nitrates

68shelby · #1 03-19-2009, 01:14 AM

My nitrates are driving me nuts. I cant seem to bring them down. They are sitting at about 10ppm after 65 gals of water changes since friday. On a 100Gal tank I think that is crazy. Ammonia 0 nitrites 0 phophates 0, I did however lose a lawnmower bleeny this past week, I believe he fell victim to my purple lobster. Any possible relationship between the 2 events?

TheMikey · #2 03-19-2009, 01:18 AM

Maybe try a different test kit?

Delphinus · #3 03-19-2009, 03:36 AM

Don't know about a correlation per se but you may be onto something. I'm not 100% sure but I bet those lobsters probably eat and poop lots for their size.

You should give this a try:
http://www.tailoredaquatics.com/index.html?a=0&d=63

Follow the instructions, your nitrates will disappear very quickly. The instructions have you ramp up the dose intially then eventually you wean the tank off it. However I continue to use it anyhow with just a wee little bit (maybe half capfull) in a 115g and it maintains NO3 <1.0ppm.

fkshiu · #4 03-19-2009, 03:57 AM

Unless you keep an SPS dominant reef I wouldn't freak out over 10 ppm of NO3.

68shelby · #5 03-19-2009, 03:58 AM

Well I dont feed him to regularly, he gets the odd piece of mysis shrimp when the fish miss it. And I give him some live mussells 2 times a week, loves those. But about 2 months ago I brought home a mandarin fish he looked like he was doing fine he was fat and roaming around freely, and then after about a week he dissapeared for the whole day I knew something was up, and as soon as the halides went off and the moonlights came on there was the lobster rolling the mandarin fish around. I fished what was left of him out. then about a week ago I noticed I hadnt seen my blenny for a day. stil missing no body, no ammonia spikes, nothing. I think my lobster has developed a taste for fish. Doesnt hurt the corals at all though. If I loose a tang or clown, I will reconsider his existence in my tank.

Delphinus · #6 03-19-2009, 05:05 AM

True that 10ppm is nominal (actually even an SPS tank will do fine at 10ppm). But this was after 65g of water changes, so presumably the starting point is a fair bit higher. My experience with controlling nitrates with water changes is that it bounces back to where it was fairly quickly. The NO3 Destroyer product is cheaper than the extra salt.

And to be 100% clear the lobster thing is just a guess on my part. Maybe they're light on the bioload.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fkshiu

Unless you keep an SPS dominant reef I wouldn't freak out over 10 ppm of NO3.

68shelby · #7 03-19-2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Don't know about a correlation per se but you may be onto something. I'm not 100% sure but I bet those lobsters probably eat and poop lots for their size.

You should give this a try:
http://www.tailoredaquatics.com/index.html?a=0&d=63

Follow the instructions, your nitrates will disappear very quickly. The instructions have you ramp up the dose intially then eventually you wean the tank off it. However I continue to use it anyhow with just a wee little bit (maybe half capfull) in a 115g and it maintains NO3 <1.0ppm.

Where can I get some nitrate destroyer? I have called aquarium illusions and big Als and there trying to sell me on doing 50gal water changes every other day for a week

fkshiu · #8 03-19-2009, 10:56 PM

Seachem and Kent also have products called deNitrate and Nitrate Sponge, respectively.

fishytime · #9 03-20-2009, 12:11 AM

Vodka?

untamed · #10 03-20-2009, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fkshiu

Seachem and Kent also have products called deNitrate and Nitrate Sponge, respectively.

I tend to believe that if these really worked then nitrate wouldn't be a problem for any of us. Why don't we all just run phosban reactors full of this stuff?