sharlagnew
Member
oh, my ph is 8.3 and my salinity is 1.023
Help!!!
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sharlagnew
Member
would getting a really goodfilter help keep my nitrates low?
ophiura
Active Member
Originally Posted by SharlagneW
would getting a really goodfilter help keep my nitrates low?
No. Nitrate is the end product of biological filtration in most tanks. In order to reduce it biologically, you need to add a deep sand bed (of marginal use in a small tank), more LR, or **a refugium for macroalgae**. The last option is a good one. Nitrate is a fertilizer and it is used by macroalgae in this refugium. The macro is "harvested" and removed, removing in effect nitrate with it.
But general filters will do nothing for nitrates...
A skimmer would help reduce nitrate levels because it removed organics before they enter the biological cycle. So proteins, lipids, etc are removed before breaking down.
Other than that, water changes are the primary means for reducing nitrates overall, the reducing FEEDING is also critical. Along the same lines can be the type of substrate you are using (crusched coral versus live sand). Crushed coral can contribute in some cases to higher nitrate levels if not properly siphoned, IMO.
Now nitrates are FAR less toxic than either ammonia or nitrite, so while even low levels of ammonia and nitrite are a severe stress, nitrate levels actually need to get quite high to become a problem for fish. I've seen nitrate levels near 200 with no apparent problems for fish.
It is possible that the fish was just ill from the store.
would getting a really goodfilter help keep my nitrates low?
No. Nitrate is the end product of biological filtration in most tanks. In order to reduce it biologically, you need to add a deep sand bed (of marginal use in a small tank), more LR, or **a refugium for macroalgae**. The last option is a good one. Nitrate is a fertilizer and it is used by macroalgae in this refugium. The macro is "harvested" and removed, removing in effect nitrate with it.
But general filters will do nothing for nitrates...
A skimmer would help reduce nitrate levels because it removed organics before they enter the biological cycle. So proteins, lipids, etc are removed before breaking down.
Other than that, water changes are the primary means for reducing nitrates overall, the reducing FEEDING is also critical. Along the same lines can be the type of substrate you are using (crusched coral versus live sand). Crushed coral can contribute in some cases to higher nitrate levels if not properly siphoned, IMO.
Now nitrates are FAR less toxic than either ammonia or nitrite, so while even low levels of ammonia and nitrite are a severe stress, nitrate levels actually need to get quite high to become a problem for fish. I've seen nitrate levels near 200 with no apparent problems for fish.
It is possible that the fish was just ill from the store.
sharlagnew
Member
so should i get my water tested, do some water changes and try again? I'm scared of killing another fish :notsure:
houndhome1
Member
I read that u have done several water changes. Heres something to check. many locations have city water or have mineral deposits from well water. We found that our tap water had a high ammonia and nitrite count wwhen tested. We were making numerous water changes and just putting bad water back in. We use a product called Amonquil that balances out the tap water prior to doing the water changes. Just a thought.
ophiura
Active Member
I agree. I would use RO water from the store. No additive will remove all the impurities in tap water. And many of them can really mess up test readings if they have some sort of "ammonia detoxifier" etc. RO (RO/DI) water is best, for any tank.
Several hang on back options would work for a skimmer, and probably eliminate the need for the hang on filter. Just the skimmer and some powerheads, along with LR, would do the trick. For more specifics on care of these small tanks, however, I would suggest the nano forum. You can do frequent small water changes to offset the need for a skimmer as well.
Several hang on back options would work for a skimmer, and probably eliminate the need for the hang on filter. Just the skimmer and some powerheads, along with LR, would do the trick. For more specifics on care of these small tanks, however, I would suggest the nano forum. You can do frequent small water changes to offset the need for a skimmer as well.
