Help me with my Nitrates

[Str8linespeed]

Hello everyone, My reef tank has been up and running for just over 2 months. The tank and live rock was well established tank (4+ years old). I bought it from a guy that was getting out of the hobby. Its a Red Sea C130 tank (34 gallons). I tore it down and had it set up and running the same day.

The only thing I added at start up was live sand and fresh water. There were corals and fish that came with the tank and those went in as well. Im pretty sure the tank has went thru its cycle, since the ugly phase is now gone and the corals and fish look really happy and the corals are growing nicely.

Since about the third week, is when I noticed my nitrates start to increase. During the cycle they hit as high as 20, but now they average between 5-10. Im using RO/DI water and do weekly water changes. Most of the time 5 gallons, but when I notice them start to creep up I do a 10 gallon change.

I do have some green algae growing on the back wall of the tank and where the sand bed meets the glass. Its not thick, more of a green tint.

I just did a 10 gallon water change on 8/20 because my nitrates were at 10. I tested on 8/21 and they were still at 10. Today they were down to about 7.5. Im using the Salifert tests and I also compared with the API test and its pretty close.

I have only ever had a small ammonia spike during the cycle, I have never had any nitrites.

Todays results

Temp 78.8
Sal. 1.023
Ammonia 0
nitrites 0
Nitrates 7.5
alk. 12.2
ph 8.1
phos. 0
calc. 430
mag. 1330

Are my Nitrates to high and if so how do I get them down lower yet? Im just stumped as to why I cant get them lower..

SW 8.8.16.1.jpg

[gone fishin]

Personally I would not sweat the 5-10 nitrates. Judging from your pic things look good. I do not see any SPS, If you start getting into SPS then you may need to try and tweak them down. Good luck just my 2 cents.

[NS Mike D]

Originally Posted by gone fishin

Personally I would not sweat the 5-10 nitrates. Judging from your pic things look good. I do not see any SPS, If you start getting into SPS then you may need to try and tweak them down. Good luck just my 2 cents.

+1


What do you have set up in the sump area in the way of nutrient export.

[Str8linespeed]

Originally Posted by NS Mike D

+1


What do you have set up in the sump area in the way of nutrient export.

To comment on Gone Fishin's comment. I do have a small Monitpora that you can not see in that pic.

I have two small live rocks (roughly the size of a lemon) in the sump, because I ran out of room in the tank. I also have a reactor with Carbon, but that is it. Should I look at getting something else?

I forgot to mention, Im feeding a half cube of Mysis every day, which the fish eat with in 30 seconds. Should I cut that back to a half cube every other day?

[gone fishin]

If you have space in your sump a lot of people will put some cheato (cheatomorpha macro algae) in there to help nutrient export.

[Str8linespeed]

Originally Posted by gone fishin

If you have space in your sump a lot of people will put some cheato (cheatomorpha macro algae) in there to help nutrient export.

Yep I have room in there, I have a hang on the back skimmer. I have three sections in the sump, the skimmer, reactor and return pump. Does it matter what area I put it in?

[AlSimmons]

Couldn't you just do the work and bypass the refugium altogether? You are using the purest water on earth, right? (RO/DI)

[gone fishin]

I would go with the middle section. I am trying to remember what type of bulb I use to use. I think it was a 6500k bulb in one of those clip on shop lights from depot or lowes. If you do a search I am sure a ton of threads will pop up. As it grows just prune it to remove the nutrients out of the system. I have had a 30g display refugium for awhile now and my memory fades with age

[AlSimmons]

Just out of curiosity did you NEED that refugium or did you just set it up just cause? We all want another tank, no doubt about it... KISS.

[gone fishin]

A bit of both. I have always tended to feed a bit heavy and I needed to clean some stuff out of closet.

I really do not see what is wrong with using some cheato to help reduce the nitrates if the OP wants to lower them some. A fairly cheap expenditure for this hobby.

[NS Mike D]

Originally Posted by Str8linespeed

Yep I have room in there, I have a hang on the back skimmer. I have three sections in the sump, the skimmer, reactor and return pump. Does it matter what area I put it in?

Gone fishing is spot on about the cheato Since you have a skimmer, looking into carbon dosing; nopox, vodka vinegar, bio pettiest etc. They all do the same thing, they feed bacteria that will bind the N before it forms nitrites, and the bacteria gets pulled out by the skimmer.


The cheato will consume N&P and then you trim to export. 6500K is correct for photosynthesis, so you don't need expensive lights. It's common to run the cheato lights on the opposite schedule of the DT to keep oxygen and pH up. You can run cheato lights 24 x 7 according to some, most folks believe in a 6 hour down time.

[Str8linespeed]

Strangely, I enjoy trying to get the nicest water quality that Im capable of.

I know of a few LFS that sell the cheato, but Im wondering if it will survive in my sump. My tank has a hood that is attached to it. I just looked in the sump and light does get to the bottom, from main lighting, but it is not direct lighting. Thoughts?

[Tanthaitrung]

The cheato can be kept without sand bed?

[nmotz]

Originally Posted by Str8linespeed

Strangely, I enjoy trying to get the nicest water quality that Im capable of.

I know of a few LFS that sell the cheato, but Im wondering if it will survive in my sump. My tank has a hood that is attached to it. I just looked in the sump and light does get to the bottom, from main lighting, but it is not direct lighting. Thoughts?

Direct lighting will grow chaeto much faster so as to export more nutrients.

[nmotz]

Originally Posted by Tanthaitrung

The cheato can be kept without sand bed?

Yes, it does not require a sand bed.

[Nickmcc]

Your nitrates are fine. Try some carbon dosing.

[Tanthaitrung]

Thanks nmotz

Regards
Khanh

[timnem70]

I'm not sure what you're asking. When you put the chaeto in your sump area, you go to Home depot, buy a cheap clip on light and a 6500k bulb. Same aisle. Clip it to something on the back,of your Red sea tank and turn it on when your display light is off. When it grows so that there is no room, trim some, throw it away and your golden. I have know idea what the others are talking about with sandbeds and whatnot. Its really easy.

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[HammerLover]

I had a small modded 1.5 gallon refugium in my nano thy works like a charm. Kept my nitrates in control as well as my phosphates. I did a one week blackout to kill all my algae and after that all the cyano and hairalgae died. My fuge turned out to be a nice algae paradise with tons of hair algae, chaeto and cyano plus a few strands of caulerpa. Plus you will get bonus pods in your tank

[CStrickland]

You're more likely to cause a problem by overdoing it at this point, you'll see wacky nitrates for several months until things settle in from the move and you bacteria get sorted. The live sand products don't have those bacteria, and they are pretty picky about getting moved around.

I mean, if you think it would be fun to add a fuge, go for it. But make sure it doesn't turn into its own detritus trap, definitely don't put caulerpa in it, and don't expect much nutrient removal unless it's close to 20% the volume of your tank. A lot of the time people credit them with more than they deserve, where leaving it alone would've accomplished just as much. But they are cute, and can grow some pods for your fish to eat, I guess.

[HammerLover]

Originally Posted by CStrickland

You're more likely to cause a problem by overdoing it at this point, you'll see wacky nitrates for several months until things settle in from the move and you bacteria get sorted. The live sand products don't have those bacteria, and they are pretty picky about getting moved around.

I mean, if you think it would be fun to add a fuge, go for it. But make sure it doesn't turn into its own detritus trap, definitely don't put caulerpa in it, and don't expect much nutrient removal unless it's close to 20% the volume of your tank. A lot of the time people credit them with more than they deserve, where leaving it alone would've accomplished just as much. But they are cute, and can grow some pods for your fish to eat, I guess.

I do clean my fuge everyweek since its small. I always remove detritus from it as well. Although water changes are enough the fuge does a great work of reducing the phosphates and nitrates a bit. And yes free pods for your fishes to eat my clown goby loved them

[Str8linespeed]

Originally Posted by timnem70

I'm not sure what you're asking. When you put the chaeto in your sump area, you go to Home depot, buy a cheap clip on light and a 6500k bulb. Same aisle. Clip it to something on the back,of your Red sea tank and turn it on when your display light is off. When it grows so that there is no room, trim some, throw it away and your golden. I have know idea what the others are talking about with sandbeds and whatnot. Its really easy.

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The problem is I have no place to place a light. The entire top of the tank is enclosed by a hood. There is a skimmer lid, but even if I open that there is still no spot for a light, since the reactor and skimmer are right there, under the hood. I guess that is why I was asking if the standard tank lights will still allow it to grow.

[xanthurum]

I have a nearly all SPS system and I try and keep my nitrates at 5. Point is I wouldn't worry about them being between 5 and 10. If you feel the need to lower them just feed a little less food.

[AlSimmons]

Over the years I've realized that keeping sps corals was not all that it's cracked up to be. Sufficient lightimg and keeping your parameters within certain limits seems to please everything...

[Str8linespeed]

Thanks again for all the advice everyone.