nitrates
- Thread starter reef4life!!!
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It is mostly a zooplankton feeder - will not eat the algae
It is doable but I think that the tangs will work as a toothbrush too - if you not use so much external food.
Sincerely Lasse
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
hi,that recipe with vinegar and alcohol is it beneficial for nitrates?also is it safe for fish and how much should i add an how often?
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
didn't u said something about vinegar and alcohol?or was someone else?
excell007
Active Member
I was on the same situation as you are about five months ago, trying to convert a 15 year old FOWLR into a reef tank. It has been neglected for almost 3 years because my first 2 inhabitant died and I lost interest. When I measured my nitrate and phosphate the test kits can't even read it, I have to dillute the test samples with RODI water to be able to at least guage the value. I am estimating my nitrate to be greater than 300(it's darker than the 160ppm color, with 50%rodi) and phosphate around 4, I did not loose any fish in the last 3 years though. It took 10 30% weekly WC to get the nitrate down to <10. Phosphate is harder to bring down because the live rock will leach out the phophate they absorbed, right now it's still at 2. I also updated my sump, started a refugium, and change my light to Kessil A360X. Almost 5 months into the project and still no LPS or SPS, just a couple of toadstool that I am using as a guage if the aquarium is ready.
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
hahaha yeah u are probably right
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
i see your point..well then i was just stupid to think that my nitrates will go down with 2-3 water changes...i am thinking to start using nopox or this vinegar-alcohol thing..i've read something about vodka that can tear nitrates down so i might give this a try
I think this is the best way to solve the OP:s problem. WC till the NO3 levels hit the 10 ppm concentration and if - the phosphate not have get disent concentration - use GFO in order to balance the two (NO3 and PO4).
Why just complicate things with carbon dosing in this moment? It could be a good idea in the future if needed but it is not a quick and easy fix at the moment - IMO (In My Opinion)
Sincerely Lasse
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
well i am person that unfortunately don't have patience and i am rushing into things...i want quick results but i know reef needs patience...i have so many options suggested and i don't know what to use haha...i got upset for no reason yesterday because after my wc i tested nitrates and were in the same level again
That you test the same levels again can have different reasons.
1. Your test is inaccurate - which test do you use?
2. You have too high amount of nitrites - it will affect your nitrate readings and nitrites is normally very difficult to dilute.
3. Your nitrate levels is much above your test max readings.
Personally - I would consider 3 - maybe 2 or a combination.
Do a test. Dilute your water 1:10 with RO water (or distilled water) - it mens 1 part aquarium water 9 part RO water. Analyze that - multiply the result with 10
Sincerely Lasse
1. Your test is inaccurate - which test do you use?
2. You have too high amount of nitrites - it will affect your nitrate readings and nitrites is normally very difficult to dilute.
3. Your nitrate levels is much above your test max readings.
Personally - I would consider 3 - maybe 2 or a combination.
Do a test. Dilute your water 1:10 with RO water (or distilled water) - it mens 1 part aquarium water 9 part RO water. Analyze that - multiply the result with 10
Sincerely Lasse
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
i am using salifert kits i read that they are ok..
so u are saying that i take 9 liters RO water and 1 liter from my tank and combine them and then test?
also can this work with tap water? i don't have RO
Its right but you can take 9 distilled and 1 ml aquarium water. I do not know the content of your tap water. if it content NO3 - it will affect your readings. If you use tap water it can affect your overall readings. Have you test your tap water for nitrate? Do you know the copper content in the tap water? Where do you get your tap water from? Where do you live in Greece?
Sincerely Lasse
Sincerely Lasse
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
well i live in thessaloniki and no i haven't checked my copper content..i went to the site of my water suply and i don't see anywere anything about nitrates or copper...also i just tested my tap water nitrates...the results showed that my tap water is around 25 nitrates
There you have one of the reasons for the high nitrate readings. I´m sorry to say - your WC will not help very much and not anything else either. The best investment you can do for the moment is to get a RO unit. Not the very expensive ones but something like this
www.shop-meeresaquaristik.de
Sincerely Lasse
Aqua Medic Easy Line 300 (U700.30) - Mrutzek Meeresaquaristik GmbH
Aqua Medic Easy Line 300 (U700.30): Herstellerinformationen: Artikelnummer: U700.30 EAN Code: 4025901111958 easy line 300, 120 - 300 l/Tag easy line Zur Aufbereitung von Leitungswasser Zur Produktion von weichem und salzarmem Wasser für Meer- und Süßwasseraquarien, zum Besprühen von...
www.shop-meeresaquaristik.de
Sincerely Lasse
OP
OP
reef4life!!!
Active Member
yeah i should probably go for RO...by accident today i've read something about corals reducing nitrates...is it even possible? i've read that especially xenias can reduce nitrates and people take them to their sump too...can this be done with so much nitrates?There you have one of the reasons for the high nitrate readings. I´m sorry to say - your WC will not help very much and not anything else either. The best investment you can do for the moment is to get a RO unit. Not the very expensive ones but something like this
Aqua Medic Easy Line 300 (U700.30) - Mrutzek Meeresaquaristik GmbH
Aqua Medic Easy Line 300 (U700.30): Herstellerinformationen: Artikelnummer: U700.30 EAN Code: 4025901111958 easy line 300, 120 - 300 l/Tag easy line Zur Aufbereitung von Leitungswasser Zur Produktion von weichem und salzarmem Wasser für Meer- und Süßwasseraquarien, zum Besprühen von...
Sincerely Lasse
Probably every corals using photosynthesis - ie - have zooxanthellae - can use nitrates as inorganic N source. They are like plants and algae in this case. Some of your nitrate-N will end up in your algae, the tangs eat the algae - around 20 % of the N in the algae will be converted into Tang flesh - it means that even fish (if they are algae eaters) can block some of the N in the nitrates. In a dense populated coral aquarium (dense in corals) there is a lot of NO3 that is converted into corals and zooxanthellae. Is not unusual that mature systems need an extra input of N - as NO3-N or NH4-N or amino acid-N)
But you are not there yet and you have to take your levels down a little. But - please - not rush - just do a schedule based on the advises in this thread (mine and others) If there is conflicting advice´s (and there is) - you need to use your own upper part in order to sort it out. And after the schedule - sticks to that - do not jump around with different methods.
1 step - get some distilled water (or RO from your LFS) and analyze your right values of nitrate. If you dilute 10:1 - multiply the result with 10. If you dillute 1:5 - multiply with 5 (5:1 = 4 parts RO - 1 part aquarium water).
2 Order a RO unit
Sincerely Lasse
But you are not there yet and you have to take your levels down a little. But - please - not rush - just do a schedule based on the advises in this thread (mine and others) If there is conflicting advice´s (and there is) - you need to use your own upper part in order to sort it out. And after the schedule - sticks to that - do not jump around with different methods.
1 step - get some distilled water (or RO from your LFS) and analyze your right values of nitrate. If you dilute 10:1 - multiply the result with 10. If you dillute 1:5 - multiply with 5 (5:1 = 4 parts RO - 1 part aquarium water).
2 Order a RO unit
Sincerely Lasse
nldemo
Active Member
Hi,
I second getting an RO/DI unit. If you have been doing water changes with salt mixed into tap water - that is your #1 issue and you should stop everything else until you get an RO/DI.
Make sure it is an RO/DI and not an RO too. DI resin is what really polishes that water clean to the 0 TDS mark.
I second getting an RO/DI unit. If you have been doing water changes with salt mixed into tap water - that is your #1 issue and you should stop everything else until you get an RO/DI.
Make sure it is an RO/DI and not an RO too. DI resin is what really polishes that water clean to the 0 TDS mark.
