Marine pure...should I ditch it?

[TRPlacek]

I have been struggling to get a nitrate reading for some time now, although I just recently registered .5 ppm but only because I have been over feeding and will not always be able to feed as much and as consistent as I have been. So I'm wondering if I should now ditch the marine pure and if this would have any affect on my nitrate level. Only other things I run for nutrient export now other than marine pure are a refugium with chaeto and live rock and a skimmer rated for double my tank volume. Also I want to stay away from having to dose nitrates so when I go out of town my wife has less to worry about. Tank has been running 1.5 years. Should I take the marine pure out?

Opinions please?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If nitrate is too low, then certainly it is reasonable to remove any nitrate export methods, such as the Marine Pure.

 

[TRPlacek]

Thank you for the reply Randy! I'm happy when my decision is made easy. I was already leaning towards removing it but just needed that extra push.

 

[Reeferdood]

Send it my way, I love that stuff!
Seems strange, I have never heard of having too much bio mass...

 

[TRPlacek]

Send it my way, I love that stuff!
Seems strange, I have never heard of having too much bio mass...

It definitely served its propose! I'm just tired of fighting to get nutrients up in my tank now.

 

[Reeferdood]

How big is your system?
I am 180 gallons and right now I am using one of the big blocks and waiting on the second...
That stuff is awesome, I will always use it..

 

[TRPlacek]

How big is your system?
I am 180 gallons and right now I am using one of the big blocks and waiting on the second...
That stuff is awesome, I will always use it..

90 gallon with 20 gallon sump. I also had the big block but I also have plenty of live rock as well. When I first got it i didn't test for nutrients and I still thought 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate was the goal. I never really had bad algae issues but I figured what could it hurt to bring down my nitrates even more. Well a couple months after adding it and a larger skimmer my coral started paling in color and it took me a long while to realize it was the low nutrients and have been trying to go back to "basics" when my coral was thriving.