reduce nitrates HELP

[b2o2b2]

I have a 45g fo w/o lr/ls a w/d and a 110 watt pc. Can not reduce the nitrate count below 50 have done multable water changes in the past mth even a 75% last weekend. Only 2 clowns who only eat 1 a day. Can some one help? The tank is 2'tall 3'wide and 1'deep,I have a rio 600 about 6'' from the bottom for cerkulation. All other counts are normal No Nitrites ph 8 Amonuia 0. I bought the tank and it was really dirty with one fish who had coli flower and passed. I have had it for 2mths and done multable water changes and changed the bottom substrate 2 crushed coral 1'' deep.HELP if you can PLEASE!!!!

 

[amphiprion]

I would think the wet/dry is the culprit causing your elevated nitrate levels. That is what they are designed to do - ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. You would now need something to export the nitrate from the tank. Here are some optins for lowering nitrates:
Water changes - more often than once a month which will help in the short term but the w/d just manufactures more.
You could grow some type of calurpa - green plants use nitrate.
You don't say how much live rock/live sand you have. A 4-5" deep sand bed and 1 1/2 lbs of live rock per gallon (45-60 lbs). After the sand bed establishes itself, it will lower your nitrate levels.
Do you have bio-balls in the wet/dry? When you do maintenance rinse them thoroughly in the old water from the water change - do not rinse in fresh water. Doing this will flush out excess debis.
Do you have a protein skimmer? If not consider getting one - it will remove debris/excess food particles before they can break down to nitrates.
If this is a fish only tank without any sensitive corals, 50ppm nitrate isn't all that bad.
HTH

 

[reefj13]

Your nitrates are high because there is very little anaerobic bacteria in your tank. Without lr/ls their are no areas in the tank that can house an airless environment, which is what the bacteria that break down nitrate neads to function. You say all you have are two clownfish. The nitrate will not harm them. I will also point out that wet dry filters supply bacteria with alot of air, so it can take care of both ammonia and nitrite, but has no area to take care of the nitrate. In some systems there is simply a glass floor for how low you can get your nitrates. If all the tank holds is a pair of clowns do not worry about the nitrates as long as they do not go too high and the only thing that will casue is a lot of ugly algae. So do not worry about the nitrate unless you decide to do coral and then you will have to get lr/ls to bring it down.

 

[justlooking]

if you get LS, and get 4 inch SB, is it bad to have a jawfish or to stir the top layers occasionally with your hand if you want to lower nitrates? MY lfs said if I get sand to get a very very thin layer.....no idea why

 

[reefj13]

Unless it is ls bacteria will turn the sand into one large block. In ls their are microorganisms that turn up the sand for you such as worms. Jawfish are also good as are sleeper gobies.