Need some advice. I have a 75 gal tank with 3 clowns 1 yellow tang and 1 angel, also have 2 hermit crabs 7 snails and a urchin. I have checks and been told that i have plenty of live rock. the problem is that about every 3 months my nitrate level will shoot up to the highest level, even with doing a 20 gal water change evey month (10 gal every 2 weeks). what can I do to help prevent this. I have added 3 powerheads to try and help but still no good.
high nitrate level
- Thread starter csczag
- Start date
Hi. You need to tell us what sort of numbers your nitrate level is going up to.
First I would test the nitrate level of the water you are using for water changes. Check the nitrate level of it without salt, check it with salt added. Salts normally have some nitrate and you can't do anything about that, but you can do something if you have a high nitrate volume in your base water. I would also go to more regualtr changes , maybe 6 or 7 gallons (10%) a week.
Wet drys do become nitrate traps. They are fantastically good at converting ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate as this requires an aerobic enviroment, but they are no good at reducing nitrate out as theis requires aanerobic conditions. Assuming you do hae enough live rock, yes, remove the bioballs. If you're nervous remove a quater, then the last quarter. The leave a month or so and see what happens.
If you still have high levels come back and we'll move on to the next level of nitrate removal.
First I would test the nitrate level of the water you are using for water changes. Check the nitrate level of it without salt, check it with salt added. Salts normally have some nitrate and you can't do anything about that, but you can do something if you have a high nitrate volume in your base water. I would also go to more regualtr changes , maybe 6 or 7 gallons (10%) a week.
Wet drys do become nitrate traps. They are fantastically good at converting ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate as this requires an aerobic enviroment, but they are no good at reducing nitrate out as theis requires aanerobic conditions. Assuming you do hae enough live rock, yes, remove the bioballs. If you're nervous remove a quater, then the last quarter. The leave a month or so and see what happens.
If you still have high levels come back and we'll move on to the next level of nitrate removal.
nitrave levels are going up to 80. I hvae been doing the 10gal per week for the past 4 weeks. On friday I had the nitrate down to 12.5 I performed a water change and then went away for the weekend. I have the light on a timer and the fish are feed via a timed feeder. when I came back on Sunday the nitrate is back at 80. I went and added 6 hermit crabs and a sand sifting star on Thursday to help clean the substrate.
im curious why we keep coming across so many people running canisters with bioballs instead of live rock, it seems like one a week anymore, and most of the time they are aggrevating the problem by not skimming...is this one of those things people learn at the lfs? every book i read reccomends against such setups for reefs (and for the most part even for FO)....
Yes, lfs's, outdated media and just old ideas still knocking around. Many people cannot come to terms with running tanks 'without biofiltration', also many lfs's don't sell live rock, or anything decent, so they sell a 55, crush coral, cannister with bioballs or wet dry, damsels to cycle. Protein skimmers are 'for reefs only'.
I also hate to inform you that this is much more prevalent in the US than Europe, presumable as you have a bunch more small stores. But I don't really understand how these practises persist as the other thing you are undoubtedly coming across is people who's setup's don't work.
I also hate to inform you that this is much more prevalent in the US than Europe, presumable as you have a bunch more small stores. But I don't really understand how these practises persist as the other thing you are undoubtedly coming across is people who's setup's don't work.