Nitrates

atennaro · 03-22-2001, 02:09 PM

I am getting readings of high Nitrates (100 ppm). I am doing water changes once a week. Can anyone suggest anything to help lower my Nitrates?

I have a 55 gallon salt water tank with 4 fishes, a 403 Fluval and a UV filter.

thanks in advance.
Scootch.
scootch@tennaro.com

horge · 03-22-2001, 06:25 PM

A Fluval is a canister filter right?
If so it is schematically similar to an undergravel filter in a can, with compartments for other filter media.

Such filters are great for hosting aerobic bacteria, and less so for anaerobic bacteria. The latter however are responsible for reducing nitrate further, allowing nitrogen to escape the system as a gas.

Try to incorporate media that allow for anareobic bacterial growth. Live rock is one such medium, and can enhance the beauty and biodiversity of the display.

Macroalgae can also act as nitrogen sinks, and help head off microalgal blooms, as well as blooms of any other algae not of your choosing.

hth.

wagnutz69 · 03-22-2001, 07:09 PM

Your Fluval is your problem, I would suggest investing in a protein skimmer (hang on back or in sump if you have a sump) QUICKLY. They have done wonders on my tanks

WAGZ

atennaro · 03-22-2001, 07:55 PM

Thanks for your help,
Yes the Fluval is a canister filter.
Someone told me that my UV filter (15 Watts) is to powerful for my 55-gallon tank. Does this sound like a reasonable reason for why my Nitrates would be so high?
The fish seem fine they are eating and swimming.

I am looking into a hang on Protein skimmer. Do you have any recommendations?

Doug1 · 03-22-2001, 10:06 PM

The UV filter will only affect oragnisms in the water column(ie planktons algae cells and spores etc) but the beneficial bacteria that perform nitrifying/denitrifying functions will be found on or in any avaible area not in the water column per se. The high nitrates are caused by the canister filter trapping debris and it being broken down in an arobic environment. Increase the Live Rocl or Sand and lose the canister. They are handy for occasional use but not needed all the time.
Aaas to the nitrate levels of 100 thats way too high and you need to do a series of water changes to bring it down to <20. Check your source water to make sure you arent pouring it into the tank with top off water etc

Brooke · 03-23-2001, 12:09 AM

I would also take a sample of your water to a LFS to test. Maybe your test kit is a bit off as well. How much water are you changing weekly? You might need to change more than you currently are. Some good hang on skimmers are the Aqua C Remora, Prizm skimmer, BakPak2. The Red Sea Berlin comes in a hang-on model as well. check out www.marinedepot.com www.petwarehouse.com and www.premiumaquatics.com for some choices. If you are wanting to eventually keep a full-blown reef, buy a skimmer that you can grow into. In other words, don't settle for a real cheapie like a skiter or seaclone. Welcome to The Reef Tank!

Brooke

atennaro · 03-23-2001, 07:59 AM

Doug,
Thanks for the UV advise. Actually the LFS that I go to told me to shut off the UV light for a week and see how the tank reacts. They believe that my Nitrates will decease with the UV Light off. What is your opinion of this theory? I understand that the UV light only kills bacteria that move through it. But doesn’t the good bacteria swim through the UV light as well?

Brooke,
Yes my LFS tested my water and found the Nitrates to be @ 75 ppm where I found it to be 100 ppm. Close enough and still high.
Yes, I don't want to buy a cheap Skimmer, but since I am new to this hobby, I am not sure which skimmer is cheapy and which is good. Brooke can you make a suggestion out of the list you gave me above as to which skimmer is not a cheapy one.

Thank you all for your help.
Scootch.

atennaro · 03-23-2001, 08:08 AM

Brooke,
Sorry I forgot to answer one of your questions....
I am changing 5 gallons of water a week out of a 55 gallon tank.

Brooke · 03-23-2001, 10:01 AM

You know the old adage- the solution to pollution is dilution. I think probably the combo of the canister filter and small water changes (as well as a build up of dissolved organics) may be the contributing factor. For the next few weeks, up your water changes to 15 gallons. Then maybe change to every-other-week water changes when your nitrates get under control. I think the Aqua C Remora might be your best bet for a good skimmer. The prizm is a good option for a small reef, as is the bakpak. Do some searches on reef boards and see what others have said. Visit the sites in the above post. Most of them put comments on how they like the skimmers that they sell.

What is your goal for the tank? Are you keeping inverts now? Do you want a reef? What kind of substrate do you have? Are you interested in adding live rock as your biological filter and getting rid of the canister?

Brooke

Doug1 · 03-23-2001, 10:15 AM

Scooch, I seriously doubt that the UV is impacting the amount of nitrifying bacteria as they will settle on the first surface available. The fact that you have high Nitrates and not nitrite or ammonia pretty much confirms they are alive and healthy.
With a level of 75-100 changing 5 gallons a week is going to take forever. Thats less than 10% volume. For instance if you have a level of 100 and you do a 10% waterchange(5g)
immediatly after you should have a level of 90, right. By next weeks water change its prolly crept back up some so when you do water changes you arent neccesarily going to get 100% of the nitrate in 10 water changes.
I dont know what your bioload is so its hard to say do this as opposed to do that But the solution to polution is dilution. You can either do a couple really big water changes,like 50%(recommended only in dire straights) or 20% water changes daily for 5 days, that should get your nitrates down below 20. 10% daily will just string it out and take longer.
Next thing you want to do is get a good skimmer. RedSea Berlin is OK but too complex for my taste.Paragon had a nice hang on skimmer www.paragonsales.com
I think the AquaC skimmers have gotten good reviews, the Remora Pro would be the choice to look at. Like Brooke says skip the Skilkters and Seaclones.
Once you get the levels down a skimmer will help keep them lower because they physically remove organics from the water column rather than trapping them in filter media for bacteria to consume, HTH

atennaro · 03-23-2001, 10:32 AM

Brooke,
I will take your advice and do larger water changes.
No, I don't have inverts in my tank right now. I would like to have them.
Yes, I would like to add a reef to my tank, but I thought that add a reef to an existing fish tank is not allowed.
I have sand in my tank. Yes I would like to add Live Rock, but I am so new, I need to learn how this is done.

My goals right now are to learn how to control my nitrates. Get a Protein Skimmer. Then learn if I can add Live Rock to my existing tank. Then I will take the next step trying to build a reef.

Thanks for your help
Scootch.

atennaro · 03-23-2001, 10:40 AM

Doug,
Thanks for that great info, I will do higher amount of water change tonight. I will take out 15 gallons of water, and I will do this for the next 5 days.

My tank has the following fish
Niger Trigger
Tomato Clown
Rock Beauty
Blue Head Wrasse (healing from an attack, from the Niger. He is in a closed off section of the tank.)

Tank Size is 55 gallons.

Thanks
Scootch

Doug1 · 03-23-2001, 10:43 PM

thats a pretty good fish load for such a small tank, I assume they are all fairly young fish

atennaro · 03-25-2001, 10:05 AM

yes the fish are small, but nice.

Doug1 · 03-25-2001, 11:57 AM

They are small now but they will grow
Niger 8-10"
bluehead up to 12 or so
Rock Beauty up to 12 if it survives
Tomatoe clown up to 6"
Thats alot of fish load in a 55, as they get bigger its gonna take a lot of water changes to keep nitrates down