controlling nitrate levels

[thefedz]

I have a 72 gallon bowfront
phosphates 0.0
1.023 salinty
dKH 8
calcium 380
2 x 250w 20k halides
DSB
turboflotor

The tank has been established for about 3 years.

I recently purchased an RO/DI filter. I did a 50% water change (tested nitrates of water 0.0) and measured nitrate levels in tank to be around 25mg/L. If i keep doing water changes will i eventually lower the nitrate levels? or do i need to do something within the tank

 

[Anonymous]

If i keep doing water changes will i eventually lower the nitrate levels?

As long as you don't increase the amount of nutrients going into the tank (such as beginning the practice of feeding them every 10 minutes! ), then yes, your nitrate level will definitely diminsh. Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 72 gallon bowfront
phosphates 0.0
1.023 salinty
dKH 8
calcium 380
2 x 250w 20k halides
DSB
turboflotor

The tank has been established for about 3 years.

I recently purchased an RO/DI filter. I did a 50% water change (tested nitrates of water 0.0) and measured nitrate levels in tank to be around 25mg/L. If i keep doing water changes will i eventually lower the nitrate levels? or do i need to do something within the tank

Assuming you have 0.0 nitrAtes in the replacement water, nitrates may reduce through water changes. They will never reach 0.0 be water changes alone.

If you are measuring nitrates with a test kit that measures total nitrates (aquarium pharm**** and most others) 25 mg/l is not all that bad. If your test measures nitrate-nitrogen (fasttest kit) than that is equilivant to about 133 mg/l liter and a more serious problem. But still not toxic to fish.

You nitrates will go to 0.0 or at least unmeasureable levels with sufficient plant life such as macros. And in the process carbon dioxide will be consumed, ammonia and phosphates also plus toxins and heavy metals will be removed from the water column. So nitrates can be more an indicator than a cause of potential problems. When you get the plant life fully consuming the nitrates then the entire water qualty is much better as you have a balanced ecosystem simply maintaining itself.

 

[thefedz]

thanks for the replies

i'm currently looking into setting up a refugium underneath my tank with chaetomorpha algae. Is it better to have multiple type of macroalgae? Or do most people just choose one? do nitrates get consumed in a tank other then by macroalgae?


and yeah i'm using an aquarium pharmaceuticals test kit. how does mg/L convert into parts per million? i feel like most people report their nitrate levels in ppm....

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the replies

i'm currently looking into setting up a refugium underneath my tank with chaetomorpha algae. Is it better to have multiple type of macroalgae? Or do most people just choose one? do nitrates get consumed in a tank other then by macroalgae?


and yeah i'm using an aquarium pharmaceuticals test kit. how does mg/L convert into parts per million? i feel like most people report their nitrate levels in ppm....

Chaeto is a good choice. I do have a mix of macros in mine but there are some thoughts that macros to engage in chemical warfare so mixing is not a good idea. My in tank refug seems to have little cycles where one expands then another.

mg/l is ppm. As I remember at something like 4C a gram of pure water occupies a mL. a mg is 1/1000 th of a gram or 1/1000x1/1000 or one millionth of a kilogram or liter. So a mg is 1 ppm of a liter.