75 Gallon Stand - Page 8

Not all that odd, the readings you see mean you have an efficient biofilter. Nitrate is the end product, that will not go down without some means of removal.

Some people claim bioballs create nitrates. Nitrifying bacteria are areobic, and grow great in a wet/dry. Denitrifying bacteria are anerobic, and grow in the depths of your live rock. If you decide to take the bioballs out, only remove about 1/4 per week, so the bacteria population on the rock can grow to catch the extra load.

Just a couple thoughts, 2nd a 2" depth is more than adequite and anything deeper only traps traits and keeps them high. Using a phosphate sponge and nitrate sponge, phosguard helps a great deal. Place them in the higher h2o leveled area of your sump. Use both for three days then test your h2o. At the same time, using a sufficient sized container remove enough sand to bring your tank depth closer to approx. 2" . The sand ise i trapping detrius/ uneaten food etc.. which in return is maintaining your trait levels.

Just a couple thoughts, :thinking: 1st the snails will only stir up detrius that is buried in the sand, 2nd a 2" depth is more than adequite and anything deeper only traps traits and keeps them high. Using a phosphate sponge and nitrate sponge, phosguard helps a great deal. Place them in the higher h2o leveled area of your sump. Use both for three days then test your h2o. At the same time, using a sufficient sized container remove enough sand to bring your tank depth closer to approx. 2" . The sand is trapping detrius/ uneaten food etc.. which in return is maintaining your trait levels. Keep enough h2o in the container to be able to run a powerhead to keep it circulating. ( Saving this sand is so that if my idea does not help it will give you the option to put it back without purchasing new) On day three remove the nitrate sponge or both if your levels r good. If not, leaving the phosguard in test daily and remove when your levels a down. :notsure: I don't know all your dynamics, what you're running or anything but really do hope you will try this. My husband and I helped run a saltwater store and have been saltwater hobbiest for over 10 years. We have just about did it all both wrong and right, trial and error of our own and by others. Getting the snails would be okay with all of this but I think that the horseshoe crabs stir the sand better and they too like detrius. :yes: :D

Very good issue on your 2nd point......With research and understanding of DSB one willl realize that they need not to be deep to be effective....The nitrification and denitrification process takes place within the top 3/4" of a sand bed, so with that, what actually is the purpose of a DSB???? NONE...And if you look around not just this site, the DSB theory is being laid to the wayside for alternate methods to keep levels low......Sand beds must be maintenanced or you will have problems down the road though.....Snails and such do their job, but we have to help it along....During routine maintenance you can take a small area and rake it a bit.......It will not bother your sand bed adversely.....Being that you are not moving your entire sand bed all at one time thus while the remaining portion of the sand bed is still intact and functioning, the new area is being recolonized......There have been threads and topics about such things being done. And with that being said during your weekly water changes you just keep moving along the tank to a different area each time and by the end of the month you would have done your sand bed.