Nitrates

Chiefmaster30 · May 23, 2016

Anyone know what I can do to get my nitrates down???

azbigjohn · May 23, 2016

Water changes are always the quickest way... Are cycling?

Chiefmaster30 · May 23, 2016

How often. I just done a 25% 5 days ago.

azbigjohn · May 23, 2016

I wouldn't have a problem with doing a 50% water change right now, to help reduce those numbers. What is in the tank right now?

jpontier212 · May 23, 2016

I believe nitrates battles are Neverending. It's the nature of the beast. 50% water change is the ticket

FishOfHex · May 24, 2016

Chiefmaster30 said:
Anyone know what I can do to get my nitrates down???

Kungpaoshizi · May 25, 2016

Look up:
ATS
Carbon dosing
AWC
Refugium
DSB

That should get ya started. Lots of ways to deal with it, personally I suggest looking up the red sea reef care program. It's hands down the best system I've used yet. (and I've used a lot)

Ontheway · May 25, 2016

You can lower it down to 25-50ppm range with water changes. Go for 50% at once, as mentioned above and dont make anything less then 50, if you are capable of. A few days later, repeat. But where this nitrates are coming from? Too much feeding? Inefficient skimming? You have to track it down. Water changes are just a bandaid in most nitrate cases, but it is something you really need, today.

Diesel · May 25, 2016

NO3............ a good skimmer, bio-pellets, cheato/refugium, GFO but yes WC is your best friend right know.
Let me ask you this, how did you cyle your tank and for how long?
Any livestock in there?
Live rock or dry live rock and did you cure the rock before you cycled it?

Piranhapat · May 25, 2016

Look into vodka or vinegar dosing. Best thing I have done to control my nitrates. It took about a month but excellent results.

Chiefmaster30 · May 26, 2016

My tank has 60 pounds of live rock, 60 pounds of live sand and 60 pounds of dry sand. We cycled our tank with flaked fish food for 6 weeks.

Ontheway · May 26, 2016

How thick the sand?

twilliard · May 26, 2016

No3 is part of the end process of DOC's (what you feed)
Now with doc's that can be reduced with efficient skimming
A diverse refugium is also helpful at reducing no3

Chiefmaster30 · May 26, 2016

I'd say about 4" deep sand bed.

Chiefmaster30 · May 26, 2016

Well, I have also just discovered that my display tank Amhara marine velvet that's wiped out most of my fish, so, what few fish left just got moved to a quarantine tank so only thing in display is crabs, a sand sifting starfish and a few small coral frags.