High nitrates...can't get them down at all.

[jester805]

Originally Posted by milomlo
I know you aren't suppose to clean them, but yesterday I did clean mine off and put them back in. Hopefully I already have enough beneficial bacteria on my rocks so that this doesn't affect anything. who knows????
You aren't supposed to clean the biowheels??? Not even rinse them off with cold water?? I've been rinsing mine every other month or so.
Johnny- I agree with you too. I would think that if the filter cartridge is catching the waste, then why not change it when it's dirty??

 

[jonnywater]

The biowheels are NOT supposed to be cleaned unless they completely stop all together. From what I have read anyways. Slowing and "stumbling" is just the beneficial bacteria growing larger on the bio wheels. If you wash them, they will start to spin quick again, however the denitrifying bacteria has most likely all been killed off in the process.
I tossed my pads for the filters this morning. Because I changed my outlook on certain things. Most people would WANT the breakdown of waste occuring on their live rock or sand bed. Also mechanical filtration i guess you can consider snails, hermits, stars, etc etc etc for. There really is only one question in my mind.....which one breaks it down quicker? Does it get broken down quicker via your animal life and LS LR, or does using filter pads get it done quicker? Because most tanks are already getting rid of ammonia and nitrite via the biological filtration. However I dont know if there is a natural bacteria that gets rid of nitrate. I would assume that someones LR and LS and animals already have enough to do breaking down the original waste. Who knows. I am going to try it without the pads for a bit then maybe go back. I just wish that someone made a mechanical filtration something or another that self cleans itself. In my tank the pads are completely covered with brown slime at the end of the week. Technically meaning that I would have to replace my pads three times a week.

 

[milomlo]

I hear ya on that self cleaning thing, same thing goes for that stinky skimmer - LOL
I know I am not suppose to clean the biowheels, but after reading about the build up of Nitrate I started to wonder. So I rinsed them off. Anyhow some folks don't even use filters. I think Bang is one of those (correct me if I am wrong). So apparently our filters aren't really necessary if you have enough LR and LS.

 

[jonnywater]

I would say that it depends on what size tank you have. If you have two percs in a 30 gallon as opposed to 150 gallon, the waste material and chemicals are going to be A LOT higher. I would almost think it would be nearly impossible for someone with a smaller tank to get by with no filtration at all. I put the pads back in because I realized two things. 1. That most skimmers are deeper and so are hang on filters. The bottom of the both usually does not have a lot of motion. So if the filter pads are not taking it out, you would figure it is collecting in the bottom of filter or the skimmer (both of mine have dark colored housings so I cant see - I know that I emptied one out though and there was about an inch of filth in the bottom of it). 2. The more the pads take out, the less your sand and LR are going to have to work as far as I am concerned. And you are not relying on something that is completely sustained by its own created bacteria.

 

[jds31788]

heres what ya do...go down to your nearest brackish river or sometimes u can find them at the beach.. theyre called mangroves.. they help tremendously with nitrites.. my lfs turned me on to this trick they actually want to buy the ones that i found.. u have to be gentle when u pull the out of the ground. try not to tear the roots.. when u get home rinse them off real good with warm water but again careful not to tear the roots. then stick them in the back of your filter wherever you have room. DONT get cought pulling up the ones with leaves on them i donno about where u live but here its illeagal.. u have to get them before they start sprouting leaves. like the one in the second pic. if u do no one can say anything to you plus they establish better..my trites were at like .28 or something just two days ago and now there down to about .20.. i think its worth a shot.. hope this helps