De-Nitrator Feedback, Please?
- Thread starter lazluvtoo
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Psionicdragon
New member
not enough for a 90 gal.
Since your nitrate is that high, you may need to do several 50% water changes. Denitrator works well if you use it correctly.
But ya, you must have a bigger problem to have it at 160. Feeding too much? no skimmer? weak skimmer? etc
Since your nitrate is that high, you may need to do several 50% water changes. Denitrator works well if you use it correctly.
But ya, you must have a bigger problem to have it at 160. Feeding too much? no skimmer? weak skimmer? etc
setec69
New member
I have a bio-denitrator and they do work great, but they are more for maintaining nitrates rather than correcting an existing problem. The drip rate on mine is around 6-10 per second. So you can imagine how long it takes to cycle a large tank. Maybe consider adding a refugium as they macro algea loves the high nitrates and should grow fast. Also, there are some addatives like AZ-NO3 Nitrate Eliminator. You could use that to get them down to zero then use the denitrator and refugium to keep them in check.
Do be careful disturbing your sandbed as it can cause nitrate spikes.
Here is the one I am using.
Marine Depot Korallin
Do be careful disturbing your sandbed as it can cause nitrate spikes.
Here is the one I am using.
Marine Depot Korallin
OliverM3
New member
Definitely do larger water changes, 20% month or more.
You didn't say how often you were doing 10g. Every couple days may have been fine but a month, 2 months 3 months?
I would never turn off the skimmer.
Also if you have plenty of live rock and are running bio balls I would start removing them slowly.
They really aren't needed with a reef tank and will add to your nitrates
As a quick fix there is a thread on here about dosing sugar.
I don't think most people like it but it really does work as a temporary fix to get nitrates under control.
That's pretty high though missing any fish? or do you have kids around feeding the tank when you're not around?
You didn't say how often you were doing 10g. Every couple days may have been fine but a month, 2 months 3 months?
I would never turn off the skimmer.
Also if you have plenty of live rock and are running bio balls I would start removing them slowly.
They really aren't needed with a reef tank and will add to your nitrates
As a quick fix there is a thread on here about dosing sugar.
I don't think most people like it but it really does work as a temporary fix to get nitrates under control.
That's pretty high though missing any fish? or do you have kids around feeding the tank when you're not around?
First off, thank you all very much for your inputs...they have proven extremely helpful for me as I work my way thru this Nitrate problem.
To answer some of the questions you have asked:
1) How often do I perform H20 changes? Unfortunately, I do not perform them routinely. I try to do them at least once a month but sometimes it can be as long as two months in between. I realize I need to perform them more often and change at least 20%.
2) Skimmer. The reason sometimes my skimmer is off is because I was told to turn off the skimmer when I feed the corals. How long can it safely be off without skimming off the nutrients of the feed and without risking Nitrate rise? Or, is there no problem with leaving it on even when I feed the corals. NOTE: I feed the corals "Reef Chili" & DT's Phytoplankton...could these foods cause Nitrate rise?
3) My wet/dry hasn't had bio balls in it for several years...I gradually removed them several years back. As far as my live rock...what would the definition be of "plenty?" If I do need to remove more, how will I know that I am not removing too much? What should I do with the removed live rock...simply discard it?
4) I have two forms of macroalgae in my refugium...Grape Racemosa & Chaetomorpha Linum.
5) As far as sugar dosing, the instructions for my new Aquaripure Nitrate Removal System advise me to dose with either ethanol (vodka) or table sugar, so I will be doing that once I get the system going.
5) Dead fish...Overfeed. To my knowledge, there should not be any dead fish carcasses in the tank. What happens when a snail dies? I'm sure there have been several snail deaths where I have not removed the snails. As far as overfeeding...umm, that's possible. About 3 times a week, I give them frozen foods with pellet food and clip an algae strip in the tank. The other days they get a sprinkle of pellet food once a day.
FYI...I am doing a water change today and I tested the newly made up water for Nitrates...they were zero.
Also...would running a micron filter aid in nitrate elimination?
Thanks so much!
Cindy
To answer some of the questions you have asked:
1) How often do I perform H20 changes? Unfortunately, I do not perform them routinely. I try to do them at least once a month but sometimes it can be as long as two months in between. I realize I need to perform them more often and change at least 20%.
2) Skimmer. The reason sometimes my skimmer is off is because I was told to turn off the skimmer when I feed the corals. How long can it safely be off without skimming off the nutrients of the feed and without risking Nitrate rise? Or, is there no problem with leaving it on even when I feed the corals. NOTE: I feed the corals "Reef Chili" & DT's Phytoplankton...could these foods cause Nitrate rise?
3) My wet/dry hasn't had bio balls in it for several years...I gradually removed them several years back. As far as my live rock...what would the definition be of "plenty?" If I do need to remove more, how will I know that I am not removing too much? What should I do with the removed live rock...simply discard it?
4) I have two forms of macroalgae in my refugium...Grape Racemosa & Chaetomorpha Linum.
5) As far as sugar dosing, the instructions for my new Aquaripure Nitrate Removal System advise me to dose with either ethanol (vodka) or table sugar, so I will be doing that once I get the system going.
5) Dead fish...Overfeed. To my knowledge, there should not be any dead fish carcasses in the tank. What happens when a snail dies? I'm sure there have been several snail deaths where I have not removed the snails. As far as overfeeding...umm, that's possible. About 3 times a week, I give them frozen foods with pellet food and clip an algae strip in the tank. The other days they get a sprinkle of pellet food once a day.
FYI...I am doing a water change today and I tested the newly made up water for Nitrates...they were zero.
Also...would running a micron filter aid in nitrate elimination?
Thanks so much!
Cindy
oct2274
New member
biowheels and sponge type filters are nitrate factories and should be removed if you have them now. also you you shouldn't be removing live rock, if anything adding. typically you want around 1lb/gallon. I would be very careful vacuuming your sand unless you do very small area's at a time over a couple months atleast. Sandbeds do have issues with nitrates after years of use. I would not suggest mechanical filters like micron because just like the sponge, bioballs, and biowheels they can actually add to the nitrate problem. Please list everything you use for filtration on your aquarium, maybe we can spot the source.
For filtration, I use:
wet/dry filter system with refugium (containing Grape Racemosa & Chaetomorpha Linum macroalgaes). The overflow box for the system has a sponge-like pre-filter (could that be a nitrate source?)...if so, do i need a pre-filter in there?
My protein skimmer is a Red Sea Berlin.
I just recently added Chemi-Pure Elite, which is said to remove phosphates as well as everything else it does.
Kalkwasser is fed to the tank through my auto-top off water.
I have only begun to add sand during the last couple of months to my substrate, which previously was crushed coral. I switched to crushed coral when I was told that it could cause elevated nitrates. I have simply been adding the sand to it and mixing it, not removing the crushed coral since I didn't want to disturb the substrate.
Back to you!
wet/dry filter system with refugium (containing Grape Racemosa & Chaetomorpha Linum macroalgaes). The overflow box for the system has a sponge-like pre-filter (could that be a nitrate source?)...if so, do i need a pre-filter in there?
My protein skimmer is a Red Sea Berlin.
I just recently added Chemi-Pure Elite, which is said to remove phosphates as well as everything else it does.
Kalkwasser is fed to the tank through my auto-top off water.
I have only begun to add sand during the last couple of months to my substrate, which previously was crushed coral. I switched to crushed coral when I was told that it could cause elevated nitrates. I have simply been adding the sand to it and mixing it, not removing the crushed coral since I didn't want to disturb the substrate.
Back to you!
Also...I am noticing recently a rust-colored dirty substance accumulating pretty rapidly on my sand. This only started appearing at fast growing rates since my cal/magnesium levels rose (magnesium had been low and is now within normal limits...Cal was around 420, now about 480 or 500).
OliverM3
New member
Definitely would not remove any live rock. I was only talking about the bio balls but since they're gone that's good.
I wouldn't worry about the skimmer removing the "Reef Chili" & DT's Phytoplankton faster then your corals can consume it.
If you're target feeding the corals with a pipe of some sort smaller amounts then I wouldn't think that would be causing the problem.
But if you're feeding the whole tank and depending on how much and how often you're adding it to the water It could be causing some of the problem.
I'm even more surprised that they're high with a refugium.
Depending on how often you're changing the sponges that could be some of the problem.
A filter sock attachment will help removing detritus.
I personally love the socks just because they are so easy to change I usually change mine once a week. And some how my wife doesn't even mind washing them, Nice!
Where sponges, pads or floss is usually a pain so you let it go longer or too long.
foster and smith has one that will work on almost any sump/wetdry
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...age-_-Filters&ref=3969&subref=AA&N=2004+22778
I wouldn't worry about the skimmer removing the "Reef Chili" & DT's Phytoplankton faster then your corals can consume it.
If you're target feeding the corals with a pipe of some sort smaller amounts then I wouldn't think that would be causing the problem.
But if you're feeding the whole tank and depending on how much and how often you're adding it to the water It could be causing some of the problem.
I'm even more surprised that they're high with a refugium.
Depending on how often you're changing the sponges that could be some of the problem.
A filter sock attachment will help removing detritus.
I personally love the socks just because they are so easy to change I usually change mine once a week. And some how my wife doesn't even mind washing them, Nice!
Where sponges, pads or floss is usually a pain so you let it go longer or too long.
foster and smith has one that will work on almost any sump/wetdry
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...age-_-Filters&ref=3969&subref=AA&N=2004+22778
oct2274
New member
definitely ditch the prefilter sponge. I'm not sure how well mixing crushed coral with sand will work, that definitely could be the issue. Like I said, you could..........slowly over a couple of months or so........try to vacuum out the sand/crushed coral. I'm guessing the crushed coral is part of the problem though.
So it's OK to siphon out all of my substrate...gradually...and then start new with just sand? To all of you who have de-nitrators, where do you store them? Jeez, they get heavy when they fill up with all the water...and I'm pretty much out of room under my tank and to the sides. 
coolfishy101
Member
I've got my money on the substrate. I would slowly scoop the crushed coral out and replace it with sand over the course of 2 months. Don't just mix it. Crushed coral lets detritus accumulate and when you add sand you may be covering it up and trapping it underneath.
If you only have sand it is small enough where the detritus won't get trapped as easily (there will always be some getting trapped). Also the sand (unlike crushed coral) would cut off the oxygen in the substrate which would be ideal for anerobic bacteria to process the nitrates into gas to be released out of the tank (deep sand bed theory).
Definately remove the prefilter sponge and any bioballs/biomedia from the wet dry SLOWLY! Over the course of 2 months. Also I would double water changes for the next 3 months.
If you only have sand it is small enough where the detritus won't get trapped as easily (there will always be some getting trapped). Also the sand (unlike crushed coral) would cut off the oxygen in the substrate which would be ideal for anerobic bacteria to process the nitrates into gas to be released out of the tank (deep sand bed theory).
Definately remove the prefilter sponge and any bioballs/biomedia from the wet dry SLOWLY! Over the course of 2 months. Also I would double water changes for the next 3 months.
Thanks, coolfishy101! I have the same feeling that my substrate is a huge part of the problem. I will begin the crushed coral removal process and increase my water changes. I now have my de-nitrator up and running.
I have not had any bioballs in my wet/dry for at least 5 years so it's just a matter of removing the pre-filter sponge.
Will it be OK to not have a pre-filter sponge in there at all or should I order new, clean ones?
I have not had any bioballs in my wet/dry for at least 5 years so it's just a matter of removing the pre-filter sponge.
Will it be OK to not have a pre-filter sponge in there at all or should I order new, clean ones?
