Reefs tanks and trickle filters 5/2/04
I hope you folks can clear something up for me.  I often see postings to the effect that trickle filters are bad for reef tanks because they produce nitrate.
<in some ways this is true>
This doesn't make any sense to me.  It seems to me that the bio-filtration of a trickle filter does not create any nutrients, it only changes their form.  
<correct... but unlike live rock and live sand which can complete the process with denitrification, trickle filters can only nitrify... and produce lingering nitrate>
Any nitrate it produces would otherwise have been ammonia or nitrite, which I believe to be more toxic than nitrate.  
<not correct my friend... some organics are used/assimilated directly by reef invertebrates and do not even enter nitrification by filters. But when such filters are employed, they are in direct competition with those inverts and filter feeders. The option here is utilization by the animals... or nitrification by the trickle filter: hence the "nitrate producing" argument>
So it seems to me that while a trickle filter may not be necessary for a reef tank, one should not be concerned about it's nitrate production. Am I right?
<nope... but thanks for asking :) Do read more about this popular topic in our wetwebmedia.com archives. Anthony>

Nitrate Issues
I have an eighty gallon tank I have two dog face puffers and a grouper. <Wow, you ought to be out tank-shopping> I cant get my nitrate level down I've tried everything. <Yes, you're dangerously over the limits here with bio-load.> Frequent water changes, feeding them less. <Skimming should be increased, and the grouper should be removed.> My tank has been established for about two years and I've never had this problem with the nitrate level please help. <They grow, eat more, produce more waste.> Also my dog face scratches himself along the bottom of my tank he also looks discolored a lot. <Lots of possibilities here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasiti.htm> I've treated him with copper treatment and it doesn't seem to help. <Puffers, and other scale-less should be treated with a copper alternative.>  He's been less active as well.  <Yes, I'd find at least one of these fish a new home, or start exporting more nutrients from your system.>
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
<Good luck, Ryan>
Nathan

Is my BioWheel creating more nitrates?
    I have a 46 gallon tank that has been up about 3 months.  I have a Emperor 400 and a Bak Pak 2r.  I also have about 50 pounds of live rock and two weeks ago I increased my sand bed to 4". Last night I noticed my nitrates had gone up to 20 ppm and this is after doing a 5 gal. change the day before (and every week since the tank cycled). I don't think I am over stocked with two Percula clowns (1") and a bi-color blenny (1-2") for fish and a cleaner shrimp 6 Nassarius snails and 2 Turbo's. I also have a colt coral, green star polyps, some button polyps (5 came on live rock have since increased to 13) and a red open brain (in the substrate). do you think the bio wheels in the Emperor should be removed or should I leave them. << I would leave them.  I like BioWheels. >> could
this be part of the nitrate jump or is it the sand working itself in. << I would suggest more live rock, and more sand.  Also if you do water changes, don't disturb your sand bed.  Give it time to settle and create the bacteria areas you need.  Try feeding less to your fish, like feed them once per week. >>
thanks Jeremy
<<  Blundell  >>

Plagued with Nitrates
<hello! Ryan with you today>
I have a 55 gallon fish only marine tank.  I have a Clown Trigger and a Sohal Tang in it. <Hmmm...have you made future plans to expand?  That Sohal alone is going to require at least twice the volume that you're currently running.> I'm currently having a big problem with my nitrate levels. <Not exactly shocked> Which are at 80ppm.  I don't know how to lower it I've bought more live rock and I've used R/O water that I got from my local fish store.  The water here in my city straight out of the tap has anywhere between 40-80ppm of nitrate in it already. <What did the local fishkeepers do to deserve that?> That's why I've been buying the R/O water. <Very smart> I just changed 10 gallons of water using R/O water and my levels are still the same. <Yes, you need to keep fish that are well suited for your setup.  You're trying to do too much.> I don't have the money to buy the nitrate reductor. <And, you'd likely have just as many problems.> Will a better protein skimmer work? <Yes, it will help prevent the nitrates from rising, but it certainly won't solve the problem.  The one I have isn't all that.  Any suggestions would be great cause I really don't know what do about this problem.  
<Well, it's back to the drawing board, my friend.  You've got 2 "gross polluters," and something has got to give.  Please either seriously consider upgrading, or take these two magnificent specimens back to the LFS that shouldn't have sold them to you in the first place.  If you're set on keeping one of the two, the clown trigger will do better in the short term, but eventually also will need a bigger home.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!  Ryan> Thank you
for your time
                                         Scott

-Rising nitrate levels...-
let me just say have just found your site and it is very helpful GREAT SITE tank has been running for 6 months with no problems until now no3 gone up to 25mg/l  no2 is 0 running 2 Eheim filters 1 thermo prof 2 with Ehfisubstrat & Ehfimech <If these are bio and/or mechanical filters, this is likely the root of your nitrate accumulation> and the other 1 model 2222 pro with just active carbon and running threw a UV  2 power heads red sea protein skimmer 25 kilos of live rock I use ro for water changes have been doing water changes weekly last 3 weeks since it went up <Oh, only up for 3 weeks? If the rock was cured in the tank, and just finished curing, a nitrate level of 25 would be expected.> do you think I am using the right media in thermo filter. <You really don't need/want anything in the filters besides a periodic stash of carbon.> new to marines so any advice would be great, regards john <I hope this helps, also check out http://www.wetwebmedia.com/no3probfaqsii.htm and the four (count em!) other nitrate FAQ's, you're not the only one! -Kevin>

- High Nitrates, Small Tank -
Bob,
<Another crew member, JasonC here...>
Hope you can help me with a few questions. <I can try.> I have a 26 gallon saltwater tank with 10lbs of live rock, 40 lbs of AragAlive fine sand (1-1/4") a 60 gallon trickle filter with bio-balls (Purigen under bio balls). The tank is stocked with very small blue tang, clown, bi-color pseudo, cleaner shrimp, flame scallop, rose anemone, a few snails and crabs, bubble coral, green star polyps, metallic green moon brain coral. I am also running a 75 gallon protein skimmer. I am doing 20% water changes every two weeks. All parameters test perfect with the exception of Nitrates. My Nitrates are consistently between 20-30. Is this a deadly level for fish? <No, marine fish can usually take up to 50-ish ppm before they start to show the effect.> What about corals? <High nitrates are no good for corals and other invertebrates.> My brain coral has lost most of its color and has produced cobwebs that stretch out to my LR. I am quite certain it is dead or almost there. Blue tang and pseudo are battling ich. The cleaner shrimp is helping them through this. <I wouldn't rely on the cleaner shrimp - they can take care of day to day issues, but rarely can get on top of an genuine outbreak.> Tried dosing the tank with kick-ich twice but not much luck. <Wouldn't dose anything in your display - much better to remove the fish and treat elsewhere.> The cleaner shrimp alone seems to do as much if not more than the kick-ich did without the shrimp?? Any recommendations on an effective reef safe ich med? <That's an oxymoron - there is no such thing. Reef-safe ich medications are usually not safe or not effective - one or the other.> I am feeding my fish and inverts every other day. I am also adding Cyclop-eeze for the corals. Fish like too. Rose and shrimp are hand fed frozen food like fish. I think my high nitrate problem is a combination of issues. 1) Overfeeding <Always a possibility.>
2) Small tank  3) Bio Balls <Unless these are completely submerged, a very likely source.> 4) Not changing blue/white filter pad often <Another likely suspect - these should be cleaned/replaced very frequently - perhaps every time you change the water.> 5) Not cleaning foam block in sump often (how often should I clean these two filter media's?) <Same as the foam pad - at least once a week.> I am cleaning the pre-filter sponge every two weeks. I do have an issue with spot algae. I have to clean it weekly but believe this is due to high lighting I am using (8 hours of 165 watts - 5watts per gallon) plus blind filtered sunlight that comes in through blinds all day. It is enough light for star polyp to be half open. I don't want to spend much more money on my system then I already have so plan on adding a poly filter at bottom of egg crate and using denitrate chips below that along with current Purigen. The only other thing I can think of doing that wouldn't add to much additional expense is adding one of those mini CPR in tank refugiums. The one that suctions on the inside, putting some live sand and Caulerpa inside. What do you think? Any other recommendations? <Address those other issues first - then see where you stand. Perhaps speed up the water changes, perhaps 5% a week.>
Thanks, Rob
<Cheers, J -- >

High Nitrates
Hey guys!
<Hello!>
I'm having a nitrate build up in my 215g reef system....its been up since early may, and has been going along great, but in the last 30 days or so, the nitrate has been rising from around 10ppm to about 40ppm now...all of the inhabitants seem fine, but this seems like a scary trend...
<Agreed>
I've been doing regular 35g h2o changes every 2 weeks....skimming aggressively....don't think I'm overfeeding....about 300lbs live rock....plenty of snails and crabs, no2 is near 0 ammonia near 0....
<You need zero for both of these. Has something died in the system recently?>
Ideas? btw, Anthony or Steven, did you guys ever receive that article about sexual reproduction of e. quads ???
<Not enough information. We need to know more about your filtration. Off-the-cuff, I would say something has died in the system or you're feeding too much>
Happy holidays !
<Happy holidays to you and yours!>

Nitrate Problem
Thanks for the reply.  As far as the live rock goes we are running 60lbs of live rock in the tank.  We do change filter media every 3-4 weeks depending. As to the stocking level there is not a great amount of fish in the tank mostly of them are smaller and we do have a decent cleanup crew with many crabs. I have a 72 gallon Salt tank setup for over 18 months now and during that time have had an incredible problem with nitrate levels in the tank.  I am currently using 2 Emperor 400 filters and a Fluval 280 on the tank as well as a red sea skimmer for protein.
<Bodda boom bodda bing! I think we may have found the source of the nitrates. Are you replacing the filter material in these canisters regularly? If you're slack with the maintenance of the filtration equipment that you mentioned, you will definitely have nitrates>
During the time that we have had the tank we have always had a problem getting nitrates under control: at best we did have the nitrates down to 5ppm but then again the nitrates spiked to over 150ppm.
<That is excessive. This could also be a sign of overstocking. Is the stocking rate of the tank realistic?>
We have tried everything from water changes every 3-5 weeks to at this point I am running nearly a lb of Denitrate in the various filters.
<I feel reasonably sure the problem is the old filter media. Change the media regularly (weekly) but don't remove all the media in all the filters at once. Have a rotating schedule...do water changes weekly, and analyze your stocking level. This should take care of it. Oh...I also see no mention of live rock>
This does seem to be helping as now the nitrates are starting to fall but I was curious as to any other suggestions that you may have.  Thank you.
<My friend, you are correct. As you seem to realize what good does it do to treat the symptom without finding the cause? Check out wetwebmedia.com for more information. David Dowless>

- Defining the Nitrate Factory -
<Greetings, JasonC here...>
Thanks for the great web site. It is the most useful and informative site that I have found on  any subject, period. Coming from fresh water I am having trouble understanding the Nitrate factory view of filters. <You know what? So am I... I personally think it's something that is being blown out of proportion.> I am just getting ready to set up a 90gl .FOWsomeLR and will add more LR later. It seems to me that a high flow/oxygenated media would remove Ammonia and Nitrites quicker then live rock, but would do nothing for Nitrates. How can a filter be too effective at getting the first two out since they are so toxic to fish? <Well, any biological filter doesn't really 'get rid' of those nitrogenous wastes, it just breaks them down into less-harmful compounds; nitrate is the end product.> A wet/dry couldn't actually make more Nitrate from the same biological input than LR (could it?) <It could... wet/dry filters are highly efficient and would be able to process more waste sooner.> If was just using a DSB and LR for anaerobic processing of Nitrates how does a wet/dry impede this ability? <It doesn't, the nitrate would still be resident in the system, and the DSB and live rock would help keep the levels low.> Much thanks for any Help.
Jeff Mahan
<Cheers, J -- >

Reduced Nitrates
indeed, coming from somewhere, I sent bob an email yesterday in regards to tossing the rest of my bio-balls in my W/D, was running 20ppm nitrates yesterday,18 hours after removing the balls, I've tested 0-5ppm nitrates, that's great and another thing off my list in this battle, the Naso tang and lion are likely going tomorrow, cutting down on fish load should help, I will get a yellow tang to see if he helps, thanks for your help here Jason, and tell Bob thanks for assuring me about the balls,
<You're welcome>
very happy to see trace levels of nitrate now, btw, if I'm running such low nitrates now, does this mean i can/should cut back on water changes?, was doing 20g a week but this is because of the nitrates, now am wondering if this much is needed......riot...
<Frequent, partial water changes are a good idea... but twice a month is fine for these. Bob Fenner>

Media Replacement And Skimmer Choices (Pt. 2)
Thanx again!  Now changing the foam media on a weekly matter will in itself help keep down the Nitrate levels in the tank would it not?
<Yep! That's the best reason to do this! It's a viable "nutrient export" mechanism, as you're literally removing undesirable substances directly from the system. If you are a serious fish nerd, like me- you'll get a few of these foam media inserts and rotate 'em out several times a week...Scary- but really an easy way to keep nasty stuff from ever accumulating to begin with!>
Also have you heard of the Back pack skimmer (doing a search right now on them but your opinions also appreciated)?  They seem to be sold in abundance at one of my local shops.
<Yep- The CPR Bak Pak is a great hang-on-the-tank skimmer, IMO. Productive, simple to clean, and reliable. Another fine choice is the Aqua C Remora Pro. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either of these models, if serviced regularly! Good luck! ScottF>

Re: nitrates
Hello,
I am writing today with a question about lowering nitrates.
I have read many of your articles and FAQ, and I'm confused. Let me tell you about my set-up. I have a 55gal. , (2) emperor 280 filters, (1) hot magnum filter, and a Prizm skimmer. I have about 2 and a half inches of crushed coral and about 25 - 30 pounds of live rock.
<Here's the problem. A deep course bed of crushed coral traps detritus and wastes contributing to nitrate production. Also the biomedia in the filters produce nitrates. These need to be cleaned very regularly (weekly to biweekly) and simply not enough live rock for bio-capacity and for your mandarins, which need at least 75 lbs of well established live rock per fish to survive. This is completely inadequate for these fish. Please read about Mandarins at WetWebMedia.com.>
My inhabitants are 2 percula clownfish, 1 pair of mandarin Dragonettes, 1 pair of green spotted Dragonettes, 1 scooter blenny, 1 Sailfin tang, 1 long horned cowfish, 1 pair of seahorses, and some xenia coral. I also have 1 coral banded shrimp, and 2 camelback shrimp.
<An unusual mix. You are mixing fish from completely different environments, current needs, etc. Seahorses generally have specialized needs compared to high current fish like Sailfin Tangs, which incidentally get to be 16", WAY too big for a 55.>
I change 10 gallons every other week. I cannot seem to lower my nitrates, I have tried chemicals (prime - works for a short time) so I thought the problem was in my tap water, so I bought a tap water filter for changes. Now my question; I have been reading a lot about DSB, should I replace my coral with sand?
<Very disruptive and stressful to your current inhabitants. Some of these fish are hard to keep, esp. in such circumstances. I would change substrates, but this would require a great deal of effort regarding established/establishing the needed food supply for mandarins, etc. Real serious vacuuming would be a good start, too much crud in substrate.  Not enough live rock to provide bio-capacity/denitrification.>
I am trying to understand Plenum Systems, should I put sand on top of my coral with a screen in between.
<Definitely not!!! a bigger waste trap. Do you see, wastes are the problem, and nitrate is the end game unless you have the live rock and sand to process it naturally.>
Or maybe I should just increase my live rock.
<Deal with substrate and more rock definitely!  A larger tank would be the ideal for the Tang and Mandarins. Please read about Sailfin Tangs (and any other fish) at WetWebMedia.com.>
Nitrates are my only problem, I have no ammonia or nitrite. Also I feed my fish live brine shrimp and frozen Mysis everyday.
,I would use the brine to get them eating if difficult to feed, then wean to Mysis only. Brine shrimp are the Hostess Twinkie of fish food. Pretty much junk food.>
This is my first marine tank, and I am looking for a cure not just a quick fix.
<You have a nitrate factory in your substrate and filter media, take care of those and increase bio-capacity with LR and perhaps LS with proper precautions. (be wary of releasing toxic wastes by disturbing dirty substrate without vacuuming wastes in doing so).
Also, larger water changes with above maintenance will help, maybe 10% per week according to water tests to get to desired levels.>
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to read this letter.  Sincerely, Linda
<Our pleasure Linda, hope this gets you on track! Craig>

NITRATES !!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH !!!
Hi WWM crew …
<Howdy, Don with you tonight>
I have a 40 gallon FO Marine tank with 5 damsels, one snowflake eel that jumped out for the first time and seems, so far, alive after putting it back, and 1 tomato clown. The fish have been thru a lot, I mean a lot, with Ick and PH fluctuations and temp. fluctuations but now all is good and dandy. I have everything under control now with the PH, the sickness and the temp. thanks to u. BUT I have one problem. My nitrates, all along, are shooting thru the roof. I mean, I can’t seem to get them down for nothing. My Ammonia is 0. My nitrites are 0 also. And my Nitrates are around 60ppm !!! I have an Eheim Ecco canister filter, crushed coral as my substrate and a Berlin skimmer (that I had just bought 2 days ago). The reason why I have the skimmer is because I have read on WWM that it would essentially get rid of the Nitrates or at least decrease the amount. The liquid I’m getting is light beige color, out of my skimmer. Is that true? and what else do u think I should do to get this Nitrate situation under control? And when and if I do get this under control, could u provide me with a link that I could read up on how to convert my FO tank to a reef/coral with fishes.
<The skimmer will help. Beige? Maybe the color of tea? Sounds OK. Looking for dark color and good daily output. Try to cut down on the amount of food and perform 10% water changes for a few days. The canister filter needs to be kept very clean (like daily). The crushed coral can trap a lot of detritus so you want to keep it clean as well. For more reef info, check here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/reef1.htm.>
Thanks Guys. I really am bad with hobbies and I usually lose total interest in hobbies that are complicated and boring. But honestly, the subjects on WWM and help that u guys give us hobbyists is unbelievably awesome and has helped me thru a lot with this hobby and keeping me interested and I’m sure with all the support u guys give, I will most definitely stay in the hobby for a long long long time.
<Glad to help, Don>
Regards,
Ash

Nitrates won't come down
Hi!
<cheers>
You have been very helpful in the past and I come to you with another query.
I am having a problem with nitrates staying close to 100 ppm in my 75 gal marine tank. The tank has been set up since early May. It has a 3" sandbed and 150 lbs of Florida live rock. 
<wow! Young tank... DSB and heavy live rock! Its unusual to have high nitrates in light of all of this. My first intuitive guess is that the sand grain is not fine (sugar/oolitic grade) or that it is mixed/coarse. Coarse sand grades are poor at denitrification and mist very very thick compared to sugar fine grades to work comparably. Over 5" thick needed here and very strong water flow in the tank is a must. Also, I wonder if you have been getting dark skimmate every day from your skimmer... a common flaw to not have a tweaked skimmer>
I have a sump with an AquaC EV120 skimmer.
No other filtration. 
<no worries... plenty of rock and sand>
The sump does have a coarse filter sponge in the baffle between the skimmer and the Mag 7 return pump. I clean the sponge about once a week to get rid of the detritus it catches. 
<outstanding and little addition to nitrates here>
I have recently also added a mesh bag with activated carbon. I am running two Maxijet 1200 powerheads in the tank for additional circulation. 
<good move to keep detritus in suspension for skimmer>
I have been changing 10 gal of water once a week (sometimes twice) in the last month and a half. This is about 15% of the actual water volume. 
<perhaps larger water changes needed to keep pace>
I use RO water from a drinking water machine at the local supermarket for all my water changes and top-offs. Using tap water results in fairly bad diatom blooms so I've never used any on this tank, not even for the initial fill. I just ordered an RO/DI unit which I expect to get next week.
Nitrates had gone over 100 ppm (kit only shows 100 and 200 ppm) but the water changes are keeping them somewhere between 50 and 100 ppm according to my Salifert and Red Sea test kits. Nitrites are also between 0.1 and 0.2 ppm. 
<that almost sounds like a misreading?!? I cannot fathom nitrites existing in this tank. Do confirm on another brand of test kit>
Ammonia is 0. Ca is 450 ppm and Alk is 3.2 meq/l. pH is 8.3. I don't know why I can't keep nitrates (and nitrites) closer to 0. I think the tank has been up long enough for the nitrites to have gone down to 0.
<agreed>
A picture of my tank can be found at
http://wetwebfotos.com/Home?actionRequest=userview&userID=819 but the tree
sponges and gorgonians in that picture are now gone. I took them out after some comments from Anthony.
the tank is stocked as follows:
Fish:
1 Blue Damsel
2 Percula clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 medium Purple Tang
1 Blue (Hippo) Tang - this is the largest fish at 3.5 to 4"
< a fine selection of fishes and no significant source of nitrate here... at least nothing out of the ordinary. Still doubting test kits>
Invertebrates:
1 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp
1 coral banded shrimp
1 cup coral
1 frogspawn
1 hammerhead coral
1 brown zoanthid colony (turns white when the polyps retract)
Misc mushrooms and polyps snails and miscellaneous life that came with the live rock and live sand from the Florida coast of the Gulf of Mexico. There are probably a dozen mollusks attached to the live rock, all live.
<very cool>
I've had the damsel, clowns and coral banded shrimp for about three years.
They started out in a 10 gal tank.
I feed the tank one cube of either Formula One or Formula Two thawed in tank water every two days and I also add a narrow strip of Nori a couple of times a week. Sometimes I feed a cube of frozen Mysis instead of the Formula x. 
<all light feeding>
I add DT's phytoplankton (about 15 ml, three capfuls) twice a week for the filter feeders. Could this regimen be the cause of my nitrate problem?
<hmmm... perhaps a source indeed... take a capful in a sample of aquarium water and tees after some days... just for a ballpark idea on what a concentrated solution can do>
Would it be OK for the fish to cut back further on the feeding? 
<your feeding of fish and corals already seems light... cutting back should not be necessary>
The food seems to be consumed very quickly. I wouldn't mind removing the hippo tang, since he's the dirtiest of the fish, but there's no way I can catch him without taking out a lot of the liverock and causing a major disturbance in the tank.
<actually... the waste of these fishes is what in part will keep many of your corals alive unless they get target fed. The problem again is not your feeding amounts (modest). I'm wondering about skimmer performance or test kit accuracy>
The livestock seems to be doing well but I am concerned about the coral's long term health since I read here nitrates should be kept at a minimum and certainly a lot less than 50-100 ppm. Based on what I've read it seems I should have a big algae problem, but I don't. There's some red algae that builds up under the sand level between the sand and the glass, but it is pretty light and there is nothing above the sand level. Running a stick between the sand and the glass gets rid of it immediately. 
<very fine>
I don't have any angel hair algae but the back panel of the tank is covered with small deep green dots and coralline algae that I want to let grow over the rear glass surface.
Am I making too much out of the nitrate level I have? 
<somewhat yes>
I may start doing larger water changes, 
<excellent>
but I really would prefer to find the source of my problem and fix it there.
<agreed... as per above suggestions>
Thanks for any insights or suggestions you might have.
Henry
<best regards, Anthony>

Re: Nitrates won't come down
Anthony: Thanks for the information. I don't trust the nitrite test either because the Salifert kit had them down at 0 before and the colors it produces are
not the easiest to interpret, although it is clearly not 0. They don't quite match anything on the color chart. Unfortunately I no longer have the Salifert kit. I will get another one. The two nitrate tests I have (Salifert and Red Sea) do agree with each other so I think the nitrate readings are accurate.
<interesting>
Your guess about the sand is a good one. The sand is not particularly coarse but it is not oolithic either. It is straight sand from the Gulf of Mexico, similar what you find on the beach in Cancun or elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Making it thicker in the main tank would be difficult because of all the live rock.
<ahhh...understood>
Would it help to add a 3 or 4" oolithic sandbed in the sump? 
<yes... perhaps a refugium or sump with more than 4" of sugar fine sand will do the trick (denitrification) where coarse sand cannot. Unlit is fine with a good strong flow over it>
If so, would it need special seeding or will enough life make its way to the sump from the main tank? 
<just a handful of live sand to inoculate it would be enough>
The sump area is dark. Lighting it might be an option but most of the sump area is taken up by the skimmer and pumps. 
<no need... easier unlit here>
I would also need to figure out some way to keep the skimmer pump submerged. There's a baffle right before the main pump and water is perhaps 8" deep.
<all sump skimmers need a well or reservoir of their own (even a bucket with an overflow to drain in to the sump). It is critical; that a skimmer receives all raw overflowing water but it cannot be at the mercy of a fluctuating sump level (evaporation, etc) or skimmer performance will be compromised>
The skimmer does foam all the time but it takes 2-3 days to reach the overflow outlet of the cup. I will adjust it to see if I can get more foam production. 
<if the skimmer is sitting in the open sump, that may be a large part of the problem...see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/plumbingmarart.htm >
I find I need to clean the pre-filter on the Mag 5 often to avoid pump performance from degrading.
<the frequent cleanings are helpful but their need indicates a flaw in the system that allows such detritus to accumulate. Such matter should be kept in suspension for the skimmer to export. This does bring us back to water flow and skimmer performance needing tweaked>
Is 50-100 ppm nitrate acceptable for the LPS and other invertebrates I listed? 
<somewhat stressful but not fatal to many>
I don't want to make too much out of these readings if my livestock is fine. I initially wrote because I thought I needed readings under 20 ppm.
<indeed under 20ppm is recommended>
Thanks again for your wonderful site and the help you provide.
Henry
<our great pleasure... thanks kindly. Anthony>

Re: Nitrates won't come down
You are quick on the replies!
<yes :) Here at WetWebMedia.com you have one of the rare exceptions of getting more than you pay for <G>>
I am still confused about the cleaning of the pre-filters of the skimmer pump. 
<no worries... I shall try to illuminate>
The pump is right next to where the water comes from the tank into the sump. Anthony says:
"the frequent cleanings are helpful but their need indicates a flaw in the system that allows such detritus to accumulate. Such matter should be kept in suspension for the skimmer to export. This does bring us back to water flow and skimmer performance needing tweaked".
Since the pump is where the raw water comes in, that chamber contains detritus from the tank. That detritus gets trapped at the foam block on the intake of the skimmer pump (what I am calling pre-filter). 
<yes! That is exactly the problem! Unless that foam block is cleaned daily in an attempt to prevent the biological nitrification of trapped waste... you have a filter that is generating Nitrates that could otherwise export said nutrients (raw water to the skimmer) BEFORE they have a chance to break down into nitrates>
The pre-filter is meant to avoid any big items from entering the pump. 
<that is the flaw, my friend... you want all raw organics...particulate and dissolved to enter skimmer with hopes of ending up in the skimmer cup BEFORE turning into nitrate in the system>
Of course there's buildup there because the skimmer hasn't skimmed that water. Why wouldn't you expect this foam block to get this accumulation? Are you saying I should remove the pre-filter so the pump can push all the detritus into the skimmer? 
<exactly... it is a common filter design flaw>
I was just afraid something could make its way down from the overflow box in the tank and cause a problem in the skimmer pump, however, I now see where the pre-filter might be doing more harm than good. 
<bingo, bub>
There's also a foam block on the baffle before the return pump trapping this detritus, but some still makes its way to the other chamber, where it gets trapped by the pre-filter on the Mag 7 return pump.
<this last stage polishing foam block isn't as bad as long as you clean it weekly or more often and it doesn't accumulate much. More often, I forgo it>
Henry
<best regards, Anthony>

Wet Dry Nitrate Factories?
Hello Bob,
I need some education regarding wetdry filters being nitrate factories but first the setup...
140 gal FOWLR with wetdry filter
Aquaclear skimmer
~100 LBS live rock
Inhabitants are an Emperor angel, Maroon Clown, Pacific Blue Tang, Convict Tang, Sailfin Tang, Scissortail Goby, Lawnmower Blenny, 2 neon gobies, plus some number of red tip hermits and turbo snails. This tank has been running for about a year. For maintenance I do a 20 gallon water change every 2 - 3 weeks and change the filter fiber, clean the skimmer etc. while doing the water change. My nitrate levels have always remained well below 10 ppm (I use the FasTest kit which has a lowest reading of 10ppm.)
<Good maintenance, live rock... careful feeding...>
>From what I have read from various sources, I should be pulling out my bio balls because the huge amounts of aerobic nitrifying bacteria growing on bio balls should be cranking out nitrate like crazy given the load on this tank.
I'm struggling with this concept since it has always been my belief that the number of bacteria present is dependent on how much ammonia/nitrite is being produced.
<One principal factor... as is a relative availability of aerobic, hypoxic, anaerobic space... detritus, circulation, types of foods...>
If this is the case how would a wet dry system produce more nitrate than other types of filtration?
<"Driving" the "forward" reaction of nitrification over its reciprocal complement (denitrification)... you may well have a relatively uncommon situation of "good" mix of livestock, feeding, upkeep, live rock, substrate... If you're satisfied with the under 10 ppm. nitrate readings in such a FOWLR system (I would be), then I wouldn't change much>
Is it really just a maintenance issue of detritus collecting on the bioballs over time? 
<These possibly, and other major to minor inputs>
If you could either explain to me or point me to any information (books, articles, etc.) explaining how a wetdry filter can produce more nitrate than other filter systems I would greatly appreciate it?
<... perhaps better to encourage you to do experiments... increasing the feeding, trying more frequent water changes... The energetics of the reaction series that yield more/less nitrate accumulation are straightforward... if there is more source material (ammonia, nitrite), less aerobic activity and/or more anaerobic digestion... the equation/balance of accumulated metabolites will/does shift from higher/lower. Do you want specific reference as in articles on biological filtration? What books, magazines do you have access to? I will take a look at what matches in our references. Bob Fenner>
Thanks in advance,
Richard

Nitrate Reduction
Dear WWM crew,
<Scott F. with you today>
First off, I'd like to put out my thanks for all of your time and effort spent helping fellow hobbyists.
Now, for the crisis. I have a 29 gallon FOWLR tank with a 5 gallon refugium containing Caulerpa prolifera and a nice large number of visible pods, a 10 gallon sump with a trickle tower containing DLS, and a diy skimmer (counter current). The trickle tower and skimmer were just added in the last few days to replace the two penguin bio wheels that are running on the tank. The substrate in the tank is only enough to cover the bottom as I had always read that deep sand beds were a negative thing in marine aquaria. Really regret that I didn't know about your site at the setup point, but I do plan on adding a good 3 inches of sand to the tank and the sump.
<Good idea on the sand bed-deeper than 3 inches would-be even better.>
The inhabitants are a pair of ocellaris clowns and a coral beauty angel, as well as a peppermint shrimp and a myriad of creatures that come out of the live rock when the lights are off:)
Here's the problem- we just recently lost a very healthy (seemingly) Sailfin tang that we had for about 3 weeks or so. We found him lying upside down or on his side of the bottom of the tank gasping. The other fish were just fine. Every water parameter checked out accept the nitrates, which were in the 100 ppm range. <Yikes!>
We've done a six gallon water change, and then another roughly one week later, but the nitrate remains the same. Thick clumps of emerald green algae appeared in different spots in the tank, but have now died back and been replaced with brown algae.
Worrying profusely about her precious clown fish, my significant other has convinced me to do a massive water change to reduce the nitrates, as the smaller ones did nothing, and fearing her clowns will be lost to nitrate poisoning.
At present, the water is mixing, but I fear that a large change (75% or so) will cause to great a shock to the fish and actually be their demise. <Better to perform smaller, regular changes>
Also, the peppermint shrimp, a rock crab (in the refugium), and a tiny brittle star are all still alive and well- but I would assume that the nitrate level would do them in far before the tang?
I sincerely appreciate you time,
Thank you,
Daniel
<Your high nitrate level and algae bloom are indicative of a high nutrient level. There are somethings you can do to reduce this-adding a deeper sand bed, as outlined above, institute regular water changes, siphoning detritus as you go. You really should not use DLS material, or for that matter, bioballs, in your filters, as the DLS is a detritus trap, and the bioballs are essentially working against your deep sand bed by producing nitrate. Make sure your skimmer is adjusted to produce at least a cup of dark, yucky stuff weekly. And finally, if you really want to use Caulerpa in your sump, do harvest it regularly-a good source of nutrient export. Be careful not to rip the fronds while doing this. Keep reading on the wetwebmedia site for more information on maintenance. Good luck!- Scott F>

Nitrate and Clownfish
Hello again! I hope this finds you all well.
<Scott F. back with you again>
I spent the day researching again, and decided on some "field work" to boot. I searched one of the LFS's that we like to use on occasion for more opinions (on your ideas) and for some comparison for my poor clown. I'm afraid I made a poor impression, but all is well that ends well, right? I told him of your suggestion for removing the bioballs upon addition (or a week or so after) of the DSB.....this had him pondering back and forth and finally he decided that he agreed with you, though he could not understand why it could not be a two inch sand bed, which I just had to let go, as I could not explain it to his satisfaction.
That taken care of, I spotted several tanks of tank raised tomatoes and ocellaris that had some of the same markings on their white patches, which is what ours looked like at the start; I asked him what he could make of it, and I honestly believe that he had no idea, taking my "bait" with the marks having to do with the high nitrate levels....he was adamant that my clown's situation is indeed due to the high nitrates. I read every piece of Brooklynella information on WWM pages, and concluded that he is showing none of the symptoms for it. Still a mystery to me, any ideas besides Brooklynella? Daniel thinks that it could be Hole-in-the-head/HLLD...what do you think?
<It's a distant possibility- this malady generally causes markings and/or pits in the skin due to skin loss; usually found near the no surprise here-head or lateral line area on the fish. It is rarely fatal, it just looks bad. All kinds of "remedies" exist for this malady, ranging from the addition of vitamins in the fishes' foods, to daily water changes, to grounding the tank from stray voltage, etc. This might even be "normal" coloration for this strain of captive-bred clowns?>
I am very concerned even though he is still eating well, and behaving as usual.
<Just keep a close eye on these fish and follow good maintenance practices. Be prepared to act decisively should the need arise> 
The nitrates as of this afternoon are just under 20ppm by the way.)
<definitely a positive trend. Good job!>
I also asked him about the Caulerpa (which is all they sell) and if/when they might have other plant life available for us.....I'm afraid he thinks I'm crazy now, and we will more than likely not be using this store for any further saltwater related items.
<Well, now you've crossed over that threshold into the realm of "fish nerd"-just like me, and there is no known no cure for that! :)>
Our next research will be in the refugium section of WWM for better options. What *would* we do without you guys?!
<Buy lots of Caulerpa, maybe? LOL>
Thanks again immensely for your time, opinions and educated guesses.
Kelly and Daniel
in Houston
<You're welcome. Feel free to contact us any time!>

Nitrate Crisis (Part 2)
WWM Crew:
<Scott F. with you again>
(Kelly here, Daniel sent you guys the first note; I am the "significant other" worrying profusely *grin*.)
Thank you so much (everyone) for how quickly you are able to answer our e-mails, and how dedicated to education you all are. I need to make some clarifications, and your response has sparked a few different questions. I think the best way will be to cut in on the existing dialog with my own input and shoot for some clarity to this "muddy" situation! He works nights, so communication is not always optimal.... Sorry for the length, by the way.
>*He has removed the DLS at my insistence, prior to the water changes today, Chemipure and poly filter and carbon are all in place as well.*
<Good!>
*The nitrates at this go round (finding my beloved Sailfin) were nearing 40ppm, and we did not test again after the second 6 gallon water change until last night (see below)...I'm afraid he was mistaken about the 100ppm, it was very high, but in truth the test from last night was between 60 and 80, he read the test more than an hour after I took the sample and tested it which was last night....there is more on this below, it's very hard to clarify. Daniel may have been trying to condense our experience for the sake of your time which we both greatly appreciate.*
<That's what I'm here for, it's okay>
*Do you think we might find a balance in raising the sandbed to 4 inches in both the tank and the refugium, keeping the bioballs in the filter? Daniel also suggested partitioning the sump to add a nice deep sandbed there as well. The reason for this question is oxygen, as the tanks day to day temperature here in Houston in the summer is determined by how much A/C we can afford! He has essentially built the entire system: wet/dry, skimmer, refugium, sump, and hood (awaiting better lighting), and I'm sure he can modify it to your suggestions.*
<I think that increasing the sand depth and retaining the bioballs would be kind of counter-productive, sort of a "tug-of-war" with no winner>
>Make sure your skimmer is adjusted to produce at least a cup of 
>dark, yucky stuff weekly. And finally, if you really want to use 
>Caulerpa in your sump,
*I'm sorry to be a pain, but I've read through some of the Caulerpa FAQ's and found nothing on how to actually "harvest" it. Essentially harvesting the Caulerpa would be in fact "ripping the fronds" no? I thought it was the runner that you are to keep from damaging. Maybe I missed something...? We are both confused by your reply.*
<Sorry for the confusion! It's almost impossible not to rip some of the fronds when harvesting Caulerpa, but you can gently pull lengths of it out in clumps. You just don't want to radically rip it out, because there are numerous toxic compounds that can be released into the water which are not too good for the life in your tank. In the long run, I'd eliminate Caulerpa. just ask Anthony- he loves to tell people that "Friends don't let friends by Caulerpa!"
>do harvest it regularly-a good source of nutrient export. Be careful not to rip the fronds while doing this. Keep reading on the wetwebmedia site for more information on maintenance.>
*Thank you again for all your time and effort, the website itself is such a plethora of information that I'm sure I miss some things every time I'm there! I hope I was able to clarify our situation for you.
Take care :)
Kelly (and Daniel)
in Houston
<Glad I could help-let us know if you have any more questions- Regards, Scott F.>

Toxic Water (Nitrates)
Hi, I am having a problem with my tank. Last month my nitrates were 200 and my nitrites were 10.
<Ugh!>
I don't understand how because I did a 20% water change monthly.
<Well, lets work this through. Let us assume your tank produces 1 ppm nitrate per month. Now, you do a water change of 20% each month and lets also assume (which is not always true) that the new water you use has zero nitrates. The 1 ppm you had at the end of the first month is now (after the water change) 0.8 ppm. Now after the second month, you have 1.8 ppm nitrates, which you do a water change and bring it down to 1.44 ppm. Month three, it increased to 2.44 and was brought down to 1.95 ppm. Do you get the progression? Nitrates accumulate and need to be monitored monthly, so you can later your husbandry.>
My tank is 55 gallons and my filtration includes a wet-dry good up to 150 gallons and a Prizm skimmer good up to 75 gallons.
<Your Prizm needs to be accumulating a cup of dark skimmate everyday.>
I also have a UV sterilizer 200 watt. I did a 50% water change and that didn't not bring the levels down.
<It should have cut the levels in half. Perhaps your test kit is inaccurate or not sensitive enough to distinguish between 100 and 200 ppm. Both are too high. The other possibility is to check your new saltwater. It may not be free from nitrates, either from the raw water you are using or from your salt mix.>
I put a nitrate sponge in my sump as well as activated carbon.
<IME, these have little to no impact.>
I also put a Polyfilter in my drip pan. I cut back on feeding to once every other day too. The levels after one week were nitrates 200 and nitrites 0.5 ppm.
<Well, at least the nitrites have gone down.>
I noticed my dogface puffer has been getting ich off and on for the past month since these levels were elevated, tonight he is covered with it. My levels from yesterday were salinity 1.021, temp 80, nitrates 200, nitrites 0.5 ppm. What can I do to get them down?
<A series of 50% water changes using nitrate free water.>
I did a 10% water change yesterday.
<This will do next to nothing.>
Should I do these daily or weekly?
<I would perform a 50% water change every other day until your nitrates have dropped to 20 ppm.>
What percentage should I be doing?
<See above>
Please help. Thank you. JPK
<Good luck! -Steven Pro>

Does eliminating bio balls help eliminate nitrate
Dear Bob,
<Gage here this evening.>
I had the opportunity pleasure to meet you many years ago, (about 5 years) back in Monroeville PA. This is where I lived and worked in the trade for about 5 years before returning to my native home of California. I moved from Pittsburgh to Rancho Santa (South Orange County) back in 99 where I still live today.
I have a question with regards to the true "Berlin" system. If I am correct, the true Berlin system is a bare bottom tank with good circulation, live rock, sump and a good proteins skimmer and micron prefilters.
The main goal is to eliminate the need for any outside biological filtering media such as bio balls, with the purpose of eliminating a breading ground for Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria, which then eliminates the nitrogen cycle and it's final waste product of Nitrate. Does this make since......if not bare with me.
Nitrobacter bacteria grow on any and all surface areas that are provided with oxygenated water, and they only colonies in amounts that are needed based on the waist load. So, if you have a sump with bio balls, how could this contribute to the nitrate problem; If the bio balls are available, the bacteria will colonies on them, and it will also grow on other surface areas in the aquarium (liverock, glass walls, etc).
If the bio balls are removed, since the Nitrobacter bacteria only grows to the amount needed, the same amount of bacteria would then just colonies in other areas of the aquarium system, still producing the same amount of nitrate, which is then removed by skimming and water changes.
So my question is: Does eliminating bio balls really help reduce nitrate?
<Sort of. If you remove the bio balls you will need to replace them with something else, like more live rock. Pound for pound the live rock is much better at filtering your water and removing nitrates.>
or am I completely wrong in my theory because the skimmer is suppose to remove all waste before the nitrogen cycle has a chance to happen?
<The nitrogen cycle is going to happen no matter what. Using live rock in your filter instead of bio balls will ensure that you are better equipped to handle the nitrogen cycle. Check out the link below for some good info http://wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm>
Thanks for your time with regards to this matter. Sincerely, Mike Proctor
P.S. Tell Anthony I said hello...he might remember me as "The Fish Guy", my aquarium service in Monroeville.
<will be sure to, best regards, Gage>

Location of articles specifically explaining benefit of removing biomedia from wet dry filter
Hello and thank you for reading this. 
<Hi Richard>
I have gone through most of your articles regarding the benefits of removing the bio media in a wet dry filter. My question is what specifically is the benefit of removing the bio media from the wet dry trickle filter. 
<These bio-media convert nitrite to nitrate as a dead-end process awaiting your export via water change. Removing them and relying instead on 1 -1.5 lbs of live rock per gallon and deep sand beds further breaks the nitrate down to it's gaseous form in the deep anoxic recesses in the rock and sand and it rises to the surface of the water. This does not preclude removing other non-nitrogenous wastes and replacing vital elements with regular water changes.> 
I understand from your articles that the live rock and live sand will do the job of the plates or bio balls or whatever was in the wet dry. But specifically what is the benefit. For example does live rock and live sand take the denitrification a step further, for example convert nitrates into some other substance?
<Yes, gaseous form, as above>
Does relying on the live rock and live sand remove the need for water changes? 
<No.>
I currently am using a wet dry trickle filter as well as live rock and live sand in a 90 gallon tank. The inhabitants include three damsels two perculas about 30- 40 pounds of mixed live rock and 3-4 inches of live aragonite sand. Things are going fine everything is thriving as long as I change around 20 gallons of water a month. Will removing the bio media in my wet dry trickle filter improve my water quality to the degree that water changes are no longer needed or are needed less frequently? If you would kindly point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate the insight. Thanks. Richard Slocum
<I would advise adding more LR before removing the wet/dry although you have a relatively light bio-load. There is much more on live rock and sand on WetWebMedia.com. Scroll to the bottom of the page and type "live rock" into the google search engine. Craig> 

Source of Nitrates
Hi. I was wondering if my elevation in nitrates (200 ppm) can be the result of my 200 watt UV sterilizer on my 55 gallon aquarium?
<Nope>
Is the UV light killing off all the good bacteria to get rid of the nitrates?
<No, UV's only kill what is passed through them. Denitrifying bacteria only occur in low oxygen environments; deep sand beds and deep inside porous live rock. They would never be free floating and going through the UV. Nitrates accumulate from overfeeding, overstocking, poor nutrient export, not large enough or frequent enough water changes, from low grade salt mixes, from source water, etc. Please examine these possibilities and take corrective measures.>
Thanks, JPK
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Nitrate Nightmare
Hi WWM Crew!
<Scott F. here today!>
I have a 55g FOWLR, 120g FOWLR and a 20g tank that is currently without fish but running. I have had constant problems with  high nitrates in all three of my tanks.  I recently changed from buying  water from my LFS to mixing and storing my own salt water. I store and  mix the water in a 30g trash can with 2 powerheads constantly running. I haven't yet, but I also intend to add a heater.  So far I have only been using the container for makeup water, so on my first run of using it for a water change, I mixed the salt and Amquel and let the water aerate for 2 days before doing a water change.  Immediately after doing a 20g water change to my 120g tank, I did a water test that indicated the nitrates were high in the tank.
<May be in part because of high nitrate present in source water, but also possibly due to husbandry. Do re-visit your maintenance procedures, feeding, skimming, etc., to make sure that these factors are not contributing to the problem. Fortunately, these are easy to correct!>
I have the Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit that uses a color chart for readings, so it's very hard to tell exact numbers, but let's just say it read that the nitrates were fairly high. Anyway, after realizing that the nitrates were high in the tank, I tested the stored water.  I realize that I should've tested it before doing the water change, but I'm learning as I go.  : )
<Hey- at least you're testing! That's great. Don't be so hard on yourself!>
I found that the pH level was low, so next time I will buffer the water to bring it to 8.2.
<Good procedure>
I also  found that the nitrites were high
<Bingo!>
....this is where my query comes in.  My thinking on the issue is that by using Amquel to get rid of chlorine and ammonia, the ammonia is converting to nitrite during storage and then to nitrate in the tank.  Does this sound logical?
<A very interesting theory, but I'm inclined to believe that the fresh water was high in nitrate to begin with, and certainly not helping the existing nitrate situation in your tanks. When you're starting out with source water that's, say, 5ppm or more nitrate, you're "behind the eight ball" already!>
If so, what can I do to remedy the problem? If this explanation doesn't sound right, what do you suggest?
<I'd recommend that you invest in a good RO/DI unit that can produce virtually pure water at a modest cost. This way, at least you can be assured that you're starting with good source water>
Seeing that I have 3 tanks, it got to be quite cumbersome getting saltwater from the store, so I really want to learn to mix my own water.
<Agreed- been there- done that!>
Does this sound like a problem that a chemical tap water purifier could fix or is an RO/DI unit in order, or is there something else that I'm missing?
<Nope- as above- an RO/DI should help. But do investigate husbandry, maintenance, etc. to help reduce nitrate levels in your tanks.>
Thanks in advance for your help.  You guys are the coolest!
<Not as cool as our readers! Keep up your efforts at learning and improving your systems! You're doing great! Regards, Scott F.>

Rubbermaid got nitrate
Looking to set up a Rubbermaid 150 gal sump out of one of there stock tanks. Question is, do you know if Rubbermaid has nitrate in the plastic? Have heard that this might be a problem for a reef tank.  Thanks.
<Mmm, made of Polyethylene... carbon, hydrogen, oxygen... no nitrogen... no nitrate. No problem. Bob Fenner>

Dastardly Dascyllus Behavior
Steven,
You can disregard the question on the clown (Waddles). As of this morning, he is eating and swimming all over the tank. Hope his days of being stress-free are over.
<I am glad to hear it.>
As for my Domino, so far so good and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
<You can hope, but this fish is going to be a fish. No changing its behavior. Domino's are categorically one of the meanest fish out there.>
I know he'll eventually have to go, as I wish to purchase some Cardinalfish in the future.
<Agreed>
As for my second question, I don't think you answered it.
<Perhaps I was not clear enough.>
My nitrates (been at this same level for 2-1/2 weeks or so) seem to be "stuck" at 25 mg/L (according to the test) and the guy at the LFS suggested I make a 20% water change since in his opinion, the tank seems to be "stuck" at the end of it's cycle.
<You LFS guy is incorrect about the cycle. You said you tank is run with an undergravel filter. If so, you will always have nitrates. You do not have a sand bed and are therefore unable to culture denitrifying bacteria. You will always have nitrates that you will have to continually try to dilute with water changes.>
Been up and running for 6 weeks, ammonia zero, salinity is normal. What is your advice on this? Should I make a water change?
<Yes, but do not think that eventually you will not have a need for them. Even with a DSB and complete denitrification there is always a need for water changes.>
Thanks, Maureen
<You are welcome. If I was not clear enough or you need further explanation, feel free to email again. -Steven Pro>

Unhappy new addition??
Hi there again, guys!
I have a zillion more questions for you, but I'll limit this session to just two. I have a 20 gallon saltwater, UGF, etc. I purchased a tank raised Percula clown yesterday, acclimated him, and he seemed okay. My yellow-tail blue damsel started attacking him and wouldn't leave him alone. He even tried to bite! He was smacking him in his face with it's tail and had him cornered and wouldn't let up.
<This is not unusual behavior for damsels. They are inherently territorial and aggressive.>
Needless to say that the damsel is now gone, but the clown (Waddles) is still hiding and won't eat. I had to really move around some rock to get that little @#*&@ out. Is he still unbelievable stressed or should he have a companion (there were 4 in his tank at the LFS)?
<I would bet on stress, damage, even just plain old fear.>
My Domino damsel doesn't bother him.
<No yet!>
Any suggestions?
<I always try to plan out every fish I put in a tank before I put any in. Come up with a game plan and you will have fewer problems like this in the future.>
Now on to question number 2. My tank has been up and running for over 6 weeks and my nitrates are still hovering around 25 ppm (according to how the test reads). The guy at the LFS suggested that I do a 20% water change since in his opinion it seems my tank is "stuck" (ammonia zero, salinity is normal). The nitrates have been at this level for about 2-1/2 weeks, maybe a little longer. Any suggestions on that as well?
<I am a bit confused. You will always have nitrates with an undergravel filter. You do not have a Deep Sand Bed to perform denitrification. Perhaps you should invest in Mike Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium." It is an excellent first book. Very easy to read and pretty short, too.>
Thanks again, Maureen
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Nitrate Problem
I have a 72 gallon Salt tank setup for over 18 months now and during that time have had an incredible problem with nitrate levels in the tank.  I am currently using 2 Emperor 400 filters and a Fluval 280 on the tank as well as a red sea skimmer for protein.
<Bodda boom bodda bing! I think we may have found the source of the nitrates. Are you replacing the filter material in these canisters regularly? If you're slack with the maintenance of the filtration equipment that you mentioned, you will definitely have nitrates>
During the time that we have had the tank we have always had a problem getting nitrates under control: at best we did have the nitrates down to 5ppm but then again the nitrates spiked to over 150ppm.
<That is excessive. This could also be a sign of overstocking. Is the stocking rate of the tank realistic?>
We have tried everything from water changes every 3-5 weeks to at this point I am running nearly a lb of Denitrate in the various filters.  
<I feel pretty sure the problem is the old filter media. Change the media regularly (weekly) but don't remove all the media in all the filters at once. Have a rotating schedule...do water changes weekly, and analyze your stocking level. This should take care of it. Oh...I also see no mention of live rock>
This does seem to be helping as now the nitrates are starting to fall but I was curious as to any other suggestions that you may have.  Thank you.
<My friend, you are correct. As you seem to realize what good does it do to treat the symptom without finding the cause? Check out wetwebmedia.com for more information. David Dowless>

Information overload...HELP!  11/12/2005
Thank-you for your help in advance. I've been a long time African Cichlid keeper starting out with a 10 gallon tank and working my way up to my existing 150 gallon bow front tank. I took time and patience in learning all I could through reading and the knowledge of others. Then, one fine day the salt water bug bite me. I'd like to convert my 150 gal in the future but right now I am using a 29 gallon starter tank to "get my hands wet" so to speak. 
Here is how things look so far: 40 lbs live sand, 40 lbs live rock, Red Sea Prizm protein skimmer that actually works (have read lots of not so good things), 1 rotating power head, Eheim Prof 2 2126 (with only filter pads and Chemi-pure) mostly for water movement and nitrate control and my lighting is 130w=12,000k, 420 actinic blue pc with 4 moonlight for lovely night time viewing. 
Specific Gravity 1.024, temp 81 deg, ph 8.4, ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, calcium 410(use Kalkwasser drip once a week to replace 1gal of evaporation), GH/kH 8, but nitrate is always at 20ppm.
<"It's your filtration">
I do 10 percent water changes weekly as well as rinse/replace filter pads. Stock= 1 yellow tail damsel, 2 blue damsels, lawnmower blenny, sand sifting star, tiger striped star, fancy red star, multiple blue legged crags and a few snails. Not to mention all the beautiful life on the live rock. Now to my question -What am I doing wrong that my nitrates are so high?
<Mmm, nothing... due to your filtration mode, maintenance... See WWM re canister filters, maint...>
Any advice with my set-up?
<Mmm, not on this one, but I would read... maybe a few good marine aquarium books (biblio. on WWM), and our general marine aquarium set-up articles and FAQs files>
And with my current set-up would it be possible to have corals and the like?
<... some>
Worth noting- before using the Eheim I was using a Penguin 350 Bio-wheel filter but opted for more water movement. Thank you for your insight. Frankie
<I might put the Biowheel back on and run it at the same time. Bob Fenner> 

Trickle Filters as Nitrate Factories
I am a newbie and just found your site a couple of days ago. I can't leave it alone and can't tell you how much I've learned in a short period.
<Glad to hear it.>
Anyway I had a question that's been bugging me. I have read several places that trickle filters are nitrate factories. Wouldn't any biological filter stop generating nitrates as soon as the supply of ammonia and nitrites is depleted (which is what I want anyway)?
<Ammonia is produced constantly in our aquariums. The thing is when your tank is completely "cycled" the ammonia is converted/consumed nearly instantly into nitrate so that at any given time you get a zero reading from your ammonia test kit. Pretty much the same thing happens with nitrite, too. The main drawback to trickle filters is their incredible ability to nitrify many dissolved organics and turn them into nitrate too. You would much rather see your protein skimmer grab a hold of these compounds and export them from the system instead.>
Thanks, Darrell
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

High Phosphates and Nitrates
Hello,
I am posting this for a friend from my salt club, can you help?
<I'll try>
“I have been having some water chemistry problems lately that I can not figure out, so I am going to put it out there for you all to help with. About 2 months ago, I started getting high nitrate readings along with moderately high phos. Everything I have tried to get these down has failed or only worked for a short time, which equals failed in my book. I have nothing missing in the way of livestock, most of my corals are now doing fine, with the exception of the birds nest frag I got at the swap. I have tested the makeup water and it does not read any nitrate or phos. either. Tank readings this am are. pH. 8.0 (buffer added), Nitrite 0mg/L, Nitrate
>110 on one kit >120 on another, Phos. 1.0mg/L, Ammonia, 0 on both kits, KH 110, CA 300 (today is Kalk day).
<Elevating the pH with the Kalkwasser to about 8.5 (temporarily, it will drop soon on its own) will precipitate out most of the soluble phosphate here... But its source?...>
Tank is a 55 gal with 4-5in DSB, HOB BakPak skimmer, 4 Powerheads for circulation, Temp. remains at 78. Inhabitants: 2 tangs, 2 midas blennies, 1 blue damsel, 1 lawnmower, emerald and sally lightfoot crabs, 2 conch with multiple babies, 5 starfish of different varieties with multiple baby ones.
About 70lbs LR, Multiple corals of all varieties (SPS, LPS, Softies). Coralline growth is great. No nuisance algae. I have been struggling with red Cyano, but it appears to be controlled now.
<Here's a clue>
Photoperiod is 14hrs, first and last 2hrs are actinic only from 220w pc lighting. Any ideas? Suggestions?”
<It may well be that the measurable nitrate, phosphate are coming from the dissolving Cyanobacteria... or perhaps a mineral source in the system (substrate, rock...), overfeeding... Please have your friend read through this section of our root web: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm and the linked FAQs files there. Bob Fenner>

High Phosphates and Nitrates
Hello,
I am posting this for a friend from my salt club, can you help?
<I will try.>
“I have been having some water chemistry problems lately that I cannot figure out, so I am going to put it out there for you all to help with. About 2 months ago, I started getting high nitrate readings along with moderately high phosphate. Everything I have tried to get these down has failed or only worked for a short time, which equals failed in my book.
<Agreed. This type of problem needs to be attacked at the root cause, not by attacking the symptoms.>
I have nothing missing in the way of livestock, most of my corals are now doing fine, with the exception of the birds nest frag I got at the swap.
<Phosphate is a known inhibitor of calcification.>
I have tested the makeup water and it does not read any nitrate or phosphate either.
<Is this some sort of purified water, RO or DI? Either one is preferable to tap water.>
Tank readings this am are pH 8.0 (buffer added), Nitrite 0 mg/L, Nitrate
>110 on one kit >120 on another,
<Indeed, quite high.>
Phosphate 1.0 mg/L,
<This will fuel nuisance algae, if not now, soon, particularly Cyanobacteria.>
Ammonia 0 on both kits, KH 110, CA 300 (today is Kalk day).
Tank is a 55 gallon with 4-5 inch DSB, HOB Bak-Pak skimmer, 4 Powerheads for circulation, Temperature remains at 78. Inhabitants: 2 tangs, 2 midas blennies, 1 blue damsel, 1 lawnmower, emerald and sally lightfoot crabs, 2 conch with multiple babies, 5 starfish of different varieties with multiple baby ones. About 70 lbs LR, multiple corals of all varieties (SPS, LPS, Softies). Coralline growth is great. No nuisance algae.
<Surprising!>
I have been struggling with red Cyanobacteria, but it appears to be controlled now. Photo period is 14 hours, first and last 2 hours are actinic only from 220w PC lighting. Any ideas? Suggestions?
<Many possibilities. Over feeding, feeding inappropriate foods, inadequate nutrient export processes, not large enough or frequent enough water changes, etc. Not enough information given at this point for a definitive answer. -Steven Pro>

Nitrates... No. Big fish and a Shoehorn... 
Hello Bob and Crew, I have been reading all the articles on your site and am amazed, has to be the most informative site on the net, and I thought my old site was something, lol,
<thanks kindly!>
just looking for a suggestion, I have a 130g tank with a Picasso trigger, red coris wrasse (Bob's fave and mine), Naso and blue tangs, queen angel, tomato clown, cleaner wrasse (I know), long spine and pencil urchins, oh ya, and a volitans lionfish and snowflake eel,
<OK... first suggestion is to get a bigger tank ASAP. We must be responsible when planning for the adult sizes of our fishes without any unnatural, unhealthy or unrealistic hope of fishes stunting but not dieing prematurely. You have names seven fishes that approach or exceed one foot in length as adults!!! Yowsa, bud>
I have been changing 20g a week, my nitrates have been at 10ppm,climbing to 20 at water change time, but now they have been at 20 climbing to 40 and above,
<no surprise here... way too many fishes>
I had a fluidized bed (Marineland) and got rid of it after reading some articles, but has not reduced the nitrates, I have a wet/dry running, a good protein skimmer, a 16w U.V (Laguna), and recently have added an AquaClear 'quick filter" into the tank for better circulation, could the filter attached to this be my problem? This increase has started after adding this, coincidence?,
<no my friend... your fishes and tank are simply maturing. The nitrate is an inevitable by-product. Removing the fluidized bed was a good guess... it was the biggest "nitrate" producer in the system (besides the fish load...heehee)> 
I have floss as well as carbon and a phosphate removal pad in the first tray of the wet/dry, which I change regularly, and floss and bioballs in the main part which I do not change, this tank has been running 6-8 months, any thoughts are greatly appreciated,
<this is an easy one bud... thin the fish out or mother nature will do it for you. "Mysterious deaths" in the next year in your tank won't be so "mysterious">
I do run tap water, age it for a few days in my salt mix container, with some "prime", our water here is not that bad I think, and all fish are doing well, with the exception of the blue tang that always has ich (hence the cleaner wrasse), thanks guys.....riotfishdude
<If you have a significant other, tell her I said it is OK for you to buy a 500 gallon aquarium :) Best regards, Anthony>

Nitrates
Hello Bob and Crew, I have been reading all the articles on your site and am amazed, has to be the most informative site on the net, and I thought my old site was something, lol, just looking for a suggestion. I have a 130 gallon tank with a Picasso trigger, red coris wrasse (Bob's fave and mine), Naso and blue tangs, queen angel, tomato clown, cleaner wrasse (I know), long spine and pencil urchins, oh ya, and a volitans lionfish and snowflake eel,
<You are or will be very overcrowded once these fish mature.>
I have been changing 20 gallons a week, my nitrates have been at 10ppm, climbing to 20 at water change time, but now they have been at 20 climbing to 40 and above, I had a fluidized bed (Marineland) and got rid of it after reading some articles, but has not reduced the nitrates, I have a wet/dry running,
<You W/D is contributing to your nitrate problem, but so is the sheer number and size of your fish. This is one instance where I like W/D's, for tanks with big messy fish.>
a good protein skimmer,
<This should easily be removing a cup per day.>
a 16w U.V (Laguna), and recently have added an AquaClear "quick filter" into the tank for better circulation, could the filter attached to this be my problem?
<No>
this increase has started after adding this, coincidence?
<Yes, coincidence.>
I have floss as well as carbon and a phosphate removal pad in the first tray of the wet/dry, which I change regularly,
<I would recommend cleaning the prefilter on the W/D daily. This would do a lot to remove organics and lower your nitrates.>
and floss and bioballs in the main part which I do not change,
<I do not like the floss in the W/D chamber.>
this tank has been running 6-8 months, any thoughts are greatly appreciated, I do run tap water,
<Another source of nitrates>
age it for a few days in my salt mix container, with some "prime", our water here is not that bad I think, and all fish are doing well, with the exception of the blue tang that always has ich (hence the cleaner wrasse)
thanks guys.....riotfishdude
<Make sure your skimmer is putting out, clean the prefilters everyday, and perhaps switch to RO or DI water, and your nitrate levels should come down. You are going to have to work to keep this bioload in your tank. -Steven Pro>

Nitrate Levels After Reverse Osmosis?
Are there nitrates existing in r/o water ? If so how much? And, is there any way of ridding nitrates before putting r/o water in your tank? 
<Nick, if your membrane in the R/O filter is good, your water should be 97/98% pure. I would do a nitrate test of your tap water and see what the nitrates are out of the tap, if any. I would concentrate on getting the R/O filter working properly rather than incur extra expense in removing nitrates from R/O water. Nick, in future queries please watch your caps and abbreviations. It does save the editor work as these queries have to be corrected before they can be placed in the FAQ's. Thanks in advance. James (Salty Dog)>
Thank you 
<You're welcome> 

Lowering Nitrates
Dear Mr. Fenner,
<Steven pro this evening.>
I have a 155 gallon tank, 20 gallon sump with 10 gallons in it and a 20 gallon refugium. 55 lbs live sand in the tank, 110lbs live rock the tank is 4 months old with 3/4 of the rocks coming from an established tank that was taken apart. I have approximately fourteen, 1 to 1 1/2 inch fish ( clowns, purple Pseudochromis, Banggai cardinal, etc)
for a total of 18 fish in all. I have 50 blue leg and red leg crabs, 20 to 25 turbo snails, Caulerpa growing in the tank. I have mushrooms, Goniopora, star polyps, toad stool and a nitrate level of 20ppm. The refugium was just installed this week with reverse light cycle all other tests are in the correct range. Even with water changes I cannot get the nitrate level lower than 20. Will the refugium help? Please help me. Thank you, Nick.
<The refugium will help somewhat. Aggressive protein skimming, use of purified water for top-off and water changes, as well as proper feeding will all help, too. -Steven Pro>

The 160 is reading 80ppm for nitrates
I have two tanks, one 160 (fish only), and one 55 (reef). The 160 is reading 80ppm for nitrates, even with Chemi pure in the sump, and the 55 is reading about 50ppm, way to high for inverts. I have been doing water changes once a week, at about a 30% replenishment rate for each month.
Should I increase the amount of water changed, and/ or are there any truly reliable products (reactors or sponges) that can eliminate this stress to the tanks?
While I am at it, is Maracyn safe for treating infections with out harming the denitrifying bacteria?
Thanks, Tom Griffith
>>
Do look into more "biological means" of addressing your nitrate concentrations/excess... Do you have much in the way of live rock, macro-algae... have you considered setting up a natural nitrate reduction area... maybe in a sump... with some Caulerpa algae and a light even? Where are your excess nitrates originating? Do you have plastic wet-dry media, a fluidized bed filter? Overfeeding highly-proteinaceous foods?
No to larger water changes, and the use of chemical filtrants for this purpose (lowering nitrates). And Maracyn (tm), erythromycin won't harm nitrifying bacteria.
Bob Fenner

Nitrate factory
Hi Bob,
I've noticed that you are not a big fan of "trickle filters," stating that they are a nitrate factory. What is your opinion of the "bio-wheel?" Isn't that the same type of effect as a trickle filter? Are they also considered a nitrate factory?
Thank again for your excellent advise and your daily Q&A - you've helped me tremendously.
>>
Yes, both wet-dry media and the type of wet-dry media called "wheels" over-drive nitrification. In the absence of sufficient nitrate-using life, anaerobic media (live rock, plenums, Siporax Beads, Ehfi-Mech... ) they can/do cause accumulated/ing nitrate anomalies. Bob Fenner

Salt Water Aquarium addict
Robert,
Hello again...
The facts again...
I currently have set up:
55 Gal SWA
w/ UGF w/ 4 power heads (250 MaxiJets)
w/ 1 Eheim 2213 CF
w/ 1 Sea-clone Protein Skimmer
40 lbs crushed coral
15 lbs crushed shells
approx. 50lbs of live rock
In the tank are:
3 Yellow-tailed Damsels
2 False Percula Clown (one is new addition)
1 Porcupine Puffer (new addition - one week, so far, so good)
1 Yellow Tang (new addition)
1 Banggai Cardinal (new addition)
1 Mushroom rock( 6-8 Mushrooms)
Clean-up crew include:
3 Emerald crabs
15-20 Scarlet hermits
10-15 Blue leg hermits
4 Trochus snails
2 Astrea snails
Questions:
Regarding feeding, What, how much and how often?
(I have frozen formula-1, frozen brine shrimp, brown marine algae, flake food)
<Twice a day... while the lights will still be on for an hour in the latter part of the day... try to fake the Puffer out or it will eat most everything>
I looked for compatibility charts on your site, but with no luck.
<Mmm, these are of limited validity/utility... unless down to the specific/species level... at least>
Can you tell me what invert is compatible with a porcupine puffer, specifically?
<Absolutely speaking, none. Will likely sample most everything in such a small system>
For my particular situation with nitrates at ~15PPM, should I increase live rock, add macro-algae (if so what type), and/or increase amount of time lights are on per day?
<They'll be higher with the puffer, your too-small skimmer... yes to more live rock, check the algae coverage on the WWM site... for species of Caulerpas, Halimedas...>
As always, your help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Brian Bottarini
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner>

Nitrates, Public Education, Stores
I can not seem to get the nitrate lower than 40 in either one of my aquariums. I do frequent water changes and one of the aquariums I have used nitrate sponge.
Is it okay if it does not get lower than 40.
<Please read over the FAQs section on the Marine Index on the site: www.WetWebMedia.com re Nitrates... not hard to reduce by getting rid of nitrification over-driving mechanisms (fluidized beds, plastic bio media in wet dry filters...) and culturing Green et al. Algae...>
everything else is at 0 and ph is usually 8.1. Also I talked to the pet store about a mandarin goby and they say they are bottom feeders and they are not hard to keep but everything I read on the computer says they are hard to keep because they usually starve to death. In your opinion which is correct? 
<The vast majority of these fishes do starve to death in captivity... see the section re them on the WWM site>
It is very confusing when you get different information. If the salt gets high will this kill a fish that is not hardy like I read about a mandarin. Would he more likely die from starvation or if the salt is high. A mandarin goby died and when they checked the salt it was high but I wondered if that is what killed him or starvation.
<Perhaps there is a synergistic effect.>
People I have talked to say they have only been able to keep a mandarin goby for a month, one said seven months but the pet store people talk like they do fine.
No big deal they just eat what the other fish do not eat and the green algae. What is your opinion? Thanks for your help. LS
<My overall opinion? Find another store to shop at. Bob Fenner>

Nitrates and Wet/Dry Filter
Hi Bob,
Once again I need some advice. The unbiased advice you give out is hard to come by. 
<I try to be objective... but as you know "attention is narrowed perception" and no one can hope to know but a bit of what is currently understood... and this pales to what is unknown...>
I appreciate it very much, as I'm sure do all of the other visitors to your site. I have read through the web site information and all the FAQ's in regard to wet dry filter setups. I have an AMiracle wet dry setup (good bad or downright ugly)? 
<I think an okay unit... seem to be well-built, last... I don't especially endorse them for their wet-dry components...>
of last years design, with a protein skimmer , 8 watt UV and four powerheads on a 40 gallon tall tank. My nitrates rarely spike over 20 mg/L as tested by Hagen's kit. They are usually under or in the range of 10mg/L. Now my confusion over nitrate factories as you call them is this:
I have had some problems with nitrates in the past. As a solution, I tried lowering the level of water in the filter as to create more air space. My filter now has just enough water in the bottom as not cause the pump to draw air or cavitate. 
<Interesting...>
According to your writings, that should cause a spike in nitrates, No? 
<Not necessarily... a few other factors could/can easily sway an/the equation (nitrification back and forth to denitrification...)>
I also removed some bio balls and replaced the empty space with a fibrous high surface area filter board. 
This board rests just below drip plate at the top of the filter box and the remaining bio balls, out of the water all of the time. Is this the reason my nitrates went down?
<Good idea>
Or was it simply the removal of the bio balls. 
<Perhaps an experiment with just this one tank could prove out the answer here>
This brings me to my next question.
Uh-oh you say. Does the live rock in the tank act as denitrifiers? 
<Of a certainty yes... but how much? Would your "nitrate spikes" be more frequent, persistent without the live rock... I think so>
In the tank I have approximately 50 pounds of live rock with a few pieces of lace rock as building blocks on a bed of only a couple pounds of live sand. I have almost no algae growth save for the back glass which I allow to grow and is green.
And finally, I know you suggest removal of the bio balls. What do I place in the filter then? Live rock? More of the fiber board? Coral, ground or skeletal pieces? More water?
<My choice? Live rock and/or the skeletal pieces... Caulerpa algae and lighting... and more water... as much as is "safe" (for when the power goes off, or your pump fails...>
If more water is part of the solution, what percentage of the filter medium should be submerged full time? Why do I feel my filter is about to morph from a wet dry to a wet wet? 
<It may well do so... submersed or not media with air, dissolved atmosphere will drive nitrification... the forward reaction ammonia to nitrites to nitrates...>
As I read in another query, should I place the bio balls in the down tube to subdue the gurgling of the filter? 
<I wouldn't, unless...>
Does it matter, will it help?
<Only to reduce noise...>
I really can't afford to upgrade to new filter at this time, so how can I work with what I've got?
<Read over the Algae Filters piece and FAQs and Caulerpa and FAQs on the www.WetWebMedia.com site... think you're moving in a right direction... you're obviously concerned, thinking, caring about your livestock, system... I'm with you>
Thanks for expert help. By the way, all tank mates which include fish, inverts and corals are healthy. All other tank readings are within normal ranges with no anomalies. I do a five gallon change weekly or thereabouts.
All water starts as RO. Thanks again. Brett
<Sounds good. Be chatting, Bob Fenner>

Previous aquarium setup, with high Nitrates
Hello Bob,
Many thanks for clearing up my lighting disillusion/confusion.
Before I pick your brain I want to get your opinion on which of the following lighting would be most beneficial.
I found some VHO lamps using the iceberg transformer, I think they were Formosa lights, a 2x110 watts 47" in length. How do these compare to the 4x65 watt Power compacts? Any advantages either way?
<Unfamiliar with this make/model... but Very High Output fluorescents are the next best thing to CFs in general. Maybe search for "Formosa", "Iceberg" on the net, get the address, more info. from labels on the unit?>
Now for my pondering of my current situation. I have the 55 Gal Show style aquarium that I have been running for about 5 years. I could never keep a yellow tang, but otherwise I would generally get about a year out of other species except for a spotted scat which I had for 4 years. About two months ago I bought a Coral Beauty Angel and a Saddle Back Clown. I put them in with the only fish I had at the time, the Spotted Scat (he/she had been alone for about a year). The two new fish seemed to be doing great, very active, no quick breathing, and ate well. Three weeks later, from the closest Fish store I have, I purchased a Powder Brown Tang and a Arc Eye Hawk(?), along with some sort of anemone that was according to the fish store on of the cheapest available. After about two weeks, everyone had been doing fine, eating, sleeping, reading, etc., the fish were doing OK as well. (humor). Then it appeared I got a good/bad case of Marine Velvet.
Lost everything in a matter of 2 days. I suspect possibly coming from the locale (new word)<a good one> fish store, not very attractive. This is why I am going to start things from scratch, going with LR and so forth.
<Yikes>
My question is originated around Nitrate levels, they were always exceedingly high, like according to my test kit around 140 ppm. I'd do regular water changes about every two weeks, using pre stored tap water and then storing the mixed salt content a couple of extra days, about 5 gallons at a time. My floor bed consists of crushed coral approx. 2", and landscape was the new synthetic Lava Rock. I gather that I probably had to much crushed coral, has it because it was what the fish store told me to get. My filtration in this setup was a Marineland 330 Bio, and a Visi-jet skimmer (undersize and very busy). <y Nitrates were never at 0, but they were less than .25 ppm. 
<I suspect you mean nitrites... and the nitrates and this value lead me/you to understand the system was "under filtered" nitrogenously...>
My pH is at roughly 8.2-8.6, color of test water always seemed to be in between those two color chips. My Ammonia is 0 ppm, and my SG is around 1.021-22.
From this, what would you say the Nitrate problem was/is? 
<Insufficient skimming, insufficient denitrating (lack of depth in your substrate, not enough live rock), possibly over or mis-feeding, not enough photosynthesis (too little light, absence of algae...)... many more...>
I am in hopes of going with LS or a minimal coral bed with LR that things with decompose more stabile, aside from being more esthetically pleasing. I even had the high nitrates when it was the Scat alone and I fed him about three times a week.
<Well, now you know why they're called Scats (family Scatophagidae), "Dung Eaters"... Live in scatological conditions in the wild... >
Generally I keep a couple of flake foods, some frozen shrimp and blood worms, along with three varieties of the algae that packaged as dry in the cartoon.
I am going to retain the Marineland 330 Bio for use in a quarantine tank, but I'll keep it on the main system when not in use in the QT. My main filter now is a Rena Filstar XP2, and was told by Chris that I should probably just run the floss filters and carbon in it and let the LR do the bio. I am also getting, on Chris's recommendation, the Remora skimmer, it's rated for a 75 so I assume that would be plenty for the 55, unless you think that you cannot go over kill on the skimmer, then I would opt for the Remora Pro. I will also add three powerheads for water circulation. One thing I am not sure if I need is a UV sterilizer, what do you think on this?
<Leave off the UV, the rest is a sound plan>
I really appreciate your help, I want this next system to be sufficient in it's life supporting capabilities.
I'm sure I'll be talking to you again soon, Rod
<Ahh, good. Look forward to it. Bob Fenner>

Re: Previous aquarium setup, with high Nitrates
Hello Bob,
Little snip here (below), and I did mean Nitrates as you assumed. Busy day, both ways I'm sure. To answer your <y to my undersized and very busy skimmer, I live in a rural part of Kansas and I purchased the original setup through the closest store, it was the best they had.
<I understand. This is... now>
At that time, the internet was not accessible in my area, so my access to knowledge of this type of aquarium was very limited. This time I plan on using the places available on-line to do my equipment and aqua life purchases. Mostly FFE, I figure if you respond from there Q&A they must not be to bad?
<No, but one of many fine places... do shop about>
<Insufficient skimming, insufficient denitrating (lack of depth in your substrate, not enough live rock), possibly over or mis-feeding, not enough photosynthesis (too little light, absence of algae...)... many more...>
Do you mean 2 inch of Crushed coral was not enough? I had been told lately if I go with live rock to use just enough crushed coral to cover the bottom.
<Not "deep enough" to function as an effective denitrator (to use up those excess nitrates), no... Would have to be a few inches deeper depending on grade, composition...>
Should I definitely use Live sand instead? If Coral is OK does it need to be replenished? The Coral in my aquarium is the original 5 year old coral.
<Your live rock will make the sand live... and yes to replenishing, replacing older carbonaceous substrates. Please read the areas posted on the site: www.WetWebMedia.com about "Marine Substrates"... need to be augmented after about a year and a half...>
Ah, I just thought of something else, what type of testing supplies do you recommend, based upon ease of use and dependability? And are they dissolving pellets or liquids? I got a list of the type of tests you like to have checked on one of your Anemone FAQ's.
<Ah, good... and there is a "Test Kits, Use" area on the site as well.>
Thanks, I knew I'd talk to you again
<And soon enough again my friend. Bob Fenner>
Rod

Nitrate problem
Greetings from Texas!
<Howdy>
I need immediate help. My fish-only tank has recently experienced a cycling event, and I think it's because we have a heavy livestock load and my husband and I have been overfeeding them (unintentionally, at different times of the day). 
<This is all-too common>
Plus, we were only doing monthly water changes and should have been doing bi-monthly water changes. As a result, the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates went up and are now in the process of falling (the ammonia's at 0 and the nitrites are at .25), but I have a dilemma. I have a FFE order coming in tomorrow for some Linckias and an XL Fiji bubble anemone, and my nitrates seem to be spiking at 140 ppm! 
<Call and cancel the order, now! or find other quarters for these new animals...>
Aarrgghh! (I know you're shaking your head right now!)
<No... at least you know what's going on... seem to be aware of the need to do what it takes to remedy the situation...>
We did a 20 gallon water change last night and replaced the filter pad in the overflow, which was quite nasty, as well as thoroughly vacuumed the crushed coral gravel. The fish (a yellow tang, a purple tang, 2 percula clowns, 2 green Chromis, 2 blue damsels, a flame angel, a coral beauty angel, a juvenile imperator angel, a juvenile Koran angel, and a Heniochus butterfly) were moved into a 60 gallon quarantine tank and are being treated with copper for a light ich infestation. (Once the copper/quarantine period is over only half the fish will be going back into the main tank.) The only inhabitants in my main tank are some shrimp, hermits, a snowflake moray eel (about 14" in length and as thick as a thumb), and a Pacific cleaner wrasse (which I now know I shouldn't have bought, but I got your book, The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, after the fact -- and as an aside, he's been with me for over a month now but I think his health is declining...his color's not too good, and I can see his little ribs or some other anatomical vertical striations under his skin...what would be the best thing to do for him now? 
<Really... hope... if the fish becomes too emaciated to sacrifice it (euthanasia) by freezing in a bag with some water...>
I didn't know whether to put him in the coppered tank so left him in the main tank.) Back to my main problem -- it's a 75 gallon tank which has been running for about 15 months, and has an overflow box with BioBale, a trickle filter with 5 gallons of bioballs, a protein skimmer, and a 15 watt UV sterilizer. How can I immediately bring down the nitrates in my tank? By removing the bio-material,
<Yes... and adding some live rock, growing some macroalgae... Please see the "Nitrate FAQs" on the "Marine Index" of our website: www.WetWebMedia.com for much more here>
what will serve as my biological filter since I do not have live rock? 
<All the other surfaces in your system...>
I guess I should order some, but it will take a while to cycle and all that, so it's not an immediate help for my current situation. I have some Cycle in the fridge; should I use that?
<Yes>
What about activated charcoal or something similar?
<Polyfilter and activated carbon may help to offset some of the mal-affects of the chemical problems here, but there are no chemical filtrants that will do what you are seeking outright... your system needs to cycle completely (with or w/o live rock help) and be returned to "center" with the removal of biomass, effects of overfeeding... completion of cycles via enhanced denitrification, use of nutrients...>
Thanks in advance for your help!
Sherri J.
<Do read over the WWM site... Bob Fenner>

Re: Nitrate problem
Mr. Fenner,
Thank you for your lightning-quick response. I retested the nitrates, and 12 hours after reading 140 ppm, they have fallen to 80 ppm. Hopefully, the removal of the bio-material, addition of Cycle, another 20 gallon water change tonight, prayers, and time will help. :-) 
<Yes... they will>
It's too late to cancel my invert order as they're on the plane as I type, but if things look bad tomorrow, I know several people who will baby-sit them in their tanks if need be.
<Ah, good plan>
The first thing I do when I have a problem or question is check your website, but there is no article for copper use nor nitrates. 
<Yes... only the FAQ files as of yet have been placed...>
The FAQ's are there, but no article. I'd like to segue way into a copper question I have: I read that tangs have intestinal microbes that are adversely affected by copper treatment, and I have two tangs being treated right now (it's only been 24 hours since the initiation of treatment). Is there anything I should watch for or is the duration of treatment different for these guys? 
<Hmm, just to limit the treatment period to a maximum of two weeks>
Additionally, should I still provide them with Nori on which to graze or try to cut down drastically on feeding during treatment?
<Do feed them>
The less waste, the better, I know, but how much of a feeding reduction is dangerous to their health?
<Always trade-offs in this universe... I feed my livestock ahead of myself...>
Thank again most kindly for your guidance, Sherri J.
<You are certainly welcome my friend. Bob Fenner>

Ex-established...
<Lorenzo Gonzalez, 'playing bob', who's underwater in Asia somewhere>
First off thanks for the awesome Q&A site!!! As a beginner I have really found your site to be extremely helpful. My problem is this...
<We're glad you're enjoying and appreciate it - it's a lot of work on Bob and Mike...>
Four days ago I purchased an established 55 gallon tank from a private owner that has been established for a year and a half.
<Sounds like it's not so established anymore...>
The gentleman I purchased from had aprox 4+ inches of live sand, plus live rock in the tank. When I set it up at home I only installed a 2 inch sand bed and did a 14 gallon water change.
<Depending on how much live rock you had, tossing all that sand must've really done a (bad) number on your nitrogen cycle...>
I have a sump and a wet dry with this system. This tank contains both fish and soft corals. Fish are
             common clown
             Mandarin goby
             yellow tang
             blue spotted Jawfish
             green Chromis
             coral beauty
             blood shrimp
Coral are
             assorted mushrooms
My problem......
         pH           =  8.2
         Ammonia = .5 - .10
         Nitrite      =  0
         Nitrate     = 160+
         Specific gravity  = 1.029 @ 78 degrees
My problem as you can see is the nitrate levels. Should I do a large water change? (20%) I don't want to stress everyone out but this can't be good!!
<Do it anyway. Get a water aging system going, bucket and air-pump, or something similar, so you can do 5-10% water changes everyday until the system gets more stable again.>
The original system did not have a protein skimmer and I have purchased a Aquarium systems VISI-JET-PS. I would like to install this in the sump but it is to big. The manufacturer says that I can cut the bubble tube to fit but wont that decrease the efficiency?
<Yes, it will. But just about any skimmer is better than none.>
Everyone in the tank seems to be doing alright. (except the Jawfish who hasn't come out of his corner which he's been sharing with the blood shrimp since the move).
<Think of all the work a Jawfish puts into building a home, and you'll understand why he's so grouchy... that, and 2 inches isn't nearly enough sand for this fish. That's probably why the original setup had such a deep bed. The fish needs to be able to dig a tunnel at least 50% deeper than he is long, preferable twice as deep... consider making the fish (and shrimp) an hospitable 'mountain' or some such -regards, Lorenzo>

Bailing On Bioballs? (Nitrate Reduction)  10/6/05
I have a 54 gallon 3-4 month marine tank with 55 lbs of Fiji live rock. I have 1 maroon clown, 1 Yellow Tang, 4 Eel Gobies, 1 Black Star Damsel and 1 Maroon Clown Fish. All the fish are very small-2-3 inches. I have a wet/dry trickle filter with bioballs. I am using a AquaC Urchin protein skimmer in the sump. I also have 3 powerheads in the tanks and am using a current USA power compact with dual 65 watt bulbs- one full spectrum daylight and 1 blue actinic. I have about 2 inches of crushed coral aragonite as a substrate. Water parameters are Ammonia zero-Nitrite zero-Phosphate zero- calcium 400-ph 8.0 and salinity 30 * Total Nitrate levels are NOW at 80*.
<Yikes...>
I have easily maintained my Nitrates under 10 with a weekly 3 gallon water change. 2 weeks ago my Phosphate levels were 2.0. I added a phosphate sponge to the trickle filter at that time. This is the only thing different I did to my setup. Within 2 weeks the Phosphate levels dropped to Zero and the Nitrate levels sky rocketed. (Is this coincidence or does this Phosphate pad have something to do with it?) My well water used for water changes has zero phosphate and zero nitrate.
<Glad to hear that you have great source water. That's usually one of the leading causes of nitrate and phosphate in closed systems. The phosphate in your system, of course, was coming from somewhere...The most likely source is feeding. It's often a good idea to revisit husbandry practices which could have lead to this problem in the first place. I'm glad the phosphate has been eliminated...Keep up the good work.>
I am unsure why my Nitrates were below 10 for 3 months and then skyrocketed in 2 weeks without increasing the bioload. My question is should I remove the bio balls?
<I would>
Will the live rock and protein skimmer be enough. My thought is that maybe this nitrate build up is from the bio-balls. How about replacing the bio-balls with live rock. Will this prevent nitrate build up that occurs from a bio-ball type filtration system? I do not want to do a Refugium at this time. I will purchase a Nitrate remover if necessary.
Thanks, Wayne
<Sounds like you're on the right track, Wayne. I'd avoid using a nitrate removing product until you've tried other controls. Do remove the bioballs, as they are extremely efficient removers of ammonia and nitrite, but nitrate tends to accumulate faster than it can be removed in bioball-based systems. Victims of their own success, so to speak! Also, if you are using any mechanical filtration media (such as filter pads, "socks", etc.), be sure to replace/clean them very frequently, as the organic matter and detritus contained within them can degrade water quality. Also, If your intent with the sand bed was to foster denitrification, you probably need to go deeper (3 inches plus). Otherwise, no worry. Just keep up with good husbandry and observation, and you'll be fine! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>