Not so mysterious nitrate mystery - 11/12/2005
Hello,
<Hello.>
I have nitrate problems! They are always 60ppm or more.
<Whew...for a minute there I thought you said...oh wait...YIKES!> 
If I do a water change the nitrates go down for a day?
<Are these large (extremely) water changes? If you're properly aging/storing the water, you'd be safe to do another the next day.>
This is my tank:
50gal saltwater
2 Fluval 304's (with bio-max, ChemiPure and nitrate sponge)
<Hopefully cleaned regularly.>
1 SeaClone protein skimmer
1 402 powerhead
crushed coral
<At what size/depth? Could be part of the problem. Do you vacuum this with the water changes?>
NO under gravel filter
NO live rocks
NO live sand
<Both are quite helpful. Do research them here.>
<<Um.. yeah, where do the nitrifying bacteria get to live?  MH>>
14" inch snowflake moray eel
2" humu trigger
Just 2 fish?
<Just two messy, high waste producing fish.>
However I just took 2 porcupine puffers out of the tank 1 week ago they both were 5 inches long" then I did a 50% water change. Still have the problem.
<Good grief man. This is a horrible stocking plan (for lack of a better word). 
<<Oh, please do emphasize this.  No WONDER you've got such a problem!  MH>>
Do take a read through the FAQs on this eel. Your skimmer is inadequate and your tank is undersized. I'm surprised you haven't had more problems than just water quality. - Josh>

Nitrates/coral  10/19/05
Hi team,
Can nitrates at about 20ppm cause coral to develop a fungus and die?
Thanks
    Mohamed
<Mmm, generally not... though, depending on what the underlying cause of nitrate accumulation is/are, this stress can/does contribute to lowered vitality, resistance. Bob Fenner>

High nitrates no bioballs 10/18/05
Hello, I hope you can explain this. I have a 125 gallon tank, about 150 lbs. of live rock, crushed coral substrate, a good working protein skimmer (SeaLife systems skimmer putting out about 1/2 cup per day). Mag drive 7 return pump, Rio 2500 skimmer pump, 2 802 power heads, and a custom sea-life UV. I just added a Hamilton VHO 320 watt system Super actinic and 1 actinic white. 
I started getting abnormally high readings of nitrate, with the AP master test kit. The test results were off the chart. I also used Reef lab test kit after noticing the reagents in the AF test kit were expired. The results with the newer test kit were almost zero ppm. The other reading are all good PH(8.3), nitrite(0),ammonia(0) and calcium levels are about 400 ppm. I went to my local pet store and purchased 1 torch coral and 1 hammer coral and a new test kit to replace the expired one. My new Reef Lab kit also reads a nitrate reading of about 250ppm.
<Doubtful>
I do monthly water changes of about 30 gallons.
<I'd do more frequent partial water changes...>
I use deionized water for changes and top offs and buffer PH. I vacuum my substrate with my water python. I have no bioballs in my wet dry and no filter pads over the sump. I only have 2 sponges in each of my overflow boxes and the foam block in the wet dry.
<Might try removing these>
I also rinse these of every 2 to 3 days. My livestock consists of 2 blue damsels and 1 freckled Hawkfish. I don't know why my nitrates are so high. Are my corals in danger?
<Maybe... but I think your readings are spurious>
My anemone, mushrooms, starfish and shrimp all seem fine. Any suggestions you may have would be appreciated. Thanks...
<Take the time to read over the test kit instructions, test some of the water at your dealers... Bob Fenner> 

Re: high nitrates no bioballs  10/19/05
Hello, It's me again. I did have my water tested at my local pet store. The results were the same extremely high nitrate.
<Hundreds of ppm? Strange>
I now am able to see green hair algae and some liverock and glass sides. I removed the bioballs a week ago and nitrates the were about 50ppm have increased significantly.
<...>
I am getting ready to do yet another large water change (about 50 gallons). Do you think this level of nitrate will drop as the tank adjusts to the removal of bio-ball?
<Please test your source/tap water, and the newly-made synthetic seawater... Are there terrestrial rocks in this system? Something is very wrong here>
or should I wash and replace the balls? I have never had nitrate problems like this and think taking the balls out might have been a mistake.
<Did you remove them over time? Not all at once? Not likely the plastic bio-media>
The hammer and torch coral as well as my anemone and stars all OK so far. I need some guidance on this. Calcium was raised to 400ppm. and PH is still at 8.3 and zero nitrite and ammonia. Thanks in advance for your help.
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm
and the linked Related FAQs files above... hopefully in the process some"thing" will become obvious in what you have, have done... and do send along the results of tests mentioned above. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Re: high nitrates no bioballs  10/20/05
I read through the articles posted. I think I know the problem. I use DI water for changes and top offs. I checked my cartridges and saw that they were totally spent. I did my last huge water change with polluted water. The cartridges are not that old. My town is also working on the water mains, and guess what? That is what fouled my DI filter early.
<Does happen>
A fishy smell is water in a laser is a tell tale sign of fouled resin. Well now I am going to add some Poly filters and Purigen in my tank for now, while my new DI cartridges arrive. Is it possible that all pollutants in the dirty filter made it to my tank?
<Yes>
I do use a 1 micron filter before the DI cart. I will let you know. By the way I did take all of the balls out at once (more bad advice from local fish guy). I thought my liverock could handle it. Thanks
<Interesting case... as you've found, there are instances in which (whatever the specific causes) high nitrate concentration is not (apparently very) deleterious. I do hope your filter media/cartridge switch-out does the trick here. Bob Fenner>

Re: nitrate problem solved for now 10/25/05
Hi, A short while ago I wrote about fouled DI resin and high nitrates. Well Bob was right, the test kit I was using measures high range and low range nitrate. I was reading the wrong side of the color indicator chart. 
My nitrate levels were really at less than 50ppm. I have performed numerous water changes of 30 percent and now my nitrates are down even further. I made a Denitrator coil to bring them down a bit further. I have a light bioload only 3 shrimp, 1 starfish 2 LPS corals and 3 small fish in my 125 gallon. "
Well here is my question. When should I see results in nitrate drop from this coil?
<weeks, months....dilution is always the solution to nitrate problems>
I know they have to cycle and can take weeks. I have a very slow drip just short of a stream coming out of it. Do you have any experience with these or heard of any good results from using these DIY denitrator coils. 
<have heard some success stories>
I know they are no substitute for replacing trace elements during regular water changes.
<agreed> 
I also wanted to ask about calcium levels. My level is at 450ppm and has been there for a few days. I was under the impression that it is absorbed rapidly.
<yes...by clams, LPS, SPS, etc> 
I am adding F.O.R.M and Kent's buffer once a week. My coralline algae is amazingly dark and purple. Thanks for your advice. 
<everything seems to be going fine, good luck, IanB>

Nitrate won't go away 10/18/05
Hey guys,
<Hey Alex>
I've read everything I could possibly read on your site about getting rid of Nitrates but I still can't get it below 80ppm.  I've done the following: (75 gallon marine tank by the way)
- Changed 80% of my Eheim filter media about 6 weeks ago
<<May need to be cleaned weekly... RMF>>
- 15 gallons changed weekly for the last 3 weeks (approx 5 gallons every other day) with RO water
- Introduce mangrove plant 
<Should help>
- Purchased PuraComplete (100 gallons worth) 
<Never heard of this> 
and introduced that over 1 week ago to attack any urine, proteins or copper 
<no copper in tank I hope. That would reduce beneficial bacteria aiding to your problem.> 
that does/may feed nitrate.  I am trying my hardest not to go with chemicals but I'm very close to giving up and doing it,
<I don't recommend chemicals, its just a Band-Aid, doesn't get rid of the root source.> 
if so, which should I use? I understand that using chemicals does not fix the problem it only holds it off temporarily. 
<Yes>
I fear that doing any larger water changes will be too much stress on my fish (there is currently only one hippo tang eating about a 4x6 inch sheet of dried seaweed every other day),
<That's a pretty big hunk of food for one tang. I probably wouldn't use that in a week.> 
so overfeeding or overcrowding is not an option for reasons of high nitrate, unless I have the worlds most waste producing hippo tang. 
<That 4x6 sheet has to go somewhere.> 
Is there a possibility that I have an extreme amount of waste sitting within my 55 pounds of live rock? 
<Its most helpful when doing water changes to vacuum the substrate. I'm sure its loaded with detritus, a big nitrate booster. If you haven't, you won't believe the color of the water in your bucket. I do mine weekly and the water is always brown.>
What should I do, introduce more mangrove plants? Get a second protein skimmer? Or will all this eventually catch up with the nitrate and just go away? 
<What brand skimmer are you using? May be inefficient. Adding a hang on refugium with macro algae aids much in reducing nitrates. How is algae on the live rock, minimal or at outbreak stages? >
Any help would be greatly appreciated. 
<I'd continue with weekly water changes at 10% which should be done on a regular basis to start with. Try a couple of units of Chemi-Pure. This works well for removing dissolved proteins also. I think your biggest problem is in your substrate....detritus. James (Salty Dog)> 

Nitrate won't go away 10/18/05
Thanks for the extra quick reply! 
<You're welcome>
I'm currently using a Prizm skimmer, I believe it's a 150, anyway, it's the smaller of the two available prism skimmers, was about $170 CDN. 
<Although the Prizms are effective, In my personal opinion they are not efficient enough for a tank your size. I use one on my 30 mini reef but would be hesitant about using it on a larger tank.>
My goal with my hippo tang it to keep him from having that collapsed stomach look and I've previously hand a yellow and purple tang and didn't feed them every other day like I do with my hippo and they had that weak looking thin stomach, but I will take your advice and tone it down. 
<Judge your feedings by the look of the stomach. You didn't mention how large the tang was.>
I haven't given my rocks a shake for a while now (by a while I mean a couple of months) I will definitely do that, I imagine you'll prove accurate in saying that there's a whack of gunk hiding in there. 
<Be more concerned with vacuuming the substrate you are using (sand/crushed coral).>
Any ideas or links on how to get a hang on refugium , I have never come across one, or perhaps how to make a home-made version? 
< www.premiumaquatics.com  sells the CPR brand which work rather well. Do a Google on our Wet Web Site, keyword DIY. I believe there is some info there. James (Salty Dog)> 

Found cheap base rock 10/9/05
Hi,
I bought a couple of hundred pounds of limestone base rock mined locally here in Florida. It looks great but is definitely heavier per volume, as expected. I know that this type of rook is not as porous as other types used. But I was wondering if there is anything to do to improve its filtration? I've heard of drilling holes to improve surface area but didn't think that this would help lower nitrate levels. I know that nitrate is removed by anaerobic bacteria, and that this requires areas of no oxygen. From what I understand actual live rock aids in the removal of nitrate, but will the type of rock I have be efficient in this manner?
<Mmm, not till "life" gets going in/on it>
And if not is there anything I can do to the rock to cause it to be more efficient?
Thanks
Brandon 
<Place it "loosely", with lots of space between the pieces, and place some real live rock about it (on top)... to inoculate the base rock... have time (months) go by... Bob Fenner>

RDP vs. DSB for NNR  9/24/05
Is there any research or literature that supports the following conjecture?
"In a refugium, a reverse daylight photoperiod (RDP) macroalgae culture will remove nitrates at a faster rate per square inch of surface area than an unlit deep sand bed (DSB)."
<Mmm, not as far as I'm aware... both phenomena (macro-algae, DSB) are general quanta, qualifications... how much of what would one use, measure?>
I want to research this because I am still deciding whether to build a RDP refugium with an upward current to suspend Chaetomorpha or an unlit refugium with baffles to support an oolitic DSB.  To reduce maintenance, I do not want the refugium to house both macroalgae and a DSB.
<I see... well, I would use both... but for experimental sake, you could utilize one, then the other, try to draw some conclusion/s re their comparative utility. Bob Fenner>

Re: RDP vs. DSB for NNR  9/25/05
Bob,
What's your "gut feel" for whether a DSB or a RDP macroalgae filter is more effective for natural nitrate reduction (NNR)?  
<Mmm, the macroalgae>
Suppose you have a refugium chamber with a 12" x 12" surface area and a 12" depth.  You have a choice of stocking it 6" deep with either oolitic sand or Chaetomorpha.  Twelve hours of lighting per day will be provided for the algae but the DSB will be kept dark.
Assume the DSB is already stocked with anaerobic bacteria.  In your experience which option will remove more nitrates?
Thanks,
Paul.
<The algae... for a few "extraneous" other beneficial, more steady reasons. Bob Fenner>

High Nitrate - 09/10/2005
Hello,
I have a 39Gal FO tank. Currently I have 1 Ocellaris Clown Fish, 1 Royal Gramma, 1 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, and about 10 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs. The tank has been running for 8 Months. I am having a Nitrate problem. My Ammonia is 0, my Nitrites are 0, but my Nitrates are very  
high ~100ppm (hard to tell with Aquarium Pharm. Test Kit).
<Yee-IKES!>
While am aware that some Nitrates are on for a FO tank, I would like to get them down some. Am surprised the Cleaner Shrimp is still with us.
<Me, too.  Err, also, just for the record, shrimp and crabs aren't fish [grin]....  Not quite fish-only!  Any chance you might add about a pound per gallon of live rock?>
I have a 1-1.5in live sand bed, a Prizm Protein Skimmer,
<Better than nothing, but I'd recommend considering a more efficient skimmer if you can.>
and a Biowheel 225 filter with the Biowheel removed (to try to slow down the buildup of Nitrates) all I have in the filter is the floss/carbon filter cartridge.
<See if you can find the sort of cartridge that you can remove the carbon from.  There are a couple available; though one is discontinued and hard to find, a newer company has just started producing one.>
I do approximately a 15G water change every 2 weeks or so, is there anything I should do differently or anything else I should do?
<Larger, more frequent water changes....  Daily, if necessary, to get the nitrate down some.  Ditch that carbon, and keep the mechanical media relatively clean.>
If I get some live rock will that help matters?
<Yes; very, very likely.>
I only have a standard 25W Fluorescent strip light will this be enough light for the live rock?
<Sure.  More is better; if you can upgrade lighting, do.  You may have significant algae problems with so little light.>
I don't plan on getting any corals or anything, alas my tank is a toasty 87-89 Degrees in the summer.
<Yikes!>
Well anything you can suggest I do differently or anything else I can do would be very helpful.
<Just as above....  And possibly consider a refugium, or a bit more light and some in-tank macroalgae like Chaetomorpha.>
Thanks
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

High Nitrate - II - 09/10/2005
Thanks for the help. Just to clarify why should I remove the carbon?  What exactly will that do for me?  
<Carbon loses its worth in a very short time in a marine tank, usually becomes worthless in a day or so.  Then it's just a detritus collector.>
Also I had a Current USA Power Compact light which from the day I bought it my algae was out of control, and since I decided I wasn't going to do a reef tank, I  
switched to a lower wattage light. I assumed that a lower wattage light would discourage algae growth, why do you say I brighter light would be better for algae?
<If you choose to add live rock and macroalgae, you'll want enough light to keep the macroalgae going, or algae that doesn't need the higher light will take over....  when adding live rock, there is always a great potential for adding undesirable algae, so you'd undoubtedly go through some cycles of different algaes.  Having something there to help soak up the nitrates (again, I still recommend Chaetomorpha - it's like a nitrate-eating-Brillo-pad) before the "bad" algae can will definately help.>
Thanks
<Lots of options available to you!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

High Nitrate - III - 09/11/2005
Thanks again just one more question? You said get a more efficient protein skimmer.
<If you can, yes.  Though anything is better than nothing.>
What protein skimmer would you recommend besides the Prizm?
<My personal preference is an Aqua-C or a Euro Reef, but I understand Turboflotors are great, as well.  An Aqua-C is probably going to be the least pricey of these options.>
Am kinda on a budget :)
<With skimmers, you really do get what you pay for!  Any of the skimmers listed are going to set you back quite a bit.  Try checking Reefcentral's forum of classified ads and eBay for used products, as this will save you some bucks for sure.  And again, something is better than nothing, so if price is a major obstacle, keep that Prizm going until you can save the cash for something better.>
Thanks again.
<Sure thing.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Nitrates a palooza!  9/1/05
Hello how are you doing. I have a 75 gallon salt water aquarium with Volitans lion, porcupine puffer, tomato clown and blue spot puffer.
<Too much...>
I have a pro clear sump with UV light on return to tank, a red sea Berlin protein skimmer and 750 gph pump returning water from sump. I have had tank going for 5 years and nitrates always have been 20 ppm. I checked nitrates Monday 8-29 and nitrates were 10 ppm. I checked nitrates Wednesday and they are 160 ppm.
<Yikes!>
I don't know what happened.
<Your tank, substrate "got old">
Everything is the same in tank nothing new. I did 40 percent water change Wednesday night. do you have any suggestions. The ammonia is 0 ppm, the ph is 8.2 and the nitrites are 0 ppm. Great web site . thanks Joe t
<Need to change out part, add to your hard materials... gravel, rock in the tank... every year... Capitalize the beginning of sentences, companies, products, your name... Bob Fenner>

BioWheel removal... nitrates 9/1/05
Thank you so much for all your help. One of your comments spurred a new question. You said "Sounds okay for this particular system. Removing the "bio-wheel" will help with nitrate issues a bit"  Do you mean removing the Bio-wheel system or just the rotating paper wheels?  How will that help with the nitrates?  
<Hi again Judson! Remove the bio-wheel, do a search on the nitrification process. The bio-wheel/wet-dry has no way of 'eating-up' nitrates. It converts ammonia/nitrites to nitrates which will continue to build up. Focus on using your liverock, sand, skimmer and water circulation as your main source of keeping your water clean. - Ali>

Anorexic Anaerobic Bacteria  8/27/05
Dear Crew:
<Paul>
Six months ago, I started a 75-gallon reef aquarium with an inline 29-gallon refuge sump.  My plan for natural nitrate reduction (NNR) was to reduce nitrates to nitrogen gas by cultivating anaerobic bacteria with a deep sand bed (DSB) and live rock.
<Okay>
During the first 5 months of this aquarium, I performed 25% water changes every week to keep the nitrate levels under control.  I want to be able to reduce my need for water changes with NNR but this does not appear to be happening. Last month, I decided to wait 4 weeks before changing the water.
While the ammonia and nitrite levels remained near zero, I found that my nitrate levels had climbed to between 25 and 50 ppm per the Salifert Nitrate Test.
<High>
I can add macroalgae to my refuge sump for nitrate export but I'd rather do that as a last resort.
<Why?>
Currently, my refugium is only used for water changes and houses an Iwaki MD30 pump, a Jager heater, an Ice Cap fan, and a Remora protein skimmer with carbon filtration.
I need your advice on what I must do to achieve NNR with a DSB and LR in the main tank.  The DSB is 4" deep on average and contains sugar-fine oolitic Pure Caribbean Aragonite from Petroglyph.   While it is full of bubbles when viewed from the side and contains feather dusters, I see no bubbles on the surface of the DSB.  Most of the main tank's volume is occupied by live rock covered with purple coralline algae and Pachyclavularia violacea but no observable bubbles.  The tank has a generous 10x water flow and 300 watts of DE-halide illumination with fluorescent supplements.
Everything else in the tank seems to be thriving:
1 Condylactis anemone (left end of tank)
1 Ritteri anemone (right end of tank)
2 Green Fiji Trees
Discosoma mushrooms
Rhodactis mushrooms
Pachyclavularia violacea
Palythoa
Assorted button polyps
Halimeda algae
1 Maroon Clown
1 Flame Hawkfish
10 Blue Devil Damsels
10 Pajama Cardinals
Asteroidea sand-sifting starfish
Turbo snails
Hermit crab cleanup crew
(1) What more must I do to cultivate the anaerobic bacteria needed to reduce nitrates to nitrogen gas?
<Perhaps add a couple more inches of substrate... I would>
(2) Are there nitrate-reducing anaerobic bacteria cultures that I can buy?
<Mmm, unnecessary>
(3) Has anyone succeeded in NNR with a DSB and LR in the main tank without macroalgae and frequent water changes?
<Yes>
My anaerobic bacteria are anorexic!
<Heeee! Do consider removing some/all of the LR from the refugium, adding macroalgae and a reverse daylight photoperiod there. Bob Fenner>
-Paul.

Re: Anorexic Anaerobic Bacteria 8/28/05
Bob,
<Paul>
I appreciate your reply and wish to pose some follow-up questions if I may.
<Make it so! (Pulls down his tunic)>
You appear to be suggesting that oolitic deep sand beds (DSB) are more effective in natural nitrate reduction (NNR) than live rocks (LR).
<In general they are>
(1) Is this confirmed by published research?
<Mmm, yes... a cursory search of pet-fish literature... by Bob Goeman's, J. Charley Delbeek, Ron Shimek... maybe Stephen Spotte, Martin Moe will likely show>
(2) How do LR's compare with DSB's in ammonia & nitrite reduction?
<In established settings, about the same... Initially the rock is more "active", important... per weight, volume... but with time, the DSB>
(3) Does the type of LR matter (Florida versus Fiji)?
<Oh yes... in general, Pacific "rock" is much more "full of holes" than tropical West Atlantic types... much more useful in terms of "biological filtration">
Currently, the size of my DSB is restricted only by the large amount of LR in the aquarium.  I can remove live rocks to increase the size of my DSB.  Is this how NNR is accomplished without algal filtration?
<One way>
To answer your earlier question, I do not want to add macroalgae to my refugium because of my bad luck in ordering it.  My order of Gracilaria parvispora from Hawaii arrived with Aiptasia.  My order of Chaetomorpha from the East Coast arrived with Caulerpa.  Unfortunately, there are no local fish stores in my corner of Colorado.
<Mmm, I'd look around... local fish club/s or the Net... and get some small bit of "pure" culture from a fellow hobbyist... Or have you tried Inland Aquatics, Terre Haute, IN? Morgan Lidster has a mighty fine reputation...>
  My refugium cannot accommodate another DSB because I designed it to provide an upward current to suspend macroalgae.  I want to make NNR work with LR and DSB in the main tank and would appreciate your suggestions.
<Can be done... though am a big/ger fan of DSB's being remoted, outside of main/display tanks>
Thanks very much.  I very much appreciate your forum and I think that is greatly advancing marine husbandry.
<Wowzah!>
Best regards,
Paul.
<Bob Fenner>

DSB (and nitrates) Question 8/18/05
Good Morning Crew!
<Andrew>
I've got a question, which might not have a simple answer (What does in this hobby? ).....
<Don't know... and am afraid to expand on...>
My question lies in the necessary size of a remote DSB in relation to the "primary" tank for Nitrate control.  I've read every (And there are a LOT) query regarding DSBs on this board, and the info in the Reef Inverts book by Anthony, and Bob, but I'm still not sure I've gotten what I'm looking for. I'm in the process of moving my tank, and will be setting up a 72G bowfront tank, with a 20G sump, and (roughly) a 4.5G HOB CPR Aquafuge for Pod production/Macroalgae. If I don't go nuts on stocking levels, would a 5-6" DSB in the Sump (Probably 2/3's DSB, partitioned for water inlet from tank, and the Eheim 1260 return pump) and Refuge be able to control my Nitrates at or very close to Zero?
<Mmm, will definitely help... only practice can tell how much>
If you need any further information regarding additional circulation, filtration, etc, let me know.  I just hesitate to add the DSB to the display tank as a 72G primary Aquarium isn't particularly huge, and I'm not very fond of the 5-6" sand bed look,
<Me neither...>
but if it's necessary, function will prevail over form.
I realize a lot has to do with maintenance, stocking levels, etc. but is there an effective "rule-of-thumb" ratio of Nitrate-consuming sump/'fuge size to aquarium size?
<Not as far as I'm aware, or concerned... the bigger the better... but no minimum, matching value... Just too many other factors to place in a string of variables in such an equation... foods, feeding, lighting... chemistry... temperature...>
(I have this really bad feeling you're going to say there are too many variables to tell)
<Heeeee! It may well be time for you to join our Crew, start answering queries...>
I'd just prefer to add the DSB from scratch, instead of stressing the heck out of the livestock by adding it later should it not be adequate.
<Will be fine... I say, go ahead!>
Thanks for your help with the question,  and for the amazing amount of help and information you provide!
-Andy
<Glad to share. Bob Fenner>

Skimmer for 29 gallon reef/fish tank- nitrates 8/17/05
Great Website. <Thank you> I just started my first reef/fish tank about 6 months ago. <Great> Currently I use a Skilter 250 on a 29 gallon tank.<mmmmmmmmmmmmm> I have about 35lbs of live rock, live sand, 130 watt power compact lights. I have a tomato clown, blackcap Basslet, torch coral, button polyps, open brain, carpet anemone, blood shrimp. Everyone is doing well. I do weekly water changes of 5 gallons.<Good> Recently my Nitrates have gone up (past two weeks). Currently are at about 20, previously always b/w 5-10. Algae has also been an issue.  All other parameters are fine. I do not feel that the Skilter 250 does an adequate skimming job. <It's not>I have decided to switch to A Bak-Pak 2R. I also have a PowerSweep powerhead. My question is can I use the Bak-Pak and powerhead only- or do I need additional filtration. I'd rather not use the Skilter at all if possible.  <Anthony, with the live rock present, I think you would be fine with just the Bak pak and power heads.  I would like to see a total flow rate of 300gph in your tank.  Keep in mind for skimmers to be effective, they must be cleaned weekly.>
Thank you ahead of time for your help. <You're welcome, James (Salty Dog)>
-Anthony

Re: skimmer for 29 gallon reef/fish tank- nitrates rising 8/20/05
Thank you for your quick response. I realize small systems like mine are not advisable. However, I have started it up and everyone is doing OK right now. At this point, I want to create the best system for my livestock since I did not start exactly right (Skilter 250). My nitrates are at about or slightly below 20. This concerns me b/c I have always kept them b/w 5-10 at most. I want to be proactive. With the Bak-Pak 2R and the power head of 160gph would it benefit my system to run the Skilter also?
<Yes>
Would a bio-wheel filter be advisable? I had heard that bio filtration could actually bring up nitrates.
<Can... but I would use, run this, these with Marineland's products unless the side-issues you hint at became real issues>
Or is it best for me to depend on the liverock, powerhead, and protein skimmer? Is there something else that I have not mentioned that would be more beneficial?
<... there is much to discuss here... and conditional on what you know... aren't aware of yet... which I/we have little opportunity to assess... Hence the articles, FAQs files that are WWM>
Also, at this point I was planning on increasing my water changes to 5 gallons (out of 29 gallon system) to every five days or so until the nitrates come back down (was doing 5 gallons every week). Is this OK? Should I do more?
<Up to you, but more volume, and more frequency is what I would do as well as implementing contravening methods... Refugium/s, macro-algae, DSB/s...>
Thank you again for your advice. I love this website. Very helpful and informative.
-Anthony
<Glad to share. Bob Fenner>

High nitrates with a wet-dry? Of course! - 8/13/05  
Hi there,  
<Howdy, Ali here>
  I have enjoyed your website and reading through all the advice. I've told everybody even the LFS. But despite all the reading I wanted to see if  you can help me with my situation.
<Sure>
I have: 29gal. mini reef 30"x12"x18", approx. 52 lbs. Live rock, 30lbs.  live sand,  Coralife PC one 65watt 10,000K daylight and one 65watt  actinic, ProClear Aquatic System 125 wet/dry with 266 Bioballs in Biotower, CA  2200 return pump at 685gph, Aqualine motorized protein skimmer in sump. Two  Lifetech powerheads 295gph each on timer one for 6hrs in one direction then the  other in
opposite direction for 6hrs and so on.
<I'd keep your powerheads on simultaneously and take them off of the wavemaker device.>
Adding Kent marine's Essential Elements, Tech-I, and Purple-up according to directions on each bottle.
<All are unnecessary. A good two-part calcium/alk. supplement would be all you truely need. Bi-ionic or C-Balance, do a search on these.>
temp. avg 78,  LFS tested water parameters and all was where it  should be except for NITRATES >200ppm said one LFS. So I was told to do a  water change and I did a 30% water change. Next day LFS tested water and  this time Nitrates where at about 40ppm. Did another 30% water change and I  tested my water for nitrates and still high>40ppm. I was also told to siphon  the sand which I
did before the water change. LFS said that it could be the  Bioball sand advised to take some out but you guys have said to remove them  all out slowly and replace with LR.
<Unfortunately my friend, you have been receiving bad advice from your LFS. This is not uncommon so please don't feel singled out.>
Livestock: 1 Pair of (not mated) Gold Stripe maroon clownfish one  is 1.5" the other approx 3",
<Not a good choice for this size tank. A healthy pair of clownfish do make for a really pretty, calming yet humorous display. Unfortunately, the maroons not only get big - but very aggressive. Look into a pair of A. percula, A. ocellaris or some neat skunks.>
1 diamond watch goby, 2 Brown colored BTA purchased together because both were and still are occupying the same rock so I bought the rock and the Anemones. Clowns have gone into anemone and enjoy it. 1 blood shrimp. I have read the articles and seen the FAQs but concerned for my tank crashing with the high nitrates.
<Unless you enjoy doing daily water changes, remove the wet-dry system ASAP. Look into doing a tank renovation, with a 3" fine grade aragonite sandbed layer (CaribSea Aragamax Select works perfect for this, and given your tank dimensions 1 x 30 pound bag should get the job done.) Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/reef2.htm  >  
I have read about turning the wet/dry to a sump Refu. but not sure how to do it with the DSB and the pump in there as well as where to place the live rocks with this kind of "generic" or  "standard" wet/dry? And how do I position the light for the LR and the  DSB in the wet/dry because at the top of the Bio tower is where the water  from the tank comes in?
<With a little creativity, you can make all this work Felix. If that is not possible, consider removing the entire wet-dry filter unit and purchasing a standard Berlin style sump or utilizing an empty aquarium.>
If I make a DSB in the sump would I still need to siphon  that sand as well?
<No need to do this Felix>
Also the bottom of the wet/dry has white spots or fuzz  along the walls.
<These are harmless critters. Don't worry about them. :) >
Sorry about the length but I wanted to make sure I gave as much information as possible. Please let me know what my next course of action should be. If left  any missing info please let me know so I may provide it for you.
Thank you so much for your time and keep up the good work
thank you
Felix
<Good luck and make sure you read the provided links Felix, all of the set-up, filtration, sandbed, answers you are looking for are thoroughly explained. - Ali>

Goin' On A Hunger Strike - 08/11/2005
I have a 150 gallon marine tank.  My dwarf lion (D. zebra) has not eaten in a month (frozen krill).  
<Disturbing....>
Have tried many ghost shrimp, crab, shrimp, etc. to no avail.  My 8" snowflake eel seemed to be having trouble eating also and recently died.  
<A major concern....>
He did not seem thin and actually seemed swollen.  
<An excellent clue....>
My 5" porcupine puffer quit eating for 3 days but now is eating fine. frozen krill).  My powder blue tang and other herbivores seem to be unaffected.  No change in appetite or behavior.  The lion appears to try to suck in the food but cannot.  My water quality seems good.  
<Seeming good is not enough info....  Be certain ammonia and nitrite are ZERO, pH 8.3, salinity 1.021-1.024....>
But my nitrates are high.  
<Also of concern.  How high?  Above 20ppm can be an issue.>
I have done additional water changes (more than normal), I run a UV sterilizer, protein skimmer and do regular filter changes.  
<Try to find the source of your nitrates....  I would be concerned that the tank may be overstocked if you cannot keep nitrate down with reasonable water changes.>
No fish in the tank have bad fins, color or any abnormalities.  And there have been no recent illnesses or fish additions.  I would appreciate any suggestions.
<My first guess is purely environmental issues.  Get more water changes done, pronto, if anything is mildly amiss there.  Try feeding foods soaked in garlic extract to stimulate an appetite.  If still unsuccessful, you might want to consider the possibility of internal parasites....  the swollen eel, after having not eaten, may be an indicator, here.  Are any of the fish excreting long, clear-ish strands of poo?  You might consider offering a food medicated with Metronidazole or Praziquantel, or treat these fish in a quarantine tank with either of those in the water.>
Thanks.
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Nitrate Problem Please Help!!...Overstocked Tank - 08/02/05
Dear Crew,
<<Evening>>
Firstly I would like to say what a great job you all do on this site, a real wealth of information and help.
<<Thank you for this>>
I wonder if I could ask some assistance with a Nitrate problem I have.
<<Ask away...I'll try to help.>>
Firstly my setup:
100 Gall Minireef system
2 x 150 watt MH Lighting
1 x 38 watt Blue
100lbs Live Rock
Turboflotor Multi SE 1000 Skimmer
Temp 76 - 78
Nitrite 0 ppm
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrate 60 ppm <<Yowza!>>
PH 8.2 day 8.5 night <<?>>
2 x Aquaclear 5000 powerheads for flow 9000 Galls per hour
<<Mmmm...more like 2,000 I believe.>>
Corals :
1 x Sun
3 x Finger Leather
4 x single Ricordea
Red Mushrooms
Brown Mushrooms
3 x Star Polyps
1 Large & 1 Small Zoo colonies
1 x Xenia tree
Fish:
1 Regal Tang
1 Naso Tang
1 Yellow Tang
2 Firefish
1 Clown (Ocellaris)
1 Coral Beauty
5 Chromis
1 Pyjama Cardinal
2 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Peppermint Shrimp
10 Turbo Snails
25 Hermits
I have had a Nitrate problem with my tank for over 6 months now.
<<You're overstocked my friend.  The Naso and the Regal tangs both require larger tanks than this individually...much less together.>>
I am regimental with my water change routine. I have 3 x 4 gallon water bottles from the water coolers you see in offices.  I change 4 galls on Monday, Thursday, & Saturday and make up a fresh bottle of saltwater after each change which then sits being aerated for 7 days, so I always have 12 gallons of saltwater ageing at any one time.
<<very good>>
I use only RO water which is tested once every month and this shows no sign of any nitrate. ( I use Instant Ocean Salt)
<<good again>>
After spending hours looking through the FAQ's on Nitrate I came to the conclusion that my Trickle filter which is the OLD DLS type with a rotating spray bar, was my Nitrate Factory.
<<Possibility...these can have a tendency to trap detritus.>>
I also had a floss filter in the overflow, this is cleaned after each water change, but the main DLS filter was inaccessible.  So following the advice on the FAQ's about letting the live rock and skimmer do the work, out it came (And boy was it dirty) to be replaced with 15lbs Ocean Rock, hopefully this will become live rock with time.
<<Mmm...not really/never as good as the "real thing.">>
That was 3 days ago and I still have not seen any reduction in the Nitrate in the water, despite a 4 gall water change yesterday, and another one due Thursday.
<<You need to do larger water changes...typically 30%-50% of tank volume.>>
It also has to be said that Nitrite & Ammonia have remained stable at 0 ppm so the live rock must be doing the Biological bit.  Skimmer is producing around 40ml of dark brown, foul smelling goo each day, but that is about the same as it did before.
<<ok>>
Could any of you please shed any light on why I cannot get my Nitrates down.
<<Removal of the DLS material is a start...do a "couple" large water changes a few days apart and assess.>>
The fish are fed 1 2x3 inch strip of Nori daily and 1xcube of frozen food, I also feed the Sun Coral some Gamma Shrimp every other day by using a turkey baster, which obviously does not all go to the coral, the fish do steal some.
<<And love it I'm sure.>>
Any help would be greatly appreciated as this is really beginning to frustrate me, what am I doing wrong ???
<<You don't mention what type of substrate you have...make sure you're not also trapping detritus there...and do those LARGE water changes.>>
Best wishes
Robbie
<<Regards, EricR>>

Nitrate Problem Please Help!! (More Info) - 08/03/05
HI Eric
<<Hello Robbie>>
Thanks for all your advice.
<<welcome>>
Agree with the rating for the powerheads at 2000 galls an hour, misread the booklet.  I assume this is sufficient for a tank this size?
<<Mmm...what is "sufficient" depends on different factors (livestock requirements, aquascaping, type substrate, etc.), but as a general rule, 20x tank volume is considered sufficient, yes.>>
Substrate is about 2 inches crushed coral and sand mix, but this is cleaned once a week with a power gravel cleaner and whilst cleaning this does produce some detritus it is not really a lot.
<<The weekly maintenance is good...but were me, I would reduce this to 1" or less and forget about vacuuming.>>
I don’t have an Algae problem which I know usually goes with high Nitrates, and I have plenty of Coralline growing. This is why I am so frustrated, maybe my test kit is wrong !!!
<<Tis a possibility...easy enough to verify...>>
I also have a 5 inch DSB attached to my sump which has Caulerpa growing in it.  It is fed by gravity from the main return and an overflow back into the main sump.  It is also lit at night.  This is why the PH reads 8.5 at night, photosynthesis of the Caulerpa ?
<<Ahh yes...but let me suggest you light the Caulerpa 24/7.  Lighting Caulerpa intermittently (day/night cycle) increases the risk (if not outright guarantee) of it going "sexual" and causing a release of many bad/harmful elements in to your system.  Do have a look here and among the related links: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caulerpaalg.htm>>
I always thought that doing small water changes on a regular basis was better than doing large ones as this did not upset the stability of the tank ?
<<Several schools of thought here...but if your test kit "is" accurate, you need to reduce your nitrates quickly (dilution), and a large water change is the most efficient means of doing so.  Once you have the problem licked you can go back to your current regimen...though I feel larger (20%) water changes done less frequently (bi-weekly) to be more beneficial on a tank such as yours.  But again, have a look here and among the indices and see what you think: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water.htm>>
I do still have some mechanical filtration attached to the Aquaclear pumps and this is cleaned on a daily basis as they are very easy to attach / detach and it only take a couple of minutes, I do this at the same time as I empty and clean my skimmer collection cup.
<<very good>>
Will persevere and see how we get on after doing some bigger water changes
<<Excellent...do let us know how things progress. EricR>>
Thanks for all the help
Regards
Robbie

Nitrate test kits 7/25/05
I have been caring for saltwater aquariums for many years now and have recently (about two years ago) started to maintain reefs. I have used a variety of different test kits from dry tabs, to liquids, to strips. I know that it probably depends on the brand but which kind is considered "the best" or the most accurate? <I like Aquarium Systems test kits.  Reasonably priced and reasonably accurate for our needs.>Also, I remember reading something about multiplying the number you get by three or four or something like that to get the true nitrate level. It had something to do with what the test kit was actually testing for. Do you know of anything like this? <You need to know what the test kit is measuring, nitrate as an ion or as nitrate nitrogen.  Total nitrogen is the result of the 4.4 multiple.> I am very confused on that subject. Now any time I get a reading of any nitrate I feel that it is to much especially if a reading of ten really means forty.<For our purposes, a reef tank should not exceed 20ppm of NO3-N.  For fish only 20-40 is acceptable for most species, although we don't like to keep nitrates that high as they do increase nuisance algae growth.  Hope this helps.  There are FAQ's on this subject on the WWM, keyword "nitrate testing".> Thank you for your help, Andy <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

Re: Nitrate test kits 7/28/05
Even after I find out from the manufacture what the test is testing for, the question still remains. Do you multiple by 4.4 if the test is testing for nitrogen ions or do you multiple by 4.4 if the test is testing for total nitrogen? Thanks, Andy  <Total nitrogen.  James (Salty Dog)> <<What? RMF>>

Nitrate Test Readings, Bob's go 7/28/05
Hello wise wizards of the wet watery world (please forgive the
alliteration):
<Monstrous, but okay>
After reading both the article regarding Nitrates and the numerous FAQs that address this topic, I would like to impose upon you to clarify my confusion, hopefully once and for all.  
<Go ahead>
I use the saltwater master test kit made by American
<Aquarium>
Pharmaceutical. I went on their website and confirmed that their nitrate test kit measures the nitrate ion. My reading using this test kit has been consistently around 60 ppm. Now, if I correctly understand the article, I need to divide this result by 4.4 to arrive at 13.6 for nitrates as ppm.
So, are my true nitrates only 13.6 ppm as opposed to 60 ppm?  
<Mmm, not to be disingenuous... but if the measure is stated by AP as nitrogen in or as nitrate... you would actually divide... but I suspect you actually have about 60 ppm of nitrate>
As always, your sagacious words of wisdom are eternally appreciated.
Regards,
   Mitch
<... think about what you're measuring, the molecular weight of nitrogen, oxygen... nitrate ions as NO3... stoichiometry... Bob Fenner>

90 Gallon Reef Tank, nitrate 7/23/05
Hi Guys,
I have a 90 gallon reef tank that has been up and running for over a year. All is well other than my feelings about my livestock and a possible overstocking issue.
I currently have 5 small Green Chromis, 1 Neon Dottyback, 1 Lawnmower Blenny, 1 Malaysian Clown, 1 medium Hippo Tang, 1 Medium Sailfin Tang ( I know, but they seem to get along just fine :), 1 Six Line Wrasse,  1 Jawfish, 2 Black Ocellaris Clownfish, 1 Blackcap Basslet, and 1 Blue Chromis. That's right 16 fish in all. My corals include 1 HUGE Toadstool Leather, Ever reproducing POM POM Xenias, 1 Devils hand, 2 clusters of Sun Polyps, some star polyps, 1 Large Sebae Anemone, 1 Leather finger coral, Several Ricordea rock and mushroom rocks, some Seamat, and 130lbs of coralline encrusted liverock.
I also have a cleaning crew of several Brittle/Serpent/Sand Sifting Starfish, many hermit crabs, a Sally lightfoot, Porcelain crab, Turbo Snails, 2 Cleaner Shrimp & 20 or so Nassarius Snails. (Hope I got that last one right :)
<Quite an assemblage>
I change 10 gallons of water every week religiously using R.O. only.
My Ammonia and Nitrites are 0. PH is 8.4. Alkalinity is in the 200 range. Nitrates are currently in the 30ppm range most likely due to the bio load. I use the quick dip test strips several times a week.
The corals are acting normal, Sun Polyps open in the P.M. all others in the A.M. when the actinics kick on.
I feed sparingly, maybe too sparingly but I want to keep my water as good as possible.
My question is, are my Nitrates too high? Should I downsize my bio load or change more water weekly. What do you think???
Thanks in advance.....
Doug-
<Sounds like a very nice, well-maintained/operated system... Nitrate concentration, as an abstract, concept... is "over-rated" in terms of its "importance"... I don't think its presence here is indicative of trouble, much stress. I've written re, following up on Tom Frakes (now out of Aq. Systems) piece/ideas re "Nitrate Menace" (in their qtrly. infomercial SeaScope)... not to worry. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Nitrate mastery 7/19/05
After three weeks of running my 90g tank fallow, I began testing the water in preparation for new arrivals. I was shocked to find all conditions ideal (pH, salinity, copper, ammonia, nitrite) but the nitrate was comfortably above 100ppm! In the past, I have had difficulty managing the nitrates with this tank setup, but usually kept them in the 25-35 range. I've read most of the nitrate pages on your site and a stack of books, but the totality of information is quite inconstant.
<Heeee!>
Assuming water changes and filter cleanings are performed regularly -  what is the best long term solution for keeping nitrates controlled in a FOWLR tank?
<.... the use of a sump/refugium, DSB, purposeful macroalgae...>
While my own tendency would be a mechanical solution, the mission is to keep the fish healthy and I will pay any price, build any device, and maintain whatever is suggested...
<Take it easy!>
(90g tank, Fluval 404 w/Biomax, carbon, & Purigen; Deltec MCE600  
skimmer, 2" live sand, 10% live rock
Travis Neal
<Keep reading. Bob Fenner>

Bioballs vs. Live Rock - 07/13/05
Dear All;
<<Greetings>>
Thanks for the great site! It has been a truly valuable source for me.  I am new to marine aquaria, but I have had fresh water systems for many many years.  It has been somewhat difficult making the transition, if not for your site it would have been an even more daunting task.
<<"Thanks" from the crew...gratifying to know.>>
I have been reading on WWM about the use of bioballs in a reef tank.  The general opinion seems to be that they should be avoided and the use of just live rock/sand bed in a refugium should be implemented.
<<Agreed>>
However, I have not read a sound, convincing argument about why bioballs act as "nitrate factory" and live rock does not.
<<Really?>>
Could someone offer a concise self-contained sound argument.
<<Not asking for much, eh? <G> >>
If a system has both live rock and bioballs then how does having the bioballs convert ammonia eventually to nitrates differ from the live rock doing the work?
<<Ok let's see...concise...hmm...  The process is essentially the same for converting ammonia to nitrite to nitrate whether it's done by the bioballs or the live rock, as you have already surmised.  The difference comes after the conversion of nitrite to nitrate... The pore structure of the live rock (or the grain-size/depth of a sand bed) creates anoxic zones; not commonly associated with bioballs, that foster bacteria which can/will process nitrates converting them to nitrogen, which is then liberated from the tank as the bubbles you see rising from the rock/sand bed.  The bioball/wet-dry filters are referred to as nitrate factories because their end product is just that...nitrate...and they are so efficient at it even when used in conjunction with live rock they can overwhelm the live rock's ability to convert same to nitrogen.  Thus, most prefer to exclude bioballs from reef systems...though they can be quite handy for dealing with large/fluctuating bioloads in FO/FOWLR systems that can handle a higher nitrate load.>>
Your time is sincerely appreciated.
-Kenny
<<Regards, Eric R.>>

Nitrate ??? 7/7/05
I'm writing to get clarification on a couple of items mentioned in your FAQ's. I won't lie and claim that I've read them all since there are just far too many.
<... just read till you understand...>
I did read them extensively, however, and did spend quite a while intimately learning your search feature trying to find the answers.
<Is it that hard? It's Google's...>
I'm having problems controlling nitrates. I've been doing 25% water changes weekly to keep them in the 20-25 range. I missed one week of changes and they shot up to the 60-70 range. Since this aquarium is a training tank for a 480 gallon I'm planning to install next year, I want to get this one licked before I'm doing 150 gallon weekly water changes on the big tank.
The tank I'm referring to is a 75 gallon reef setup with a 48" Orbit 4x65 watt PC fixture with 2 dual spectrum daylight bulbs, (10,000k and 6,700k), 2 dual spectrum actinic bulbs, (460nm and 420nm), Magnum 350 canister filter, Amiracle SR200B wet/dry with bio balls removed, Aquafuge 5.5 gallon hang on the back refugium, AquaC EV120 protein skimmer, and 3 approx 280 gph powerheads. The protein skimmer is driven by a Mag 5 pump, and I've got a Mag 7 pushing water from the sump back to the tank.
There is approx 80-85 lbs of live rock and a 1-2 inch substrate of crushed coral. In the refugium, I had about a 3 inch substrate of Miracle Mud and am growing 3 strains of Caulerpa. With a 24" Aqualight 65 watt fixture, the Caulerpa was growing well. Lighting was set for the same 13 hour cycle as the display tank.
<Sounds like a very nice set-up>
The following inhabit the tank:
1 Sohal Tang
<Can be a bruiser in such a small system>
1 Flame Angel
1 Blue Devil Damsel
2 Black Domino Damsels
<Biters>
40-50 various snails and hermit crabs
3 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
2 Emerald Crabs
1 Arrow Crab
<Predator>
2 Feather Dusters
Sinularia
Xenia
Zoanthus
Montipora confusia
Caulastrea furcata
Favia adbita
Trachyphyllia geophryii
The tank is 10 months old, and everyone seems happy. I've got nice coralline algae growth and nice growth on the corals for the short time I've had them.
Polyp expansion on all of the corals looks very good, especially the Trachyphyllia.
Just after missing the weekly water change, my parameters were as follows:
Temp - 80
Sg - 1.0265
pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 70
Phosphate - .5
<A bit high... your source water?>
Alkalinity - 3
Calcium - 435
Iodine - 0
To combat the nitrate buildup, I've cut back on the amount I'm feeding, bumped the Miracle Mud depth to 4-6" in the refugium, changed the lighting on the refugium to 24x7, added some ceramic biomedia to my sump, and am doing daily 25% water changes. I'm also slowing increasing the alk as I know mine is a bit low. I figure right now is a good time to do it since the extra Miracle Mud will spike my calcium anyway.
The two items I'd like clarification on are the ceramic biomedia and lighting live rock. I was always under the impression that the ceramic biomedia was much like bioballs, but it's suggested in your FAQ's that they help reduce Nitrates. Can you provide info about the similarities and differences between ceramic and bioballs?
<Well-made sintered glass or ceramic "beads", rings... actually are useful for anaerobic processing of nitrates... denitrification... the opposite, if you will, of the reaction series of bio-balls>
Second, I'm considering converting the wet/dry into a refugium of sorts by sealing off bottom opening, drilling some holes at an appropriate height,
and filling it with live rock.
<This conversion is a great idea... but I'd skip on using live rock here, and instead install a deep sand bed... and maybe a Chaetomorpha or Gracilaria culture over it... with lighting that alternates with that on your main system... this should "do it" for the nitrates and improve overall water quality here>
Unfortunately, the wet/dry has a blue colored drip tray and cover that would block most light from a fixture.
<Toss it>
Will adding live rock without lighting help control nitrates?
<Will, but the DSB and rhodophyte would be much better>
If you have any other suggestions for controlling my nitrates so I can get closer to 10% water changes per week, I'd be grateful.
Thanks in advance. Hope to meet Anthony this weekend in Lancaster.
Bob Mocarski
<Might. Bob Fenner>

Nitrites, Nitrates, Chemistry, Oh My 07/01/05
Hello, crew:
Dum-dum here.
<That would make me Twiddle Dee Dee>
So, I've read a great deal about ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and the nitrogen cycle, as pertains to aquariums and ponds. Only, something isn't clear to me. When we test for "nitrite" and test for "nitrate" are we really testing for NO2- NO3- /ions/?
<Mmm, yes, for the most part>
Or are the tests detecting things like NaNO2 or KNO3, and so forth. In other words, are we literally revealing the presence of the ions, or rather the presence of molecules bound to the ions?
<With the simple colorimetric assay kits for aquarists mostly the ions>
Next, if it's really the ions, are NO2- and NO3- soluble gasses?
<Mmm, yes...>
Finally, any pointers to something that talks about this in true detail, for a non-chemist?
Joe Kraska
<... the Net... NO2, NO3 gases... and a large pot of coffee, 2 liter diet soda, time. Bob Fenner, ex H.S. chemistry teacher>

Re:  Nitrites, Nitrates, Chemistry, Oh My  07/02/05
> Finally, any pointers to something that talks about this in true detail,...
> <... the Net... NO2, NO3 gasses... and a large pot of coffee, 2 liter diet soda, time.
>> Bob Fenner, ex H.S. chemistry teacher
Hey. You know, if my high school chemistry teacher had told me that you could get a degree in /explosives/ chemistry, I bet my life would have been a whole lot different. *grin*
Anyway, from at least one statement, it would appear that the effect of air pressure on the solubility of gases in water is linear for all gases.
<Yes... an extension of universal gas laws>
For example, dropping air pressure to half an atmosphere impacts O2, CO2, NO2-, NO3- equally. Is that about right?
<Yes>
Anyway, using google on things that contain special characters (NO2-) is a pain, because it often wants to overlook the special character. And searching for "nitrate" on google produces a large number of hits on "potassium nitrate" and so forth. Add Anacin with that coffee, man. :)
<Toss in the word "aquarium" along with that acetyl salicylic acid. BobF>

Marine system nitrates
Thank you in advance for helping me with a small problem.
<Welcome>
I have a 125 gallon reef tank, it was a fish-only tank until about 4 months ago. I had little problems with my tank-only water parameters.
Now that I have switched to a reef tank with minimal fish (one False Percula, one Kole Tang and one Lawnmower blenny), my nitrate seems to creep up very quickly even with minimal feedings. My system consists of 60 lbs of live rock, 50 lbs of live sand, 35 gallon sump with a 100 micron filter,
<This mechanical filter is likely a large source of your nitrates>
Euroreef CS-6, 1500 gallon per hour cir., under 400w 12K MH and four 40 watt Actinic. Livestock include a Crocea Clam, two polyp corals, colt coral, small devils hand coral, 50 snails, sand star and black long-spine urchin.
What could be causing my nitrate to jump?
<Mmm, a lack of the conditions for reverse, reductive chain of reactions to "un-do" it, and the gunk-accumulating mechanical filter/media... I would remove the cartridge (likely won't make much difference) and read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm
and the linked files above... until you reach nirvana, or at least sufficient edification. Bob Fenner>
Thank you for you assistance.
Robert

150 Gallon Fish Only Tank...Adding A 'Fuge - 06/19/05
Thanks for the info.
<<My pleasure.>>
On another note, I am looking for a way to bring down my nitrates and I am going to add a small refugium system in my sump.  My main goal is to bring down nitrates, would Miracle Mud be the best option as the substrate for this goal or will live sand with live rock work just as well.  Along with the Caulerpa of course.
<<Do research the Caulerpa for proper lighting/harvesting technique to avoid the pitfalls associated with this macroalgae.  For simple nitrate reduction a refugium with 6" sugar-fine sand bed and Chaetomorpha algae is hard to beat.  The Miracle-Mud and rock/Caulerpa can work as well...but my vote goes to the sand bed and Chaetomorpha for reasons of expense, simplicity, and ease of care/maintenance.  But either way you go..."good on ya!" for using a refugium, so many benefits to doing so.>>
Thanks for your time
<<Regards, Eric R.>>

Nitrate Reducing Media...Which One Is The Best?
Has any testing ever been done on the Nitrate reducing properties of the many over-the-counter filer media?
Do any of the following products reduce nitrates?
1.  Matrix
2.  Cell Pore
3.  Bio-Glass
4.  Nitrex
5.  De-Nitrate
6.  Purigen
7.  Nitra-Zorb
<I am not aware of any systematic scientific study done on these media and their ability to reduce nitrate. However, some of the products you mention are biological filtration media designed to provide an efficient and hospitable surface for bacteria to inhabit, and others (i.e. Purigen) are chemical filtration media which do have some absorptive capabilities. I think the bottom line is that no one media can do the job alone. Nitrate reduction is the end product of a number of things, particularly good overall husbandry. If your husbandry habits are good, then these products can be a valuable ally in your fight to reduce nitrate and improve water quality. Always look at the big picture! Regards, Scott F.>