Nitrate Levels

[Murminator]

How do you get nitrate levels down? mine is running @ 20 I recently been running carbon to try to get it down but it never moved The fish and coral seem to be uneffected by it. Is 20 really all that bad? Nitrite 0 Ph 8.4ish Amm. 0. I do 10 % water changes every week. I knew it would spike here and there but never stayed there for weeks on end...thinking this is why I cannot keep shrimp

Any Id'ers?

[mr_alberta]

More/larger water changes or adding a refugium with Macro Algae will help get Nitrates down.

[Beverly]

I agree with Harvey that larger water changes would help. Instead of adding a refug, you could simply add macroalgae to your tank. I don't have a refug, but keep a relatively low bio-load in my tanks, plus I have several types of macroalgae in various tanks to utilize the nutrients. Macroalgae will also utilize phosphate.

[Aquattro]

Carbon will do nothing for NO3. How much rock do you have? My tank, with 10g water change every week, has no detectable NO3.

[Chad]

I have been battling Nitrates forever in my 20gal nano. I am thinking of ripping out my sand bed, its crushed coral.

Anyknow know if this might spark a mini cycle? It must be doing atleast a little bit of bio filtration.

I am torn though because in about 2 to 3 months I will be switching to my 50gal... (tank stand finally almost done!! just need to stain)

sigh..

[Rikko]

20ppm isn't really that bad for most critters, but it's indicative that the water isn't as up to snuff as it ought to be.
I'd suggest a couple of 50% water changes close together to get it down, then do something else to help prevent that state from returning (like trying a fuge or whatever).

[Murminator]

Hmm I'll try a larger water change and Macro Algae I have Halmedia(sp?) in there but it doesn't grow to well under my PC. Anyone have any they want to give up? perfer the stuff that doesn't go sexual

[Beverly]

Halimeda is a calciferous algae which requires good levels of calcium and magnesium to proliferate. If you haven't read these articles on water chemistry, here they are (again):

Aquarium System Volume Calculator:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/volcalc.html

The Reef Chemistry Calculator:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm

Magnesium in Reef Aquaria:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2003/chem.htm

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

[muck]

Holey Bev I think that makes at least a dozen times you've posted all those links!! :razz:

Maybe we should make a sticky of them somewhere? *hint* *hint* :mrgreen:

[danny zubot]

Yup, about a dozen. :razz:

I don't think you will need to do a couple of 50% water changes, it seems like a bit much for that level. Try just doubling what you normally do and that should bring them down a bit more.

[Beverly]

Ryan,

I don't mind posting the links whenever the situation arises :biggrin: No matter how many times I have posted them in the past, someone seems to find them of interest when I post them yet again. Understanding reef chemistry is the basis of keeping all animals in our tanks happy and healthy. Hey, I'm just trying to spread the word, man :biggrin: :razz:

I wonder how many people actually read the stickies anyway :confused: If you think it would be useful to post these links as a sticky, please be my guest. However, I reserve the right to re-post them in threads where it is apparent someone hasn't read them :mrgreen:

[muck]

Ryan,

I don't mind posting the links whenever the situation arises :biggrin: No matter how many times I have posted them in the past, someone seems to find them of interest when I post them yet again. Understanding reef chemistry is the basis of keeping all animals in our tanks happy and healthy. Hey, I'm just trying to spread the word, man :biggrin: :razz:

I wonder how many people actually read the stickies anyway :confused: If you think it would be useful to post these links as a sticky, please be my guest. However, I reserve the right to re-post them in threads where it is apparent someone hasn't read them :mrgreen:

Oh I don't mind you posting the links Bev.
I was just wondering if it might be easier to have it in a sticky and just direct the person to it. :cool:

[BCOrchidGuy]

See if you can compare your test kit with another hobbiests, maybe your test kit is old or defective. I've seen that a number of times with the reagent type kits.


Doug

[Beverly]

I don't think you will need to do a couple of 50% water changes, it seems like a bit much for that level. Try just doubling what you normally do and that should bring them down a bit more.

A 10% water change will reduce the nitrate by 10%, in this case, 2 ppm. If doing a 20% water change, nitrate reduction will be 4 ppm. A 50% water change should reduce nitrate to 10 ppm. A second 50% water change will then reduce nitrate to 5 ppm.

As well, you will also be dramatically reducing phosphate by doing large water changes, which may save you a cyanobacteria outbreak somewhere further down the line.

To test your test kit, take a sample of tankwater and dilute by 50% with RO, then test the diluted sample. You may also test your RO water for nitrate to see if nitrate is entering your system during water changes.

[andresont]

How do you get nitrate levels down? mine is running @ 20 I recently been running carbon to try to get it down but it never moved The fish and coral seem to be uneffected by it. Is 20 really all that bad? Nitrite 0 Ph 8.4ish Amm. 0. I do 10 % water changes every week. I knew it would spike here and there but never stayed there for weeks on end...thinking this is why I cannot keep shrimp

Any Id'ers?

PM sent

[Murminator]

See if you can compare your test kit with another hobbiests, maybe your test kit is old or defective. I've seen that a number of times with the reagent type kits.


Doug

I have compared the tests with my other 2 tanks and only the one reads nitrate. 1 tanks is bare bottom and 1 tank has sand the take with the problem has crushed coral.....Andre suggested this could be a link?

[Beverly]

Murray,

I would think that the crushed coral has trapped loads of detritus and is probably the cause of elevated nitrate.

[snaggle]

do you use RO water, I know in ther spring or after a hevy rain I get a bad spike in my tank if I do a water change, I only use tap water :eek: . I have started to buy the RO water from Sobys for a large water change once every month or two, other then that I stick to my tap water, I have never tested the tap water though.


Brad

[Murminator]

Murray,

I would think that the crushed coral has trapped loads of detritus and is probably the cause of elevated nitrate.

I have a goldenhead goby that is always sifting the sand I do and a bit of red stuff (cyano?) trapped between the substrate and the glass.

and yes Brad I do use tap water in all the aquariums