[Bonsai]

1. Weekly 10-20% water changes

2. Chemi-pure elite bag (been in there a month - how frequent to change?)

3. Biocube protein filter (more green-brown water than skimmate - trying to adjust)

4. Not overfeeding

5. RO/DI water

6. Fuge with chaeto in chamber 2 of my biocube.

 

The Nitrates in my BC14 have tested 0 consistently for a couple months now. My magic recipe includes your #1, 2, 4, 5, 6.

 

Here is what my chambers look like:

 

Chamber 1 - 50W Heater

Chamber 2 - Chaeto, 10Watt Halogen Fountain Light, and Filter Floss

Chamber 3 - Stock Pump, Chemi-Pure

 

My 2 cents.

[Mr. Fosi]

Or just remove some water from the tank and put the new water in.

 

Not sure why I would want to worry about using temp-driven density differences to manage my tank... I mean, if I had a multi-hundred gallon tank then maybe, but on a 20g? Too piddling.

[JKUNZ]

Or just remove some water from the tank and put the new water in.

 

Not sure why I would want to worry about using temp-driven density differences to manage my tank... I mean, if I had a multi-hundred gallon tank then maybe, but on a 20g? Too piddling.

 

I agree...the guys I speak of have 200+ g systems, and the water changes are on timers, they have seperate chambers to premix the new water, regulate the temp, and then perfom the change for them. The day I win the lotto is also the day I will mimic calfos aquarium.

[Deleted User 6]

Define:

 

QUOTE (DHaut @ May 6 2008, 07:43 PM)

4. Not overfeeding

 

Also, give your tank some time, it's still pretty young.

 

How's the chaeto growing?

 

I feed my corals frozen mysis once a day (sun corals, plate, and favia - the shrimp end up getting some), and occasionally (like once a week) dose phytoplex or zooplex or microvert (the Kent stuff - got a good, cheap deal on it). I have a small Oc. clown and small purple firefish as well - they get a rotation of selcon soaked brine, mysis, and formula 1 pellets fed once a day, not more than they can eat in 2 min (usually gone in 1).

 

Chaeto is growing well - it's doubled in about a month.

 

I should probably change more water - sounds like a good idea to me.

[noobofreefs]

I think once a day is too much. I could be wrong though, but in SW I'm pretty sure feedings of every other day or every 3 days is accepted. (Some even once a week) (Except the sun coral is a different story) Once a day may help your corals grow faster but will cause high nitrates . This could be your problem, try reducing feeding.

 

If I'm wrong someone correct me please.

 

NOR

[travis2008]

I feed only once every four days. Keeps my clown nice and trim, he's four now kind of small for his age. The more you feed the more you have to change water, why not save money on salt, save money on food, and keep your fish healthy all at the same time.

[vangvace]

I feed my corals frozen mysis once a day (sun corals, plate, and favia - the shrimp end up getting some), and occasionally (like once a week) dose phytoplex or zooplex or microvert (the Kent stuff - got a good, cheap deal on it). I have a small Oc. clown and small purple firefish as well - they get a rotation of selcon soaked brine, mysis, and formula 1 pellets fed once a day, not more than they can eat in 2 min (usually gone in 1).

 

Chaeto is growing well - it's doubled in about a month.

 

I should probably change more water - sounds like a good idea to me.

Yup that's overfeeding...

and sounds like your in a rush

[cray0la]

i would say, more water changes, add chemipure and purigen, keep the chateo up

you dont have the feed the corals that often, maybe twice a week orso whatever you deem fit.

if you feed once a day you must want them to grow like mad.

if possible buy a denitrator if your constantly worried about nitrates and like to feed.

[Mr. Fosi]

In addition to what has already been said... Do you strain your frozen foods?

 

You should consider it since the juice that they are frozen in is a nutrient smörgåsbord.

[dsoz]

I may get blasted for this, but I had high nutrient levels (mainly phosphates) in my tank that was feeding hair algae. I had a LFS tell me to add sugar twice a day to my tank (1/2 tsp to 75g tank in morning and evening). After a little online research (some positive, some said it makes no difference), I decided to try it. It made my skimmer go nuts-o, but within two weeks my phosphates went from 0.3 ppm to 0 ppm. It is also supposed to work for nitrates. The sugar acts as a carbon source for anaerobic bacteria that live inside the LR. The anaerobic bacteria use the phosphates to grow, and break down nitrates to get the oxygen out.

 

It may be worth a try once you cut down on your feeding to every other day.

 

dsoz

[Mr. Fosi]

Sugar (and other organic carbon sources) don't just give a boost to anaerobes, they boost all the heterotrophic bacteria in your tank; that's why your skimmer goes bonkers.

 

Be very careful with this though because dosing carbon sources can cause hypoxia in your tank, especially if you does during lights out. You also need to keep an eye on any corals that aren't 100% healthy because the bacterial bloom could cause infections in livestock that is in less than optimal health.

 

See Section VI of: http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/?article=17

[ecrumpler]

I think once a day is too much. I could be wrong though, but in SW I'm pretty sure feedings of every other day or every 3 days is accepted. (Some even once a week) (Except the sun coral is a different story) Once a day may help your corals grow faster but will cause high nitrates . This could be your problem, try reducing feeding.

 

If I'm wrong someone correct me please.

 

NOR

 

I think that lots of reefers these days are "overfeeding" and running huge skimmers to compensate. A lot of killer sps tanks are managed in this fashion.

[Deleted User 6]

Never thought of straining the food! Best way to do it?

 

Also, sugar in the tank? What bacteria eats nitrates?

[Mr. Fosi]

I thaw my food in a dish then I either spot feed with forceps or I dump them all into an old fishnet and rinse them with tapwater for a couple sec.

 

Turn the net inside out and touch it to the water surface and behold! Mysis without the juice!

 

Lots of bacteria will use NO3 for growth, though many prefer NH3/4. Read that article I linked before you start dumping sugar in your tank. Especially don't do it unless you are also heavily skimming.

[SPS20]

I feed the living crap out of my tank, and have never had detectable nitrates, except for the first month or two after setup. I really think you can only overfeed relative to the ability of your tank to consume the food.

 

In my experience:

- Chemi-pure is garbage. It might do something, but it has never been noticeable, IME.

- Run a refugium on a RDC (reverse daylight cycle) and let it get really lousy with macros and pods. This can take a month or two to really get going.

- Make sure your refugium is seeded with amphipods and mysids. Copepods will arrive on their own. Mysids alone can consume ALOT of uneaten food if you have enough of them.

- Don't bother with fancy water change techniques. Just siphon some out, and pour some new water in. If some of the corals stick out of the water for a couple of minutes, don't worry. They can take it.

- Good water flow is neccessary to keep detritus in suspension and to make sure the live rock is constantly bathed with well-oxygenated water. Good water flow will go a long way toward helping the tank consume it's own garbage.

- Clean your skimmer more often than you think you need to, and make sure the air intake nozzle doesn't get clogged with salt creep.

- Stir your sand frequently if you use sand. The cloud of detritus this releases not only feeds your corals, but allows your filters a chance to grab some of the detritus.

- Mechanical filters are your friend, provided you change and rinse the filters often. (They are your worst enemy if you don't) I am a big proponent of putting a felt bag on the drain line into my sump. Every time i rinse the bag in my sink and see the brown water coming off of it, I am reminded of just how much crap I am removing from the system by using it.

- Don't bother with a denitrifier on a small tank, it is more trouble than it is worth.

- Use plenty of herbivores such as snails, crabs, whatever. The tighter the cycle of algae growth and herbivory, the more opportunities your system has to remove nutrients, as they are being recycled quickly. Every time a snail poops, the skimmer has another chance to catch the poo and remove it. If it doesn't get removed, it will fuel further algae growth. Hence, the need for good filtration and good water circulation.

- Very densely populated tanks with lots of corals and clams tend to run with low nitrate levels due to the fact that these animals do consume some amount of dissolved nutrients. If your tank is sparsely populated, algae will end up picking up the slack. If your tank can support it (in terms of lighting and calcium supplementation) do consider getting a Tridacnid clam or two. They remove fantastic amounts of dissolved nutrients as they photosynthesize, noticeable in smaller tanks.

- Get a turkey baster, give it a name, and blast your rocks and sand frequently. Storms play a role in keeping natural reefs clean, you have to be your own storm-maker in a captive reef.

 

I hope you find these tips helpful.

 

- Josh

[Deleted User 6]

Thanks Josh - that's great stuff.

 

I have a BC 14 with an MJ1200 pump. How do I make sure the detrius stays suspended - what's the best place to point the nozzle?

 

I have the Oceanic Biocube skimmer and I have yet to get it to produce skimmate. I get brown water sometimes, and since I added fish, I've started to get a bit more, but still nothing impressive. Any suggestions?

 

I wish I could get a clam. I only have 72w of PC lighting in the tank though.

 

Where can I get some mysid?