Nitrate Reduction Suggestions

jwreffner · 03/19/2006, 08:05 PM

I'm curious what people would do for Nitrate reduction in a 55 gallon FOWLR?

Jerry W · 03/19/2006, 08:12 PM

Determine the factors contributing to the problem; high bioload, overfeeding, frequency/volume of water changes, water source.
Changing any of these can help. Increased frequency of water changes is a quick fix. Long term, look to some form of nutrient export such as a refugium, anda combination of the above factors.

Billybeau1 · 03/19/2006, 08:13 PM

Gotta tell ya buddy...... My nitrates in my FO have been 50+ for years..... Unless you want to start reefing, not to worry

jwreffner · 03/19/2006, 08:30 PM

I already do a 20% weekly water change. High bioload is the principle contributing factor to the nitrates.

50+ is not an option for me. I'm obsessive compulsive and want them at zero!!! Anyone used any sulfer reactors?

Mad Scientist · 03/19/2006, 08:35 PM

Big skimmer, lots of LR, carbon, good water movement, and water changes (20% a week is actually probably too much since you want stability unless you are over compensating for overstocking or weak filtration).

Jerry W · 03/19/2006, 08:36 PM

Describe your system; fish load, do you use a skimmer, tap water or RO, filtration, feeding schedule, etc... Depending on some of these factors, maintaining a nitrate level of 0 may not be practical. While fish can tolerate higher concentrations of nitrates, keeping them in the low range is beneficial for the long term health of the tank.

syndrome · 03/19/2006, 08:45 PM

If that is you 55 in your gallery i would say you have a ver bery high bio load 3 clowns 2 chromis 1 box fish and 1 tang

Billybeau1 · 03/19/2006, 08:46 PM

Well I'm not crazy about 50+ either but I guess I'm not as obsessed as you. If you really want to get them down, growing macroalgea in you fuge is a fine way to eat'em up. That and a good working skimmer are the best ways to combat this problem from what I'm told.

jjcrim · 03/19/2006, 08:47 PM

0 trates... good luck with that. LOL.

If you're that motivated then just do water changes everyday.

jjcrim · 03/19/2006, 08:48 PM

Or you can get some nice mh lights and fill the tank with nitrate eating clams.

jjcrim · 03/19/2006, 08:50 PM

A large fuge with lots of macro will eliminate a lot of trates.

jwreffner · 03/19/2006, 08:58 PM

No room for a fuge under the tank. My sump pretty much takes all the room under the tank. I have a phos reactor, AquaC skimmer, Pentair Aquatics 4 chamber filtration system.

Billybeau1 · 03/19/2006, 08:59 PM

Well that was constructive. I dont know if you noticed but they have a place called the lounge for people like you. I suggest you check it out.

Billybeau1 · 03/19/2006, 09:02 PM

JW, what are your trates now. If no room under, hows about running a canister filter outside the tank with de-nitrate ?

If your trates are not too high, it should work.

Lrgclasper · 03/19/2006, 09:31 PM

My nitrates are below 5 ppm... lots of light, macro algae, careful feeding, and a protein skimmer.

marrone · 03/19/2006, 09:49 PM

Don't apply Reef tank prinicpal(low nitriates) to a FO or Fowlr tank.

Patchy · 03/20/2006, 09:54 AM

I dont even check my parameters weekly anymore.

60g tank. around 25kg live rock, no skimmer, 2 canister filters and a powerhead make my tank. Plus i feed small amounts each day and i havent seen my Trates pop above 20ppm.

Fairly basic equipment as far SW goes and very little effort. its not that im lazy but $ doesnt always mean the best

FMarini · 03/20/2006, 12:41 PM

you might want to consider a sand bed in a bucket. If you look thru the anything salty forum, you'll find info on how to implement this very simple concept.
Otherways to reduce nitrates.
1) reduce feeding /reduc ebioload
2) larger, more frequent, water changes
3) more aggressive skimming -collect wetfoam, not dry.
4) carbon or nitrate reducing substrates
5) bioreactors
6) mud/plant sumps
7) AZ-NO3
even w/ all this you may still see small amts of nitrates and as mentioned above, in SW nitrates are not a terrible thing, esp w/ fish.

jwreffner · 03/20/2006, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Billybeau1
Well that was constructive. I dont know if you noticed but they have a place called the lounge for people like you. I suggest you check it out.

Gee, I hope you weren't talking to me with this comment.

jwreffner · 03/20/2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FMarini
you might want to consider a sand bed in a bucket.

Are you referring to a dead sand bed?

Billybeau1 · 03/20/2006, 02:03 PM

No it was not directed at you

Deep Sand Bed

jwreffner · 03/20/2006, 03:24 PM

How much sand would u need in a bucket to make it effective?

FMarini · 03/20/2006, 06:56 PM

read the thread in the all things salty forum.

called "sand bed in a bucket for nitrate control"

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=595109

03/19/2006, 08:05 PM	#1
jwreffner Moved On Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 447	Nitrate Reduction Suggestions I'm curious what people would do for Nitrate reduction in a 55 gallon FOWLR?

03/19/2006, 08:12 PM	#2
Jerry W Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: PA. Posts: 2,873	Determine the factors contributing to the problem; high bioload, overfeeding, frequency/volume of water changes, water source. Changing any of these can help. Increased frequency of water changes is a quick fix. Long term, look to some form of nutrient export such as a refugium, anda combination of the above factors. __________________ Americans sleep peacefully in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Current Tank Info: 37 gal; pair of mocha clowns, ywg and tiger pistol shrimp

03/19/2006, 08:35 PM	#5
Mad Scientist Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mass Posts: 2,776	Big skimmer, lots of LR, carbon, good water movement, and water changes (20% a week is actually probably too much since you want stability unless you are over compensating for overstocking or weak filtration). __________________ "Failing to plan is planning to fail." DIVE SAFE Current Tank Info: Starting over

03/19/2006, 08:36 PM	#6
Jerry W Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: PA. Posts: 2,873	Describe your system; fish load, do you use a skimmer, tap water or RO, filtration, feeding schedule, etc... Depending on some of these factors, maintaining a nitrate level of 0 may not be practical. While fish can tolerate higher concentrations of nitrates, keeping them in the low range is beneficial for the long term health of the tank. __________________ Americans sleep peacefully in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Current Tank Info: 37 gal; pair of mocha clowns, ywg and tiger pistol shrimp

03/19/2006, 08:45 PM	#7
syndrome Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: long wood fl Posts: 253	If that is you 55 in your gallery i would say you have a ver bery high bio load 3 clowns 2 chromis 1 box fish and 1 tang __________________ BUY my 55 gallon

03/19/2006, 08:13 PM	#3
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	Gotta tell ya buddy...... My nitrates in my FO have been 50+ for years..... Unless you want to start reefing, not to worry

03/19/2006, 08:30 PM	#4
jwreffner Moved On Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 447	I already do a 20% weekly water change. High bioload is the principle contributing factor to the nitrates. 50+ is not an option for me. I'm obsessive compulsive and want them at zero!!! Anyone used any sulfer reactors?

03/19/2006, 08:46 PM	#8
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	Well I'm not crazy about 50+ either but I guess I'm not as obsessed as you. If you really want to get them down, growing macroalgea in you fuge is a fine way to eat'em up. That and a good working skimmer are the best ways to combat this problem from what I'm told.

03/19/2006, 08:47 PM	#9
jjcrim Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 81	0 trates... good luck with that. LOL. If you're that motivated then just do water changes everyday.

03/19/2006, 08:48 PM	#10
jjcrim Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 81	Or you can get some nice mh lights and fill the tank with nitrate eating clams.

03/19/2006, 08:50 PM	#11
jjcrim Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 81	A large fuge with lots of macro will eliminate a lot of trates.

03/19/2006, 08:58 PM	#12
jwreffner Moved On Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 447	No room for a fuge under the tank. My sump pretty much takes all the room under the tank. I have a phos reactor, AquaC skimmer, Pentair Aquatics 4 chamber filtration system.

03/19/2006, 08:59 PM	#13
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	Well that was constructive. I dont know if you noticed but they have a place called the lounge for people like you. I suggest you check it out.

03/19/2006, 09:02 PM	#14
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	JW, what are your trates now. If no room under, hows about running a canister filter outside the tank with de-nitrate ? If your trates are not too high, it should work.

03/19/2006, 09:31 PM	#15
Lrgclasper Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Juneau, Alaska Posts: 336	My nitrates are below 5 ppm... lots of light, macro algae, careful feeding, and a protein skimmer.

03/19/2006, 09:49 PM	#16
marrone Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 1,197	Don't apply Reef tank prinicpal(low nitriates) to a FO or Fowlr tank. __________________ "This isn't right. This isn't even wrong." Wolfgang Pauli, on a paper submitted by a physicist colleague Current Tank Info: 2-260, 75 Fish & 58 Reef

03/20/2006, 09:54 AM	#17
Patchy Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 340	I dont even check my parameters weekly anymore. 60g tank. around 25kg live rock, no skimmer, 2 canister filters and a powerhead make my tank. Plus i feed small amounts each day and i havent seen my Trates pop above 20ppm. Fairly basic equipment as far SW goes and very little effort. its not that im lazy but $ doesnt always mean the best

03/20/2006, 12:41 PM	#18
FMarini 10 & Over Club Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 5,260	you might want to consider a sand bed in a bucket. If you look thru the anything salty forum, you'll find info on how to implement this very simple concept. Otherways to reduce nitrates. 1) reduce feeding /reduc ebioload 2) larger, more frequent, water changes 3) more aggressive skimming -collect wetfoam, not dry. 4) carbon or nitrate reducing substrates 5) bioreactors 6) mud/plant sumps 7) AZ-NO3 even w/ all this you may still see small amts of nitrates and as mentioned above, in SW nitrates are not a terrible thing, esp w/ fish. __________________ Fish die belly-up and float to the surface: its their way of falling- Andre Gide

03/20/2006, 02:03 PM	#21
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	No it was not directed at you Deep Sand Bed

03/20/2006, 03:24 PM	#22
jwreffner Moved On Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 447	How much sand would u need in a bucket to make it effective?

03/20/2006, 06:56 PM	#23
FMarini 10 & Over Club Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 5,260	read the thread in the all things salty forum. called "sand bed in a bucket for nitrate control" http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=595109 __________________ Fish die belly-up and float to the surface: its their way of falling- Andre Gide