Controlling nitrates a problem. Please advise

[fazilosman]

You should follow Randy's chart but IMHO first make sure that you have an efficient export mechanism, ie skimmer. I have no experience with HOB skimmers and my advice is to tune your one for best possible performance before starting.

The vinegar will promote bacteria in the aquarium and as these die off they must be exported via the skimmer, thus not cycling back nutrients into the water column. Also, with a high reading like 80, start with a small dose maybe a 1/4 at first and slowly work your way up.

Your skimmer should start pulling more and more disgusting skimmate as the process kicks in. Once the levels drop, the skimmate should become less disgusting and more like a weak tea.

Please read this for details: http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....arine-aquarium

[Reef908]

I would try and increase the flow in the tank and behind the rocks as you have suggested before trying to dose vinegar. I used to have really high nitrates in my old tank and I increased the flow to stop any detritus from settling to much which seemed to help. Combine the extra flow and detritus kick-up with the water changes and you should be good long term. It will not be immediate but should slowly lower. Also, look into a different kit or have a LFS test. I had an API kit that would fluctuate like yours did after I would do something to reduce the nitrates, but always read high. I took a water sample to the LFS and my nitrates were nearly undetectable while my test kit at home read 80 just like yours. I think they used red sea but I honestly forget now. Good Luck!

[Shawn O]

You may find that your skimmer and HOB filter will sort of play tug of war with the crud in the water. While running fresh floss in the filter, my skimmer doesn't get to remove much. As the floss gets fill up with crud, the skimmer starts to pull more out. Best to use the filter for things like carbon and Purigen and only use floss in it when you intend to stir up a bunch of crud.

[A1t2o]

If you have a mechanical filter then you would want to clean that out ever other day or so. That HOB filter that has the carbon in it should still be rinsed or the crap that you are pulling is just going to dissolve and decay into nitrates. You would be better off putting more LR in the tank to try and get more space for anaerobic bacteria that will convert nitrates to nitrogen gas.

I would recommend getting a sump if at all possible, it will allow you to get a decent skimmer and grow some macro algae. You can grow some macro in the tank but you would want to pick something that looks nice then. Either way, you want to get some nutrient export other than just water changes.

[Kanejr10]

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm heading to my lfs shortly to have him test just to be sure. The good news is I got a 75 gal reef ready tank with a sump for Christmas but I have to slowly buy everything to get that up and running. My skimmer produces a ton of bubbles and I have tried to run algone to lower my nitrates when I ran the Algone my skimmer went nuts so I'm hoping that with dosing it will do the same. I'm gonna try removing the sponge filter in the hob today. Would it also be wise to remove the carbon layer as well and see how it goes with both out?

[Kanejr10]

I have some chunks of dry rock that were in my dad set up like 10 years ago. Could I just give those a rodi bath and scrub and put into the tank or do I need to do more with them?

[CStrickland]

How many #s of rock have you got in there now?

[Kanejr10]

There's around 40lbs of rock. Went to the lfs and he used a salifert nitrate test and it showed about 25 which is still high but much better than the api result. So far I have removed the sponge from my filter and added the power head to get flow behind the rocks and added a bag of chemipure elite to my hob filter. I'll be doing a water change tomorrow and then watching my nitrates from there hopefully all is well after those alterations.

[Virtual Balboa]

I have a sumpless system as well. I run those blue and white filter pads in my aquaclear 70 and change them once a week. The only other thing in the filter is a bag of carbon that I also change one a week and a bag of purigen that's been in there a little while. With my system I had to perform a few large water changes to get my nitrates down after I cycled the tank but since then they've held steady around 5-7 ppm. I just started dosing vinegar a few weeks ago according to the chart without any issues. I change 5 gallons a week.

[Kanejr10]

Mines an aqua clear 110, I'm assuming you use the blue and white pads just to collect debris? I might look into them if that's what you use them for.

[Virtual Balboa]

Yeah at first I had a ton of debris always floating around in the tank. I couldn't even trust my Hanna Phosphate checker because I couldn't take a water sample without a bunch of stuff floating in the water. I didn't like how it looked either. I tried to use my filter as a refugium at one point but ended up with a gha outbreak right after I put cheato in the tank. My guess was that it was dying or something. I had an underwater light which isn't too great. But with the cheato my nitrate was dropping fast.

[Kanejr10]

Yeah I have a ball of chaeto in my dt because I don't have a light for my filter. I mainly use it as pod protection as I have a mandarin but luckily for me he eats frozen mysis when I feed.

[Virtual Balboa]

I did what you did and put a powerhead that faces straight behind my rocks pointing towards the other end of the tank where the skimmer is. I guess I could have it pointing toward the filter instead which is one the other side but I like the flow well enough how it is. My hob skimmer is either wet or not at all it seems. So I have the cup set pretty low. And I have to clean it daily or every other day. I read that a wet skim is also recommended for carbon dosing.

[Kanejr10]

I'm going to carbon dose as a last resort, since I'm leaving for a week in feb it's not wise to start that as my cousin will only be over every other day to feed and just check the tank.

[Virtual Balboa]

I'd like to have a AC 110 because the size is good for a refugium. But get a good light for it. You could even still have filter floss in there under the cheato. It just sucks pulling all that stuff out to change the filters. Or you could make a chamber and have the floss like on the left like up and down and use the rest of the filter space for a refugium.

[Virtual Balboa]

I don't see why doing a good sized water change would be a huge issue. My rbta seems pretty bulletproof. I actually just did almost a 100% water change because I programmed my dosing pump backwards and pumped a cup of alk and ca two part. I couldn't attend to the tank for 12 hours after it happened and everything was fine. I think it all precipitated out. But the change was for all the trace elements in the 2 part which I can't test for.

[Kanejr10]

I mean I have to be doing ok with my tank as nothing has died or lost color, just that damn api nitrate test scares me. I have a ton of pineapple sponges in my filter and those little white tube worms on my glass and pumps. I have read that those are signs of a healthy system. I will keep everyone updated on my progress as time passes.

[Kanejr10]

And again a big thanks to everyone who has posted their thoughts on my situation hopefully all is undercontrol soon.

[Virtual Balboa]

I don't know if it was already mentioned but those Api Nitrate tests are kind of a hassle. I'd get a Salifert. So much easier. I'm sure everything will be fine and good luck.

[CStrickland]

I wouldn't stress 25.
Sounds like you have plenty of rock. I bet they come down with the sponge out of the picture. They don't call them nitrate factories for nothing.

If it were me I might do a larger change before vaca, 50% would get you down to 12ppm, a very nice nitrate reading. With a big change like that you just need to match temp, ph, alk, and salinity more closely in order to not shock the animals. That's all they really care about, and the diff between one 50% and 5 10% is huuge. It can really get your tank off its back foot. The settle-down period while you are away is crucial too, everything can recover without your meddling . I bet (and hope!) you come home to happy pets <3

[Sk8r]

first step would be to set up a hob downflow AND a sump with a better skimmer. That might help you a lot. Then the carbon dosing.