How Do I Lower My Nitrates?

[brokendeck]

My nitrates are at 12.5 as of right now when I tested my water. I was told doing water changes would lower my nitrates. Im done 2 water changes and my nitrates havent even changed. How do I lower them? Is there something else I can try? Any advice would help.

 

[premilove]

lets just hypothetically say you have a 100 gal tank. your nitrates are 40. if you do a 20% water change, 20% of your nitrates are going to be cleansed..keep doing so until your nitrates are gone..how often do you do your water changes?
unless you have a 5 gallon pico, i would not worry about 12.5 trate reading..
get some chaeto, reduce feeding, add to your CUC, get a sand sifting fish..

 

[brokendeck]

Originally Posted by premilove
http:///forum/post/3031353
lets just hypothetically say you have a 100 gal tank. your nitrates are 40. if you do a 20% water change, 20% of your nitrates are going to be cleansed..keep doing so until your nitrates are gone..how often do you do your water changes?
unless you have a 5 gallon pico, i would not worry about 12.5 trate reading..
get some chaeto, reduce feeding, add to your CUC, get a sand sifting fish..
I have a 75 gallon tank. I have chaeto in my sump. Would a sand sifting fish be a yellow watchmen goby?
As of right now im doing 20% water changes. So 15 gallons every few days. Ive done a water change twice in the last 6 days.
I have 15 snails, 15 hermits and a peppermint shrimp. What else would you add to my CUC? I dont really want shrimp bc im getting a wrasse that will eat them. lol

 

[premilove]

turbos! ditch the hermits, they will eventually kill your snails..what kind of snails do you have? get a fighting conch, sally lightfoot crab and a cleaner shrimp..
yeah a sand sifting fish would be any type of bottom dwelling goby..yellow watchmens, yasha hasha (i think i spelled that right) 4 wheel drive goby -pretty neat, long fin sleeper, harbour goby, banded goby, any of the shrimp gobies, tiger goby - pretty neat, and a spottail goby-i have one with a tiger pistol shrimp. i rarely see my goby do his job which pisses me off. hes spoiled, he knows when MHs are on, chances are hes getting some mysis.
pistol shrimp and goby combos are pretty neat, unless your tank is in your room. my tank is across my bed and i hear my shrimp snap his 9mm all night. it can be rather annoying when you have work/class the next morning..

 

[brokendeck]

We are gonna get 3 fighting conchs. We have alot of brown diatoms on our sand. I dont like the idea of the salley lightfoot eating small fish, so im gonna stay away from him. lol Cant have shrimp bc of the wrasse im gonna get.

 

[premilove]

what small fish are you planning to have? you have a rather big tank, the crab wont really attack the other fish. chances are he will stay in a cave, come out every now and then..it will def stay away from your anemones so your clowns will be ok..

 

[brokendeck]

Originally Posted by premilove
http:///forum/post/3031409
what small fish are you planning to have? you have a rather big tank, the crab wont really attack the other fish. chances are he will stay in a cave, come out every now and then..it will def stay away from your anemones so your clowns will be ok..
Well my clowns arent any bigger than an inch. Im also getting a blenny, goby, pj cards and a wrasse.

 

[premilove]

maaaaaaan nothing is going to happen except the possibility of that wrasse eating the sally lightfoot, even that seems out of whack. what kind of wrasse are you looking to get

 

[brokendeck]

We are getting a mystery wrasse