Nitrate Problems Help How do i get rid of them forever?????????????

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, I prefer vinegar dosing to vodka dosing, but both work well if done correctly. I also use macroalgae in refugia and lots of live rock in my refugia to help reduce nitrate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The algae types process a little different, a variety is the best. Read up on it and it will explain more. Also plus 1 on Hanna checker for phosphate and for alk. I like Red Sea for the rest.

If that is in response to my question about why you think red algae is good long term and chaeto and caulerpa are for short term, then I'd have to disagree. Chaetomorpha and Caulerpa work perfectly well for long term reduction of nitrate and phosphate (I've used them for more than a decade), and I'm not sure why a variety is better than using the most efficient one. I have used many species together in the past, and ultimately, the Caulerpa racemosa outcompeted most other species since it is presumably better at taking up nutrients than the others are (at leas tin my tank).

 

[Mikesmith34]

I have put it in my refugium twice and its just withers away! I'm not sure if it's my fuge light or too low on nutrients or both. I WANT a it but I just can't keep it. What's ur thoughts

 

[MasterBlaster66T]

Just what I have read, my chateo and caulpera always take over too and have to be trimmed. The red stuff is better for putting in the display since it won't take over as much or take up as much room.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just what I have read, my chateo and caulpera always take over too and have to be trimmed. The red stuff is better for putting in the display since it won't take over as much or take up as much room.

OK, that seems reasonable. It is certainly a big concern getting many Caulerpa species into the main tank. I had that happen and even after a tank breakdown and rock scrubbing, I couldn't get rid of it until I got a foxface fish that readily eats it. Now I move Caulerpa racemosa to my main tank about once a week for the herbivores to eat, as well as for the pods and such it brings in for the other fish.

I never was successful getting red gracilaria to grow in my refugia. Perhaps it was always out competed by something in my system. It is also readily eaten by many fish, so planning to put it int eh display will limit the fish choices.

Chaetomorpha is not a risk of getting overly established in the display tank as it is easily removed (and many fish also eat it).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have put it in my refugium twice and its just withers away! I'm not sure if it's my fuge light or too low on nutrients or both. I WANT a it but I just can't keep it. What's ur thoughts

It is hard to say what is happening. Do you have problems with any other organisms surviving?

 

[Mikesmith34]

It is hard to say what is happening. Do you have problems with any other organisms surviving?

No I have a very heathy tank. No4 .25 po4 0. I just can't seem to keep cheato in my fuge. It loses color it and seems to just melt away. I do vodka carbon dose so I just marked it up to ULNS??? Not enough nutrient for healthy growth is the only thing I can figure.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No I have a very heathy tank. No4 .25 po4 0. I just can't seem to keep cheato in my fuge. It loses color it and seems to just melt away. I do vodka carbon dose so I just marked it up to ULNS??? Not enough nutrient for healthy growth is the only thing I can figure.

It is possible that the nutrients are too low. It is hard to really know, given the uncertainty with testing.

Some iron may help it as well.

 

[chris.griff.353]

It's not how much water you change is how regular you change it, I used to keep regular easy to manage tropical fish and only changed my water every 1-2 months and about 20-25% and my nitrates were around 80ppm. However now I keep discuss I change water weekly at 20-25% still and the nitrates are almost non existent. If your desperate to get it down do a 15-20% water change twice a week for the next two weeks and they will drop. Fish can deal with a bit of nitrate as long as its not too high, just watch nitrite and ammonia. Nitrates naturally build up as part of the bio cycle and can only be removed by water changes. But also drop their did back a little while your fixing this

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Fish can deal with a bit of nitrate as long as its not too high, just watch nitrite and ammonia. Nitrates naturally build up as part of the bio cycle and can only be removed by water changes. But also drop their did back a little while your fixing this

IMO, there are lots of better ways to reduce nitrate than water changes, including growing macroalgae, organic carbon dosing, biopellets, and denitrators of various sorts.

FWIW, marine fish do not have a problem with nitrite. It is basically nontoxic in marine systems because all of the chloride competes for the binding sites where nitrite causes toxicity.

So fortunately, all we marine folks need worry about is ammonia.

This has more:

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[branson.lim.5]

You can put real plants in your tank they will get rid of nitrates

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You can put real plants in your tank they will get rid of nitrates

That's true in some cases, if your fish do not eat them. Which ones do you suggest?

Mangroves grow quite slowly, unfortunately, and aren't all that effective at nutrient export. Sea grasses are probably better, but some fish will eat them. Macroalgae are not plants, but they are generally the organism of choice for growing rapidly and exporting nutrients. I grow Caulerpa racemosa, in a refugium, but it isn't the best choice for everyone since it usually will become a pest in the display tank.

 

[Mikesmith34]

That's what I've been wondering. I wanted to put dragons breath in the display as I really like the way it looks but the fish will destroy it in no time.