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FAQs on Marine Water Quality involving Nitrate Reduction via Other
Biota Related Articles:
Nitrates in Marine Aquariums, Nitrites, Ammonia,
Establishing Cycling,
BioFiltration, Phosphate,
Silicates, Nutrient Control and
Export, Deep Sand Beds,
Related FAQs: Nitrates 1,
Nitrates 2, Nitrates 3,
Nitrates 4, Nitrates 5,
Nitrates 6, Nitrates 7,
Nitrates 8,
Nitrates 9, Nitrates 10,
Nitrates 11, & FAQs on: The
Actual Science Re: NO3 Compounds,
Importance, Measuring,
Sources, Means to reduce: NNR (Natural
Nitrate Reduction, Anaerobic Bacteria),
Algae, Physical Filters,
Chemical Filters... Nitrites, Ammonia,
Phosphate, Silicates,
Biological Filtration, Fluidized Beds,
Denitrification/Denitrifiers,
Bio-Balls, Wet-Dry Filters,
R.O./Distilled/Treated Water, Chemical
Filtrants, Deep
Sand Beds, |
Shortlist of Nitrate Absorbers/Users/Integrators... Some anaerobic
bacteria groups, bunch of thallophytes and some embryophytes, some
invertebrates: some protozoans and sponges, many cnidarians |
Nitrates:), reef maint. 7/31/08
Hi Bob/Guys
hope you are well, I have started reading your sight alot
<... no
such word>
of late and have found it great and informative reading,
but however has raised a few questions which I hope you can answer. My
set up consists of a 125G tank 30G sump, I have 55 Kilos of Fiji/Tongan
liverock ,
<What is going on with the grammar in this msg.? Do you
run your writing through a grammar checker?>
Instant ocean 1200
skimmer in sump with a Deltec pump set up for ROWAphos, PolyFilters
etc,Deltec Kalk stirrer,wavebox set alternately powering 4 1000lph
powerheads
<Lots of gear>
My tank is just over 2 years old and
consists mainly of my favourite stony corals including
G.Stokesii,Branching Alviapora,Elegance,Frogspawn and Hammerhead
Euphyllia,several Caulastrea,one Acanthastrea and a lovely now softball
sized red Closed Brain. I also have several rapidly growing species of
Caribbean Gorgonians( strictly Photosynthetic ones of course). Fish
include a 5" Zebra Lion, 4" Sailfin Tang, Pair of Leopard Wrasse, pair
of Emperor Cardinals,3" Marin Beta. Now to my problem, well actually its
only been a problem since reading your site but pretty much from the
word go my Nitrate readings have been 30 ppm I do 12% water change per
week with r/o and test water weekly keeping a log of readings typically
1.024 salinity 430 calcium 1300 Magnesium 0 phosphate/nitrite/Ammonia KH
10,PH 8-8.3My nitrate has been 30 or sometimes slightly less for well
over a year even though I have added no fish or Coral in more than 16
months and to be honest the tank looks great. I understand from a fair
bit of research that quite a few stonies like more lagoon like nutrient
rich water,
<Relatively... yes... and the poritids you have need
such... the other Scleractinians fine with this>
the question is is
this why they all seem to be growing and happy or am I awaiting disaster
?
<... no worries>
Assuming disaster is around the corner I have
14 x12 x 10 space in my sump which I could either turn into a Mud refuge
I think I have read every faq on this site) or I could fit about another
15kilos of rock in the sump. So in short am I playing with fire with
nitrates and if so which is best use of the sump in your opinion. Thanks
for your forthcoming reply and your great work on this site.
<I
wouldn't "sweat" the NO3 concentration here... as all is/seems to be
functioning fine. Cheers, Bob Fenner> High
Nitrates
Hi Bob!
<Howdy>
I use your brilliant site a lot
and have a copy of your excellent book but I can't see anything relating
specifically to reducing high nitrate levels.
<I need to write, post
a definitive series of expository statements re the topic... for marine,
freshwater, pond... In the meanwhile, have been accumulating input and
archiving it in a couple of FAQs files:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/no3probfaqs.htm and the link at top>
Since
becoming the proud co-owner of a 75 gallon (98 US gallon) reef tank 6
months ago, things have been going quite well. The water levels are all
fine (ammonia 0, nitrites 0, phosphates 0, SG 0.123, pH 8.2, dKH 12,
calcium 400) except the nitrate level. No matter what we do, we just
can't seem to get it below 80ppm (I can see you thinking "yikes" as I
write!)
<Yes...>
After reading some info on your site we started
using PolyFilter alongside our other filtration methods (Eheim
biological filter, Eheim canister filter with activated carbon,
phosphate and nitrate medium, protein skimmer and UV sterilizer) but the
levels will not budge.
<Time for more action in the "opposite"
(denitrification) reaction series... Do read through the other links on
the FAQs file above... on the use of macro-algae, DSBs, denitrification,
live rock...>
The fish, corals and invertebrates all seem happy
enough and, in fact the Goniopora corals (yes, I know these are not a
good choice but did not find that out until after we bought them, having
consulted your site) appear to be thriving!
<Yes!!! This is their
"natural" setting... that is, they do appreciate higher soluble organic,
inorganic "fertilizer"... This is the principal reason most folks have
such dismal success in keeping "flower pot" corals... their systems are
"too clean".>
Is there anything you can recommend to help us reduce
the nitrate levels back to <10ppm?.
<All sorts... as stated above...
please follow the links, parts of the site listed as you read through
the various FAQs... a sump/refugium that is lighted, with macro-algae...
would be ideal... but/and there are other approaches to augmenting
uptake, biological denitrification that are worthwhile>
We have since
realized that we have overstocked somewhat and are working on getting a
200 (UK) gallon aquarium ASAP to alleviate this and I suspect this could
be contributing to the high nitrate levels.
<To an extent, yes>
I
won't list our entire livestock here as I don't want another "yikes" -
one is reprimand enough! :-)
<Yikes! Sorry.>
Meantime, I would be
very grateful of any assistance you could provide to reduce our nitrates
for the time being until we are able to get the new tank.
Keep up the
good work and thanks!
<Will endeavor/endeavour to do so.>
PS my
husband loves scuba diving too!
Lesley
<Brrrrr, hopefully in the
tropics, not just "off the coast"! Bob Fenner> High Nitrates,
Large Letters
I have a 55 gallon salt water tank fish only,
nitrate levels are at 140ppm. Running a small wet and dry filter,
protein skimmer, Eheim canister, 4lbs of carbon., 50% water changes
every four weeks and nitrates are still at high levels. Would adding
live sand and bio balls help?
<Yes to the live sand... no to
bioballs... Do consider more live rock, macro-algae, possibly adding a
refugium... maybe with a plenum there... increasing aeration, ditto
Redox by ozone, uv use... Take a read over the Nitrate area on the
www.wetwebmedia.com site>
Thanks Louis
I was not aware that caps
meant I was shouting sorry was not meant that way.
<Oh, and not to
worry. Not admonishing you (have mercy!), but the "shouting" term is
Net-parlance... Appreciate the re-keying... much easier to read. Bob
Fenner, the bleary-eyed pet-fish man> Live Rock, Nitrate
I am very new to saltwater tanks, and I have a few questions.
<Okay>
First off I have a acrylic hexagon tank (about 18 gallons) with one
porcupine puffer, about 4.5 inches long, and one blue damsel. The
porcupine puffer is a very messy eater and the damsel doesn't seem to
help much.
<Not "its" job>
Do you know of any small scavengers
that wouldn't be eaten by the porcupine puffer?
<Not really... in
this setting... the size, shape of the tank... are too limiting... it's
too small for the puffer alone in reality>
I have about 1.5 pounds of
live rock. I was wondering if it really does remove nitrate from the
water, and if you would recommend getting more live rock.
At what
nitrate level do you recommend doing a partial water change?
Thanks,
Ariel
<More live rock would help, and I would do regular water
changes (likely 20-25% every two weeks, with pre-made water... Please
read over the following parts of our website on water changes,
puffers...:http://wetwebmedia.com/diodontpuffers.htm,
http://wetwebmedia.com/water.htm
And live rock, nitrate FAQs...
Bob Fenner>
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