Best Way to Reduce Nitrate In Your Tank
- Thread starter Zoous
- Start date
What Deepwater said. You need to first eliminate the source. Also, weekly water changes will have no effect if they are small. Try and do large 25-50% water changes as often as you are able. Also, make sure that you have enough live rock (at least 1 lb per gallon) and lots and lots of flow. More flow will help the water reach into the anaerobic areas of the rocks which will help break down the nitrates. Aggressive wet skimming helps too. If you don't have a good skimmer then you may never be able to eliminate the problem. If you still have problems them setting up a refugium/vegetable filter with chaeto will help. Some folks have employed very deep sand bed in a bucket with good success also.
Hi Tom:
Currently I have about 55lbs of live rock in my 50. ASM Skimmer- Lots of wet crap. Some chaeto in my sump. I do need better flow though and do more water changes. Is there anything like a de-nitrate reactor?
Currently I have about 55lbs of live rock in my 50. ASM Skimmer- Lots of wet crap. Some chaeto in my sump. I do need better flow though and do more water changes. Is there anything like a de-nitrate reactor?
- Location
- 11756
Zoous said:
Are you using Tap water or Ro/Di??
You kinda answered you own question here. Suck up you're detritus, do water changes, and don't feed you tank as heavily.
-Kris
Zoous said:
Good skimmer! Is the chaeto getting light? The more the better. Crank up the flow and consider adding some more rock Unless the stuff you have is extremely light and porous I'm sure that you have lots of room for more rock. And definitely up the water changes!
nanoreefer's question is a good one too. Are you using Ro/DI water or tap water? If it's tap water have you tested it for nitrates?
There are nitrate reactors but they really shouldn't be necessary IMO and IME.
I agree with everyone else but as for your question of a de nitorfier. I'm not sure that this would be one but is in hte experimental stage and is showing some major improvement. Art Vandelay on our site has had a high nitrate problem since forever and he had up his water changes and all and was thinking of gettin a new skimmer., But first he tried this : He took a 5 gal pal and filled it with live sand that was seeded. At the top he allowed for 3-4 inches of water. And what he did was have a pump to bring water from the sump and directed it to move in a circle around the bucket and then on the oppisite side he had a drain for the water to come back to the sump. Like i said he still experiment with but it seems like a plausable answer but I would rule everyhthing out first then try other options
I use ro/di water. the chaeto is getting about 12 hrs of light but i heard it should be 24 hrs. true or false? my tank is packed to the gills. I don't think i can get anymore live rock. it's really crowded in there.
is getting a nitrate reactor helpful? i want to know if anyone has one and worth getting a unit.
is getting a nitrate reactor helpful? i want to know if anyone has one and worth getting a unit.
- Location
- 11756
BTW what ASM do you have?
- Location
- Flushing NY 11355
Zoous said:
First I won't blame most of our problems with tap water. However, it does not rule out your tap water could be especially bad. Same goes for your RO/DI water, you still need to check if it was broken.
As for a nitrate reactor, which one you have in mind? A remote DSb is already a nitrate reactor, or nitrate sponge inside a canister filter is another one. I bet you have all these laying around except the nitrate sponge media. Why bother to buy one?
- Location
- 11756
Zoous said:
The G1-X is rated for a 75g tank and thats probably only moderately stocked and where feedings are kept on the lower end.
What's your bio-load like? Cutting back on feeding too much and lowering you bio-load could also aid in getting rid of nitrates. Do the frequent larger weekly water changes and you should be back on track in no time.
How high is your nitrate btw?
Try RDSB, a deep sand bed in a bucket works niceeeee! :smile:
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic20039-13-1.aspx
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic25117-13-1.aspx
Wingo you saw my RDSB at home.
I went from 25 to 10 in a month.
Pretty cool.
:thrash:
Rossana
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic20039-13-1.aspx
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic25117-13-1.aspx
Wingo you saw my RDSB at home.
I went from 25 to 10 in a month.
Pretty cool.
:thrash:
Rossana
Wingo my RO/DI water is fine I tested it before and it has 0 nitrates.
krustycat, thanks for the link. haven't read the entire thread but it's a good option.
I was on Premium Aquatics and saw this:
Korallin BioDenitrator S-1502 w/ Eheim 1048 Pump
Anyone using one of these De-Nitrate Reactors?
krustycat, thanks for the link. haven't read the entire thread but it's a good option.
I was on Premium Aquatics and saw this:
Korallin BioDenitrator S-1502 w/ Eheim 1048 Pump
Anyone using one of these De-Nitrate Reactors?
Last edited:
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