Nitrate

[Booker301]

How do you lower the nitrate count in your tank?

 

[pauliwalnuts]

Refugium with chatoemorpha. A good protein skimmer. Controlled feeding of the fish and coral. Water change.

 

[Booker301]

I'm only two weeks in. My tank is still in the cycling phase. I was told not to do a skimmer for awhile until the tank is established. I have a refugium set up now.

 

[Waleedwale1]

Protien skimmers usually prevent high nutrients. Refugiums are very effective when filled with quickly growing macros like calpera and chaeto (I find that the thicker stranded one is much for effective than the thicker stiffer stranded chaeto) water changes are another good way to reduce nitrates. If your nitrates are at 80 ppm, and you do a 50 percent water change your nitrates are now at 40 ppm. Detritus traps behind rocks and in filter pads if not properly maintained cause nitrates to ride as well. Feeding too much causes nitrates and phosphates to rise. I only feed once a week.

 

[edd]

I'm only two weeks in. My tank is still in the cycling phase. I was told not to do a skimmer for awhile until the tank is established. I have a refugium set up now.

if your only cycled for 2wks, its normal to have high amo then nitrites then nitrates. give it time your tank has to mature for a while and establish bacteria to break down nitrates.

 

[REEFER]

use cheato in a refugium along with gfo. Dont go crazy lowering it quickly

 

[cono]

Like eds said it's the cycle that you are going threw ....it took me about a month to 6 weeks for the cycle to go to zero ...how are you cycling tank ???
I did a no fish/shrimp cycle ....started it with Fritz 9 and went threw the it pretty fastt

 

[Reef Lobster]

Dont even worry about it yet take it SLOW. Do a water change, add some live stock (nitrates mean the cycle is done) and did i say go slow? Add easy stuff first until you master your parameters then step up to the big things and the difficult.