Common causes of persistantly high nitrates?
- Thread starter njbillyv
- Start date
texas14tom
Member
Rearranging rocks.
Moving the sand bed too much.
Carbon is dead.
Stirring up the decaying matter in the sump.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cleaned up my nitrate problem (caused by the above actions of cleaning out my sump and rearranged rocks in the tank) by loading it with carbon and doing water changes. Took me a week to get it back under control. Two 20% water changes and 2 rounds of fresh carbon sucked it right up. I'm FOWLR so this may not apply to your setup, I know next to nothing about reef tanks.
Good Luck!
T
Moving the sand bed too much.
Carbon is dead.
Stirring up the decaying matter in the sump.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cleaned up my nitrate problem (caused by the above actions of cleaning out my sump and rearranged rocks in the tank) by loading it with carbon and doing water changes. Took me a week to get it back under control. Two 20% water changes and 2 rounds of fresh carbon sucked it right up. I'm FOWLR so this may not apply to your setup, I know next to nothing about reef tanks.
Good Luck!
T
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Septic sand
Septic rock
Excessive detritus
Inadequate filtration
Bioballs
Dirty sponges and canisters
Dirty RO/DI water
Too many fish
Undersized scrubber
Undersized skimmer
Septic rock
Excessive detritus
Inadequate filtration
Bioballs
Dirty sponges and canisters
Dirty RO/DI water
Too many fish
Undersized scrubber
Undersized skimmer
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBillyV http:///t/391049/common-causes-of-persistantly-high-nitrates#post_3466067
Could someone elaborate on the concept of Septic Sand?
I suspect my sand may be causing a problem, I try not to touch it (ammonia spike) but it doesn't look all that chean. Any suggestions?
Sand should be "moved" by the critters in the tank, if it too deep and not moved the poop, food organic whatevers gets trapped in it and rots. Then if you move a rock or start messing with the tank...it causes problems. To prevent this, get nassarius snails or a cucumber. They like to dig thru the sand and bury themselves. That moves the sand so it does not become septic.
Snake..you forgot one...bad API tast kits. They read super high nitrates when there are no problems at all.
Originally Posted by NJBillyV http:///t/391049/common-causes-of-persistantly-high-nitrates#post_3466067
Could someone elaborate on the concept of Septic Sand?
I suspect my sand may be causing a problem, I try not to touch it (ammonia spike) but it doesn't look all that chean. Any suggestions?
Sand should be "moved" by the critters in the tank, if it too deep and not moved the poop, food organic whatevers gets trapped in it and rots. Then if you move a rock or start messing with the tank...it causes problems. To prevent this, get nassarius snails or a cucumber. They like to dig thru the sand and bury themselves. That moves the sand so it does not become septic.
Snake..you forgot one...bad API tast kits. They read super high nitrates when there are no problems at all.
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
and the number one cause of nitrates:
not enough nitrate consumers.
With sufficient macro algaes (in a refugium) nitrates will remain at low to no levels regardless of what else it done in the tank.
and:
Consume phosphates
lower carbon dioxide
add oxygen
filtering out nasties like copper for export by harvesting.
provide pods for fish.
still just my .02
not enough nitrate consumers.
With sufficient macro algaes (in a refugium) nitrates will remain at low to no levels regardless of what else it done in the tank.
and:
Consume phosphates
lower carbon dioxide
add oxygen
filtering out nasties like copper for export by harvesting.
provide pods for fish.
still just my .02
mr. limpid
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391049/common-causes-of-persistantly-high-nitrates#post_3466050
Septic sand
Septic rock
Excessive detritus
Inadequate filtration
Bioballs This is uncalled for, LOL leave my bioballs alone. No turn that around you should maintenance your bioballs
Dirty sponges and canisters
Dirty RO/DI water
Too many fish
Undersized scrubber
Undersized skimmer
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Flower is right. A sand bed needs to be maintained. Cuc and livestock though can not completely clean all areas of the sand. Therefore you must maintain it manually at one point or another.
Limpid, most aquarists think Bioballs are set and forget. You are right, I should have elaborated.
Limpid, most aquarists think Bioballs are set and forget. You are right, I should have elaborated.
acrylic51
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391049/common-causes-of-persistantly-high-nitrates#post_3466117
Flower is right. A sand bed needs to be maintained. Cuc and livestock though can not completely clean all areas of the sand. Therefore you must maintain it manually at one point or another.
Limpid, most aquarists think Bioballs are set and forget. You are right, I should have elaborated.
Agree!!!! A CUC is not enought to maintenance a sandbed......
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391049/common-causes-of-persistantly-high-nitrates#post_3466117
Flower is right. A sand bed needs to be maintained. Cuc and livestock though can not completely clean all areas of the sand. Therefore you must maintain it manually at one point or another.
Limpid, most aquarists think Bioballs are set and forget. You are right, I should have elaborated.
Agree!!!! A CUC is not enought to maintenance a sandbed......
reefkprz
Active Member
lack of proper maintinence (covering everything from equipment to rocks and sand cuc etc)
overstocking
overfeeding
if there are excessive nitrates, something is not being maintained properly, or you're putting in more than it can handle. its a very general sort of answer but it covers pretty much all of it.
an even more general one size fits all answer is your nutrient import exceeds your nutrient export. lolz
generally I find most common problems are caused by lack of experience, things to yet be learned. some people dont know you can stir the top of your sand bed and blow your rocks out with a turkey baster at WC time to help remove detritus but eventually they learn it and their maintinence gets better. once you gain experience with a couple pieces of cheap crappy inefficient equipment you start saving for better equipment rather than running out and buying the cheapest on. once you get a feel for how much or little your fish need to eat there is less wasted food in the tank etc.
overstocking
overfeeding
if there are excessive nitrates, something is not being maintained properly, or you're putting in more than it can handle. its a very general sort of answer but it covers pretty much all of it.
an even more general one size fits all answer is your nutrient import exceeds your nutrient export. lolz
generally I find most common problems are caused by lack of experience, things to yet be learned. some people dont know you can stir the top of your sand bed and blow your rocks out with a turkey baster at WC time to help remove detritus but eventually they learn it and their maintinence gets better. once you gain experience with a couple pieces of cheap crappy inefficient equipment you start saving for better equipment rather than running out and buying the cheapest on. once you get a feel for how much or little your fish need to eat there is less wasted food in the tank etc.
slice
Active Member
Since this thread is in the "New Hobbyist" forum:
I think sometimes experienced hobbyist bring up these types of issues starting in the middle of the conversation instead of the beginning. Most of us understand where you are coming from, but those new to the hobby may not and may cause their thinking to lack fundamental understanding.
The responses I read here do not address the question of "common causes of persistently high nitrates".
Faulty or inadequate equipment, lack of nitrate consumers, etc do not cause nitrates. The responses here describe how we deal with nitrates, not any causes of nitrates, which was the question.
There are several method we use to either skim off organics before they convert into nitrates and/or export nitrates once they occur.
The cause of persistent nitrates is persistent life. Nitrate is an end product of metabolism. Deal with it.
Yeah, I'm being picky, perhaps the question should be reworded to something like "What are nitrate reduction/export best practices?"
-I'm working out my last week of my notice here, starting my new job next week....bored to death, otherwise I wouldn't have enough time on my hands to be so picky...
I think sometimes experienced hobbyist bring up these types of issues starting in the middle of the conversation instead of the beginning. Most of us understand where you are coming from, but those new to the hobby may not and may cause their thinking to lack fundamental understanding.
The responses I read here do not address the question of "common causes of persistently high nitrates".
Faulty or inadequate equipment, lack of nitrate consumers, etc do not cause nitrates. The responses here describe how we deal with nitrates, not any causes of nitrates, which was the question.
There are several method we use to either skim off organics before they convert into nitrates and/or export nitrates once they occur.
The cause of persistent nitrates is persistent life. Nitrate is an end product of metabolism. Deal with it.
Yeah, I'm being picky, perhaps the question should be reworded to something like "What are nitrate reduction/export best practices?"
-I'm working out my last week of my notice here, starting my new job next week....bored to death, otherwise I wouldn't have enough time on my hands to be so picky...
slice
Active Member
I would think that the system you describe with an appropriate sized refugium with plenty of macros should give you an average nitrate reading of 0.
Along with good husbandry of course...
My tank is heavily stocked with rambunctious fish, I tend to overfeed a bit and I haven't seen a detectable nitrate reading in about 1 1/2 years. BUT, I have a fuge with a crapton of chaeto.
My system's critters make plenty of nitrates, but it gets bound, then exported every week or two when I pull out handfuls of chaeto.
Along with good husbandry of course...
My tank is heavily stocked with rambunctious fish, I tend to overfeed a bit and I haven't seen a detectable nitrate reading in about 1 1/2 years. BUT, I have a fuge with a crapton of chaeto.
My system's critters make plenty of nitrates, but it gets bound, then exported every week or two when I pull out handfuls of chaeto.
bang guy
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBillyV http:///t/391049/common-causes-of-persistantly-high-nitrates#post_3466255
So then let me ask this...
What do you consider a realistic average nitrate level for a mature (7 years running) fully stocked tank (not overstocked) with the appropriate amount of LR, 1 1/2" live sand bed, good skimmer, and 10% weekly water changes?
I would think anything under 5ppm would be an acceptable level for a system like that.
Originally Posted by NJBillyV http:///t/391049/common-causes-of-persistantly-high-nitrates#post_3466255
So then let me ask this...
What do you consider a realistic average nitrate level for a mature (7 years running) fully stocked tank (not overstocked) with the appropriate amount of LR, 1 1/2" live sand bed, good skimmer, and 10% weekly water changes?
I would think anything under 5ppm would be an acceptable level for a system like that.