Nitrate Control without Water Changes

[ocellaris_keeper]

Does anyone know a way to control Nitrate levels without frequent water changes? I would like to develop as "closed" a system as possible.
Thanks!!
Brewski

 

[jacrmill]

live rock, deep live sand bed and protein skimming, and calurpa. also having a smaller bio-load will help. i went from having to do water changes every two weeks to not really having to do them at all when i added my protein skimmer. but i also have some LR. and im also carrying a small load for right now. ive also been persuaded by people on this board to do water changes anyway. i will probably do smaller ones once a month.

 

[flydan]

Hey,
Good advice! I would just add, watch that you don't overfeed your fish. That's the biggest cause of high nitrates. (Unless there is something dead in your tank too.) A good clean-up crew really is a must also.
Take care,
Dan'l

 

[jacksonpt]

yes... can't stress this enough... don't overfeed your fish!!! My reef hasn't had a nitrate problem yet, and I don't skim or use LS. only about 45lbs of LR and an undergravel filter running off of 2 powerheads - that's it.

 

[mr . salty]

I havn't done a water change since december.I have 4" of live sand,A 10gallon algae refugium,100+lbs of live rock,and a skimmer that is rated at almost three times the reccomended size for my 130FOWLR...Nitrates have not gone over 10ppm latly.And the tank has a medium to heavy fish load..Although I would NOT reccomend not doing water changes to anyone,,,It seems to be working for me...I also dose the tank weekly with coralvite to replace the trace elements...

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Thanks To all who responded. I was told by all the literature and the LPS to use crushed coral for my substrate - now I believe this is my problem. I will have to go out and get some sand. I currently have about 75lbs of live rock and only a few fish and tons of snails/hermits, so it must be the substrate.
Thanks!!
Brewski

 

[moy]

Hey got a question for yall??
1. what's CULPRA???
2. What's a ALGAE REFUGIUM??

 

[playtime]

Just because your nitrate is high doesn't necessarly mean it is your CC. I have crushed coral and my nitrates aren't high and havent been. I also only do water changes once each month and add coralvite daily. I have about 60 lbs of lr, 2 power heads, emperor 280, and protein skimmer. I feed every other day. How often are you feeding?
Playtime

 

[fender]

Unless you do heavy water changes, and do them very often, they are not a real effective way of eliminating Nitrates. Water changes primarily introduce new trace chemicals that get depleted by the orgranisms in the tank. I know some people will disagree but I have seen studies that show unless you do at least 25% water changes biweekly nitrates are not significantly reduced. Changing that much or more water is probably more stressful to the tank inhabitants and not worth the effort. Removing nitrate generating detrious(sp) will help but it is not the same thing.
Also the CC is not increasing the Nitrates, rather a DSB of fine sand will reduce them by giving a place for anaerobic bacteria to develope which will turn nitrates to nitrogen gas.

 

[johnnysalt]

Moy,
Start with a search on the net (and this board) for CAULERPA....not culpra. You'll find thousands of articles to get you thinking! A refugium is the area where the algae are kept (separate tank or sump) QUOTE: The refugium can also serve as an asylum for macro algae for those Aquarist that for one reason or another do not or can not keep plants in the main display aquarium. Ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, and heavy metals are food for plants and in most cases pollution or toxic to animals.
Happy searching!