nitrates

shobby

shobby

Member
Just wondering, how can you figure out where the nitrates are coming from and how to stop them. Mine read between 5 and 10, but I have major hair algae, I have a refugium with bio balls, plants and rock. From my readings the algae is probably masking the true amount of nitrates so how doo I get to the bottom of the problem. I have already tested my water source, no nitrates. I use pellet food and flakes, two corals, four fish, 100 hermits, two conches, two urchins, snails, and a serpent star, and two sea anenomes. Any help would really be appreciated, I feed every couple of days, lights are on about nine hours. The rest of the tests are normal.
Thanks Shelley
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
If you stop feeding do a water change then test water quality and get a good number. You can then start feeding and see the next day or so that feeding made the nitrates go up. Do the same for phosphates and silicates. When you stop feeding you will need to let the tank cycle for some time so you know that all waste is done making nitrates.
I think it is coming from feeding those fish. You could cut back the feeding depending on the fish or add more bio-filtration like a remote sanded bed in a refugium or sell the fish.
 
shobby

shobby

Member
When you say stop feeding, change water and let it cycle, how long are we talking, two days, three? I have a 55 and I change nine gallons just about weekly, should I do that then stop feeding, even after the water change the nitrates are still the same. I have never changed enough water to drop the nitrates except when I do it like three days in a row.
Shelley
 
kspops

kspops

Member
Your first post mentioned Bioballs, Are they being rinsed in the discarded water to get the loose detritus out? That is one reason I went with just LRR and will put together a sand bed in my sump.
I have heard you should rinse about a third to half every water change. Hope it helps.
 
shobby

shobby

Member
I have live sand in the refugium, maybe half inch, should I add more sand in the refugium? I have cleaned them but not every water change, forgot to mention I do have a skimmer running also.
Shell
 
windlasher

windlasher

Member
Originally Posted by shobby
http:///forum/post/3192890
I have live sand in the refugium, maybe half inch, should I add more sand in the refugium? I have cleaned them but not every water change, forgot to mention I do have a skimmer running also.
Shell
1/2 inch is doing nothing for you. You need at least 4, but less than 6.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
Originally Posted by shobby
http:///forum/post/3192881
When you say stop feeding, change water and let it cycle, how long are we talking, two days, three? I have a 55 and I change nine gallons just about weekly, should I do that then stop feeding, even after the water change the nitrates are still the same. I have never changed enough water to drop the nitrates except when I do it like three days in a row.
Shelley
Yep, do some water changes to get your number down and test for 3-4 days the nitrate will hopefully level out or drop. This way when you start to feed you will know it is the feeding. You don’t need to do all this but it will definitely show that feeding fish adds to the waste even if the fish eat all the food.
 
shobby

shobby

Member
have chaeto, sea grapes and some kind of leafy plant.
A web site that I visited said you need at least two crabs per gallon of tank, tI have a 55 so that would be 100 right? Also, I have so much algae that I could not believe that they would starve, unles they don't eat algae.
Shell
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by shobby
http:///forum/post/3193453
have chaeto, sea grapes and some kind of leafy plant.
A web site that I visited said you need at least two crabs per gallon of tank, tI have a 55 so that would be 100 right? Also, I have so much algae that I could not believe that they would starve, unles they don't eat algae.
Shell

Would this website possibly be selling them?
 
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