Removing nitrates?

dblanton · 09/07/2006, 04:09 PM

Anything I can do on top of water chages to bring the nitrates down?

BurntOutReefer · 09/07/2006, 04:10 PM

yes....find out what the source is and control it.

sir_dudeguy · 09/07/2006, 04:15 PM

word...and you can add some chaeto/other algae like chaeto in a fuge. Is this just a 55? if so, i put a small hob filter on my 55 and made it a fuge and it helped pretty good untill it broke and fell off.

Avi · 09/07/2006, 05:12 PM

Well, you should try and figure out what the cause of the elevated nitrates is. It could be something like overstocking and or overfeeding, insufficient live rock...inadequate protein skimmer, bad tap water, excessive additives and possibly, since you say that you've only been doing this for a couple of weeks, your tank isn't fully cycled yet.

If you can figure it out, then addressing the cause(s) directly, like lessening the amount and frequency of feedings if it's related to that, changing over to RO/DI water if your tap water is high in nitrates, increasing the frequency of water changes, etc.

But, sir_dudeguy is right about the refugium. No matter what the cause of the nitrates, a refugium...the bigger the better but having one at all is more important even if it's small....will export nutrients from your reef.

thor32766 · 09/07/2006, 05:15 PM

yeah refuguims are really benefical. On my old 55 I just had a 10 gallon and it worked wonders as a ref with the tank

dblanton · 09/07/2006, 05:57 PM

I thank you all for your advice. My husband typed this in the wrong forum. He is working on our freshwater tank. We have had the same africans for about 8 years. We have lost 3 in the last couple of weeks. It's very sad. The nitrates are up but the ammonia is at 0. Well, I will have put this in the correct forum. BUt any and all advice is welcome. Thanks guys.

Our 55 SW is doing great. There are all kinds of critters coming alive. We will have all of our equipment by the beginning of next week. I'm sure I'll be posting on it soon. Thanks again.

09/07/2006, 04:09 PM	#1
dblanton Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 150	Removing nitrates? Anything I can do on top of water chages to bring the nitrates down? __________________ Thanks!!! Ren 13 Gal Nano Live Rock 2 Common Clowns 150 Gal Cichlid Tank/36 Gal Cichlid Tank/60 Gal Frontosa Tank Current Tank Info: 150 Gal Cichlid/36 Gal Cichlid/60 Gal Cichlid/13 Gal Nano/Working on setting up a new Salt Water Tank

09/07/2006, 04:15 PM	#3
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	word...and you can add some chaeto/other algae like chaeto in a fuge. Is this just a 55? if so, i put a small hob filter on my 55 and made it a fuge and it helped pretty good untill it broke and fell off. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

09/07/2006, 05:12 PM	#4
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	Well, you should try and figure out what the cause of the elevated nitrates is. It could be something like overstocking and or overfeeding, insufficient live rock...inadequate protein skimmer, bad tap water, excessive additives and possibly, since you say that you've only been doing this for a couple of weeks, your tank isn't fully cycled yet. If you can figure it out, then addressing the cause(s) directly, like lessening the amount and frequency of feedings if it's related to that, changing over to RO/DI water if your tap water is high in nitrates, increasing the frequency of water changes, etc. But, sir_dudeguy is right about the refugium. No matter what the cause of the nitrates, a refugium...the bigger the better but having one at all is more important even if it's small....will export nutrients from your reef. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

09/07/2006, 05:15 PM	#5
thor32766 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chuluota, FL Posts: 6,072	yeah refuguims are really benefical. On my old 55 I just had a 10 gallon and it worked wonders as a ref with the tank __________________ "Live your life so no one has to lie about who you were at your funeral" click on my red house to see my tang compound! Current Tank Info: 29 gallon in Wall!

09/07/2006, 05:57 PM	#6
dblanton Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 150	I thank you all for your advice. My husband typed this in the wrong forum. He is working on our freshwater tank. We have had the same africans for about 8 years. We have lost 3 in the last couple of weeks. It's very sad. The nitrates are up but the ammonia is at 0. Well, I will have put this in the correct forum. BUt any and all advice is welcome. Thanks guys. Our 55 SW is doing great. There are all kinds of critters coming alive. We will have all of our equipment by the beginning of next week. I'm sure I'll be posting on it soon. Thanks again. __________________ Thanks!!! Ren 13 Gal Nano Live Rock 2 Common Clowns 150 Gal Cichlid Tank/36 Gal Cichlid Tank/60 Gal Frontosa Tank Current Tank Info: 150 Gal Cichlid/36 Gal Cichlid/60 Gal Cichlid/13 Gal Nano/Working on setting up a new Salt Water Tank

09/07/2006, 04:10 PM	#2
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	yes....find out what the source is and control it.