Cheto/Refugium ????????

[fishsta]

My nitrate level is off the scales lol, and i dont know y. I have havent had any fish in the system for at least 2 months now because fear of killing them because of nitrate levels. My levels just kept going up and up even without fish in the system. I have live sand about 75 lbs worth and 75 lbs lr. All i have in the tank is 10 nassarius snails, sea stars, bristle star, coral banded shrimp, and a couple of mexican turbo snails. I dont know y my nitrate levels got so high. Is it true that cheto feeds of nitrate. If so it will grow like crazy in my tank!!! Now by feeding off the nitrate does that mean its lowering the amount in my system??? Thanks!!!

 

[elfdoctors]

Macroalgae use nitrates as they are growing. If conditions are not right for the macroalgae, they will not remove nitrates. They incorporate nitrates into themselves (converting the nitrates into proteins). The aquarist must then remove the excess macroalgae from your tank (taking the excess nitrogen with them).
Make sure you have plenty of light as this is the primary energy source for growth, not the nitrates. The primary source of nitrates is overfeeding (as the excess proteins are broken down to nitrates).