Current Best Method to Lower Nitrate?
- Thread starter Bouncingsoul393
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First, what are your current readings? NO3? PO4? What's your feeding regime? Unless you're feeding a large amount of frozen foods, cutting back feeding isn't going to do much, but potentially starve your fish and corals. (sorry, I'm a fan of small frequent feedings throughout the day) If running bare bottom, then adding the right amount of substrate in the sump can do the trick, but grain size and flow matter here. Water changes really don't do much in the way of nutrient export, you're only removing a small percentage of waste/nutrients and in certain cases, large water changes can cause more problems than they are worth (but that depends on the tank/livestock, etc). Adding media or a surface are that bacteria can thrive (in your sump) can naturally reduce NO3/PO4 and is far more effective than water changes. Chaeto/macro algae can help, but this depends on PO4 levels?
Nitrate is 30 and Phos is 0.12. I tried a DIY chaeto reactor and it worked great for the first couple weeks but then the clear plastic of the started getting green film algae on it blocking the light and got no growth. Is there a good nitrate removing media i can put in the filter basket? I’m trying to avoid carbon dosing if possible but maybe that’s what’s needed.
I feed a small amount of frozen twice a day and a bit of spirulina flake once a week. I rinse the frozen in RO/DI before using it. I fed Reef Roid at bit heavy when the tank with fairly new and i’m thinking that may have done it. I’ve cut the reef roids back to once a week and a smaller amount.
I feed a small amount of frozen twice a day and a bit of spirulina flake once a week. I rinse the frozen in RO/DI before using it. I fed Reef Roid at bit heavy when the tank with fairly new and i’m thinking that may have done it. I’ve cut the reef roids back to once a week and a smaller amount.
Siporax is highly efficient at reducing nitrates, especially if you soak it in microbacter 7 first. PNS Probio is great at reducing nutrients in a very natural way, which is my preferred way. Is this a mixed reef? Certain soft corals excel at nutrient uptake, like Xenia.
Growing chaeto is great, so I would give that a go again. Feed more flakes and pellets. I feed at least 6 times a day and I still have to dose 1ppm of NO3 nightly to keep nitrates around .5 to 1ppm. For frozen food I prefer LRS (Rod’s is very similar), pellets I use TDO and two types of NLS, combined with 3 different flake foods. My PO4 is around .1ppm, but if I dose PNS once a week, then it goes down even further. The problem with carbon dosing is that it can’t choose which bacteria it targets, so it can fuel the nasties as well. Today, we can utilize bacteria, macro algae and a good skimmer to export nutrients efficiently.
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Growing chaeto is great, so I would give that a go again. Feed more flakes and pellets. I feed at least 6 times a day and I still have to dose 1ppm of NO3 nightly to keep nitrates around .5 to 1ppm. For frozen food I prefer LRS (Rod’s is very similar), pellets I use TDO and two types of NLS, combined with 3 different flake foods. My PO4 is around .1ppm, but if I dose PNS once a week, then it goes down even further. The problem with carbon dosing is that it can’t choose which bacteria it targets, so it can fuel the nasties as well. Today, we can utilize bacteria, macro algae and a good skimmer to export nutrients efficiently.
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Cyanobacteria comes from an improper balance in bacteria. If there is not enough beneficial bacteria to outcompete the cyano will thrive.
Yes, P04 and N03 are part of the equation but not the underlying issue. Especially at these borderline elevated levels. You must also take into consideration the Renfield ratio and lighting (duration and spectrum).
Yes, P04 and N03 are part of the equation but not the underlying issue. Especially at these borderline elevated levels. You must also take into consideration the Renfield ratio and lighting (duration and spectrum).
Yeah, coral farmers are completely different than home aquariums in almost every regard. The numbers I would copy are other hobbyist who run a similar tank as yours and are successful or slightly elevated NSW levels. Poor nutrient export is a result of inadequate mechanical filtration (skimming) and/or biological filtration, live rock/sand and macro algae. Another issue is biomass, fish vs coral. If you have a tank full of frags, there’s no biomass to uptake nutrients/building blocks, but if you have full blown colonies, nutrients are never an issue (unless your fish biomass out weighs the coral biomass) or the corals uptake is so much that input isn’t adequate enough.
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Are you having any issues with nitrates being 30ppm? If you're worried about numbers, yet everything (corals) are looking good, then don't overthink the numbers. Everyone's tank will run at different numbers, just find what works best for your tank and go. Observation should be the first skill people hone in on.
Funny how that works, I feed very heavy and dirty. I cycle LRS nano, Rods Reef, Rods herbivore, daily nori sheets, PE mysis and SB spirulina brine. I'd say I feed about 2 thumb size pieces of frozen a day over 3-4 feedings. I've started to work in pellets at night to try and get my phosphates to register. I also feed oyster feast and live phytoplankton nightly.
Based off a friends suggestion I plan to start using reef roids to raise my nutrients and feed at the same time. That stuffs known for adding a lot of N&P to the tank. If you are open to it, try some of the brightwell planktonic suspensions. I use the reef blizzard specifically geared towards filter feeders and sps. Part of what I like about that line up is it appears to be very clean and does not raise nutrients in my experience. They offer very specific sizes to target the coral type you keep. I feed weekly, broadcast.
I have one of their bricks in my sump, I'm ready to pull it because I feel it works to well. I struggle to keep nutrients detectable. I can't grow macros at all. If you go that route, be sure to under size it or maybe go with the cubes so you can watch you numbers and add more if needed?
Like drexel, I dose PNS prodibo every 10-14 days and work in MB7 now and then. I know it seems counter productive to low nutrient issues but I like to make sure I'm keeping a healthy level of good bacteria in the tank. Water changes are few and far between for me as well. Basically if I need to make a major correction or have found/suspect a pollutant in the tank, then I'll do one.
If you're feeding fairly light and they aren't dropping I'd be looking for a detritus bomb somewhere or a lack of good bacteria.
Based off a friends suggestion I plan to start using reef roids to raise my nutrients and feed at the same time. That stuffs known for adding a lot of N&P to the tank. If you are open to it, try some of the brightwell planktonic suspensions. I use the reef blizzard specifically geared towards filter feeders and sps. Part of what I like about that line up is it appears to be very clean and does not raise nutrients in my experience. They offer very specific sizes to target the coral type you keep. I feed weekly, broadcast.
I have one of their bricks in my sump, I'm ready to pull it because I feel it works to well. I struggle to keep nutrients detectable. I can't grow macros at all. If you go that route, be sure to under size it or maybe go with the cubes so you can watch you numbers and add more if needed?
Like drexel, I dose PNS prodibo every 10-14 days and work in MB7 now and then. I know it seems counter productive to low nutrient issues but I like to make sure I'm keeping a healthy level of good bacteria in the tank. Water changes are few and far between for me as well. Basically if I need to make a major correction or have found/suspect a pollutant in the tank, then I'll do one.
If you're feeding fairly light and they aren't dropping I'd be looking for a detritus bomb somewhere or a lack of good bacteria.
