Media Questions- Nitrate Problems, and Bio Pellet Reactors or Nitro Sponge?

[foxandhound]

What media do you put in a pouch in your sump to help lower nitrates? Someone gave me a sample of Kent Marine Nitrogen Sponge Pebbles. Can I just rinse this and put this in a mesh bag and place it in my sump or is there a better product/method? I am asking because someone told me that these are just small rocks (not chemically altered) that promote more surface area for bacteria to breed- true or false? I thought they were chemically treated?
My nitrates are intermediate and my LFS tells me that I shouldnt do weekly water changes since my tank is still cycling? (My tank was purchased used 3 months ago. It was fully set-up, with live rock, few corals and fish. We moved it into our home, replaced sandbed and cleaned it intensely).
What do you guys think of Bulk Reef's Bio Pellet reactor and Bio Pellets????
Lastly, what media are you using in your sump? I see some people using carbon, GFO, etc??? That's all foreign to me. I have a sump, eshopps skimmer, phosphate reactor with phosban and that's it.
Thank you so much!!!!

 

[mr. limpid]

Quote:
Originally Posted by FoxandHound http:///t/389986/media-questions-nitrate-problems-and-bio-pellet-reactors-or-nitro-sponge#post_3450484
What media do you put in a pouch in your sump to help lower nitrates? Someone gave me a sample of Kent Marine Nitrogen Sponge Pebbles. never used them i would just read the manufacture information Can I just rinse this and put this in a mesh bag and place it in my sump or is there a better product/method? I am asking because someone told me that these are just small rocks (not chemically altered) that promote more surface area for bacteria to breed- true or false? I thought they were chemically treated?
My nitrates are intermediate and my LFS tells me that I shouldnt do weekly water changes since my tank is still cycling? I agree (My tank was purchased used 3 months ago. It was fully set-up, with live rock, few corals and fish. We moved it into our home, replaced sandbed and cleaned it intensely). prob. the reason for high nitrates, what are the levels? It should balance out in a few months.
What do you guys think of Bulk Reef's Bio Pellet reactor and Bio Pellets???? never used them
Lastly, what media are you using in your sump? live rock and bio balls I see some people using carbon, GFO, etc??? once a month I run carbon for a week That's all foreign to me. I have a sump, eshopps skimmer, phosphate reactor with phosban and that's it.
Also to help with nitrates you add micro algae to your sump or a algae scrubber.
Thank you so much!!!!

 

[travelerjp98]

I wouldnt worry about nitrate until your tank is cycled....

 

[foxandhound]

Thanks guys, im just kinda freaking out about it. I have had the tank for 3-4 months now? The live rock was several years old and everything was just moved from one location to another. I figured it should cycle sooner than this, right?
I am dealing with nitrates in the 40ppm range. I think my filtration system needs upgrading.I have a smallish, maybe 15g wet/dry filter. I thought it was a sump. I kinda took more time to figure out that it is a pretty ol method of filtration. I am doing 20 gal water changes every 10 days or so to fight nitrates. I have a 75g tank.
I keep reading that I should toss the bio balls and get a refugium sump going. I am thinking it might be time.
I found the Eshopps ADV100 model.
Anyone think this can be used without bio balls?
What kind of light needs to be used with this for the back refugium??? I think the refugium is on the other side of the back black wall.
Where the heck does everything go in here?
I have a HOB Phosphate reactor, an in-sump protein skimmer, and an in-sump bioball reactor. Do all those go in the same compartment?

 

[reefkprz]

the easiest way to eliminate nitrates is to eliminate the source, the hard part is finding the source. some of the usual suspects are overfeeding, and detritus (if you just moved the tank you definitely stirred up a lot of that), dirty filter media, try washing your bioballs in old tank water at your next water change to loosen and remove any detritus trapped in them. ample water changes will help, but only if you can curb the influx. I am not a big fan of reactive media's for nitrate removal since your system rely's on the media to be working when it expires or becomes saturated you suddenly have a problem again.

 

[1guydude]

+1 on cleanin those bioballs.... maybe replace with some rubble LR that u can blow off every now and again?!?!
I dont use any kind of media like that either. E.g. phosban and purigen... im sure theres others.
Maybe get a new nitrate test and double check its not ur kit!?!?
just my thoughts.

 

[xcali1985]

I can only imagine what was in those rocks when you moved them. Also it's not to often that people are able to reach the sand behind there rocks to clean. I would say you simply stirred up a lot of old detrius and now the tank just needs time to settle back in. If the nitrates are very high, I don't see a problem with a water change.
When I moved my tanks and helped my buddy move tanks, we always took the rocks and shook them in the tank then placed them into a bucket, then we would vacuum the sandbed as we siphoned the water out of the tank. Before we started we took out like 50% of the water to keep.

 

[1guydude]

Ya when i move a tank or transfer it, i usually take out about half the water and rock and put it in buckets... I constantly blow my rocks off with a turkey baster. Maybe the person that had it before didnt?

 

[1guydude]

Ya when i move a tank or transfer it, i usually take out about half the water and rock and put it in buckets... I constantly blow my rocks off with a turkey baster. Maybe the person that had it before didnt?