High Nitrates - which option do I go for?

[sarah_nick]

Hi,

 

I currently have a 35l (8 gallon) nano tank. It's been set up for 3 1/2 weeks, and my readings look fine other than the nitrates which are showing as 20 - I use an API Saltwater Test kit.

 

I have 3kg of live rock, and 5 turbo snails. I had 2 hermit crabs and a peppermint shrimp which unfortunately died after 2 weeks of the tank being set up so nothing has been added since.

 

I've read several topics and the solution seems to be to do water changes (one done today) and to possibly get some chaeto - but I'm not sure what this actually looks like and whether it takes over etc. Can someone help please?

 

Any pictures would be much appreciated, or if you think I should wait for a while and just do water changes please let me know how long I need to wait for?

 

Thanks

[xenon]

You added shrimp/snails while the tank was cycling?

 

The fastest way to reduce nitrates is large water changes (80-90%)

 

You can prevent nitrates by making sure all food you feed is eaten up and that the bio load is reasonable for the size of your fish tank.

 

The more liverock you have the easier it will be to keep nitrates in check. You should also consider setting up a refugium in the rear chamber with a small 6700K light for the cheato. Another option is a DSB (deep sand bed) but I would imagine it would take up too much real estate in a 8g tank.

 

Good luck!

[sarah_nick]

Hi,

 

Thanks for your comments, here is my response!

 

You added shrimp/snails while the tank was cycling?

 

Yes I did, I set up the tank with live rock, live sand, and live water so thought a CUC would be fine after a week. Is this not right?

 

The fastest way to reduce nitrates is large water changes (80-90%)

 

This seems really big to me, I was thinking more 30%-40%. Is this definately ok?

 

You can prevent nitrates by making sure all food you feed is eaten up and that the bio load is reasonable for the size of your fish tank.

 

I'm not feeding my snails since they can live off what is in the tank so I should be fine here!

 

The more liverock you have the easier it will be to keep nitrates in check.

 

If I add more rock now would it not start another cycle? Also, I have enough space at the moment to add coral's but with more rock I wouldn't have the space I need.

 

Another option is a DSB (deep sand bed) but I would imagine it would take up too much real estate in a 8g tank.

 

You're right, not really an option in a 8g! Although I had read in another thread that a deep sand bed can increase nitrates as it can hold it in?

 

Thanks

[reefdan]

30-40% is fine for water changes. two 30% changes will have less of an impact on parameters than a very large one (which is a good thing for any livestock/CUC)

 

i would keep up with the water changes and not add any livestock. one week is much too early but since they're there, you might as well keep them.

 

adding more live rock will start another cycle unless it is well cured. 3 kg of rock in a 8g tank is enough. more is always better but you should be fine.

 

chaeto is a type of algae that does not reproduce sexually and therefore will not foul your water in an attempt to do so. if you lived in california, i have a ton i could send over. try finding some in your local reef club. it acts similar to other macro algaes in using phosphates and nitrates for growth, therefore absorbing them out of your tank.

 

btw, 20 ppm of nitrates isn't all that bad, especially for a month old tank.

[sarah_nick]

30-40% is fine for water changes. two 30% changes will have less of an impact on parameters than a very large one (which is a good thing for any livestock/CUC)

 

Great thanks, just what I thought!

 

chaeto is a type of algae that does not reproduce sexually and therefore will not foul your water in an attempt to do so. if you lived in california, i have a ton i could send over.

 

Yeah, I guess England is too far - lol

 

btw, 20 ppm of nitrates isn't all that bad, especially for a month old tank.

 

Hooray

[The Propagator]

Its just a young tank going through a normal cycle.

I always tell people to wait a month before they add anything or even longer.

It never hurts to let it sit and cook a while longer to be sure when your talking about hundreds of dollars (pounds) worth of live stock.

I like to let mine set with nothing but rock, sand and a light over it for 4-5 weeks before I add anything.

This time I didn't with my 75g frag setup though. Paid for it with algae out the azz, faded coral and nitrate problems too.

[HankB]

Its just a young tank going through a normal cycle.

I always tell people to wait a month before they add anything or even longer.

...

What he said...

 

At present you have nothing in the tank to remove nitrates. As it matures denitrifying bacteria will start to colonize the LR and eventually bring that down. In addition, the vast majority of corals (AFAIK) are photosynthetic and will take up nitrates and phosphates. Algae will also take this up and then be eaten by snails and returned to the nitrogen cycle, so algae only borrows the nitrates from your tank.

 

Lots of folks (us included) grow some chaeto in their system. Snails won't eat it (I think) but you can remove it to export nitrates.

 

And of course, weekly partial water changes will reduce nitrates. (TSTPID - The Solution To Pollution Is Dilution)

 

And finally, 20ppm nitrates is not particularly high. That's where our RSM started and after a couple months started dropping to zero where it remains.

 

Chaeto looks like loose green steel wool - a tangle of green filaments.

 

Good luck with your tank

 

-hank

[michelle02]

Hiya Just spotted your from Leicester in the UK, my b/f is from Ashby but staying up here in sunny Scotland at the moment. Was going to comment on the advice to do a 80/90% water change....& say nooooooooo dont do that much but someone else did, when i set my tank up i left it for a month before doing a water change or adding anything and was fine, I did however add a peppermint shrimp after a couple of months and it died, i think they like a more mature tank, I have 2 turbos in my tank & its a 12g tank so i think you may have a bit too many in your 8g could maybe take some back to the shop. I had high nitrates at the begining but mine are at zero now, i have a large clump of algae/seaweed growing in 1 place in my tank and it seems to be doing the trick, i have to keep trimming it tho. I do a 2g water change once every week which is fine and i run a small HOB filter with carbon & floss to keep the water clear, which i change every week too. This is a fantastic website with tons of very helpfull advice and nice people. Goodluck with you tank

[michelle02]

BTW have a look on E-bay for cheato & you sometimes get some nice coral frags cheap there too