Nitrate reduction?

b-diddles

b-diddles

Member
Besides water changes, lowering the amount of food for the fish and a pre-water filter, does anyone know of any other ways to lower nitrates? I have heard of media that is nitrate absorbant and media pads that are nitrate ruducers. Any other ideas? Your answers are apreciated. Thank-you.
 
maryg

maryg

Member
Add some macroalgae to your tank or throw in a handfull of Chaeto and wedge it between some rock. Worked for me. Now I got a HOB fuge.

I made one out of a used HOB power filter for my 55 and I got a nice custom built one for my 90.
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
Natural ways of doing it would be more live rock, deep sand bed, tridacna clams, macro algae and even some types of corals will lower your nitrates. If you want to go another route you can look into a denitrator, but do your research before hand.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Live rock denitrification is more of an added bonus that you get with its introduction into your tank due to the growth of anaerobic bacteria deep with in the rock. The process of denitrification with live rock as the major method is rather slow and predicated on large amounts of rock. IMO seeking out a higher form of algae to handle your nitrates is a better way to go
 
keebler

keebler

Member
Originally Posted by B-DIDDLES
http:///forum/post/2852846
good feedback. anyone else? any other ideas? would like to have as many options as I can.
Turf algae filters are great, but just using cheato is probably the easiest thing you can do in your situation. More live rock will help, but cheato just makes your life easier imo. How bad are your trates?
 
b-diddles

b-diddles

Member
Originally Posted by Keebler
http:///forum/post/2852851
Turf algae filters are great, but just using cheato is probably the easiest thing you can do in your situation. More live rock will help, but cheato just makes your life easier imo. How bad are your trates?
I have been in this hoby since June and my tank cycled by mid aug. I have 50 lbs of live sand and 60 lbs of live rock. My amonia has been at 0 ppm and nitrate at 0 ppm since it has cycled. But, my nitrates have continued to escalade from 20 ppm, 40 ppm, 80 ppm over the 6 months. Currently it looks as if it is 60 ppm. I took replaced some water and added som cheato last night. There are just a few things for this I guess.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by B-DIDDLES
http:///forum/post/2853483
I have been in this hoby since June and my tank cycled by mid aug. I have 50 lbs of live sand and 60 lbs of live rock. My amonia has been at 0 ppm and nitrate at 0 ppm since it has cycled. But, my nitrates have continued to escalade from 20 ppm, 40 ppm, 80 ppm over the 6 months. Currently it looks as if it is 60 ppm. I took replaced some water and added som cheato last night. There are just a few things for this I guess.
If going by your profile you still have a 55g with only two fish and such a new tank these are my thoughts and questions. You have nitrification going on but it is overwhelming your denitrification so i wonder is your anaerobic bacteria colony’s growing. Have your DT water tested at your LFS. What is your water supply are you using RO/DI or straight tap water? Check your test kit for accuracy. Adding Cheato will help but it’s not an instant fix. Is the Cheato just floating in your tank? How deep is your sand bed? That is where the major part of your denitrification will take place with out running a refug with a higher form of algae.
 
oliveoyl

oliveoyl

New Member
Hi,
You can buy some mangroves to put in your tank.They are plants that come from florida & warm places.This is what my husband did.It helps our 210 gal tank with our nitrates.And some other things to help balance it out.He knows about the tank better then I do.
 
srgvigil

srgvigil

Member
Originally Posted by B-DIDDLES
http:///forum/post/2853483
I have been in this hoby since June and my tank cycled by mid aug. I have 50 lbs of live sand and 60 lbs of live rock. My amonia has been at 0 ppm and nitrate at 0 ppm since it has cycled. But, my nitrates have continued to escalade from 20 ppm, 40 ppm, 80 ppm over the 6 months. Currently it looks as if it is 60 ppm. I took replaced some water and added som cheato last night. There are just a few things for this I guess.
Probably already answered but
Do you do any water changes?
Also are you still using gravel as a bed?
 
todj2002

todj2002

Member
Algae scrubber. also chaeto. i just ordered a ziplock bag full on that big auction site that ends in y. it is pretty cheap. hopefully with these two items my tank will prosper!

 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by TODJ2002
http:///forum/post/2854549
Algae scrubber. also chaeto. i just ordered a ziplock bag full on that big auction site that ends in y. it is pretty cheap. hopefully with these two items my tank will prosper!

IMO if you did your homework and understand the principles behind and maintenance of an algae scrubber (which I am sure you do) you will greatly benefit from its use
 
todj2002

todj2002

Member
yes i have definately done my homework. i have only had scrubber set up for a little over three weeks and have cleaned it twice. i just cleaned it for second time yesterday (or was it day before?) and i will check parameters this evening when i get home from work. i am sure i will not see any results yet, but i am hoping in another month along with the new chateo to see N below 10 ppm and P at 0. N has been right about 15 since i have recently put some effort into my tank, many water changes and installation of scrubber/sump. i also plan in getting some live sand and rock for sump. i hope these efforts will keep nitrates and phosphates down.
 
b-diddles

b-diddles

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2854446
If going by your profile you still have a 55g with only two fish and such a new tank these are my thoughts and questions. You have nitrification going on but it is overwhelming your denitrification so i wonder is your anaerobic bacteria colony’s growing. Have your DT water tested at your LFS. What is your water supply are you using RO/DI or straight tap water? Check your test kit for accuracy. Adding Cheato will help but it’s not an instant fix. Is the Cheato just floating in your tank? How deep is your sand bed? That is where the major part of your denitrification will take place with out running a refug with a higher form of algae.
I am using straight tap water for now. I have the cheato in the tank wedged. Sand bed is about 2 1/2 inches. Will have to test my home water to see whats up.
 
fish4rudy

fish4rudy

Member
I am no expert, however the fact that you are using tap water is alarming! It does not matter if it is city (municipal) water or wellwater. You might fix alot of your grief if you us r.o.-d.i. water. Best of luck.And I am not bashing you, just hate to see people ruin there systems...
 
b-diddles

b-diddles

Member
Originally Posted by FISH4RUDY
http:///forum/post/2855875
I am no expert, however the fact that you are using tap water is alarming! It does not matter if it is city (municipal) water or wellwater. You might fix alot of your grief if you us r.o.-d.i. water. Best of luck.And I am not bashing you, just hate to see people ruin there systems...
I am working on that. I wish I had a filtration system now. I am putting every dollar that my wife will let me in the tank. Which is quite a bit so far to date. to me that is.
 
ledzep fan

ledzep fan

Active Member
A method that I have found really useful is to dose sugar. Thats right, pure sugar. Let me explain, I have had a 120 gallon tank for about 5 years. Everything was going good, but when I wanted to try to add anything new to the tank, it would not make it past a week. When I tested the water, the problem was nitrates, they were so high, I couldn't match them to the chart you get with the test kit...I began doing water changes in attempt to rid my tank of the excess nitrates. After about a month of doing water changes, I still found no change in the amount of nitrates. I then turned to the internet to find some solutions to my problem. One of them being dosing sugar. After about 2 weeks, I went from high nitrates, to no nitrates. All the fish are more active and the nuisance alage that once controlled my tank, was gone.
Thats what I would recommend other than trying water changes. I put about half a teaspoon into a cup with some tank water, stir it up so that the sugar dissolves, and add directly into the tank.
HTH
~LedZep fan
 
zshain012

zshain012

Member
Originally Posted by OliveOyl
http:///forum/post/2854461
Hi,
You can buy some mangroves to put in your tank.They are plants that come from florida & warm places.This is what my husband did.It helps our 210 gal tank with our nitrates.And some other things to help balance it out.He knows about the tank better then I do.
I heard mangroves can over power your tank and could break it over time literally
 
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