Filtration and Nitrate on Aggressive Tanks

[SkinnyPete]

Just curious with messy eaters like eels and puffers, does anyone run a canister filter or anything to help with mechanical filtration in addition to skimmer and fuge? Planning on having a few messy eaters so I'm considering adding something for mechanical filtration just to play it safe.

Also, if your tank isn't consistently at undetectable nitrate levels, what level are you comfortable with?

 

[Recty]

My old eel tank always had somewhere between 20-40 nitrates. I had it hooked to a LPS reef tank through a shared sump, never had any problems with the corals. I wouldnt ever want to see nitrates above 40 though.

I didnt run a canister, I just had a sump going with a filter sock to get the big hunks and I also had a spot I could put in a square of filter foam if needed.

 

[LisaD]

I have a filter sock and a place for a square of foam, like Recty. My nitrates are higher than I'd like, around 30-40. I need to attach a fuge and figure out how to get my upgraded skimmer in the sump.

 

[SkinnyPete]

Yeah, I was toying with the fliter sock idea. I guess that's the easiest, cheapest way to remove the bad stuff. Was also thinking about putting a filter sponge in the bubble trap, which is the same basic idea. I found one that will fit pretty snugly, but I'm concerned that I've never heard of anyone doing this before Seems like a good idea.

 

[predator 1]

We have to accept the fact, that if we choose to keep Mother Natures Marine eating machines, we have to battle high Nitrates as a "Norm"
I left the Nitrate Free "Reef zone" behind long ago, to keep Mother natures "predacious" creatures in my home.
I run a huge "Deltec AP" skimmer. Pumps to turnover a swimming pool, Two 4 foot high "Fluidised Reactors" 250kg of live Rock. Plus a "Forest" of Red mangroves+ Two compartments of "Macro Algae" in my sump.
Guess what? The Nitrates are hovering around the 50 mark contantly. So, enjoy your fish, and forget the cannister filter.

 

[SkinnyPete]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13231786#post13231786 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by predator 1
So, enjoy your fish, and forget the cannister filter.

Haha - excellent post. I totally hear you. I'm not planning on keeping a monster tank at 0 nitrates. Just curious if people actually use mechanical filtration at all, since I never really have. Searching through old threads, filter sock seems to be the most common answer on the board.

Nothing beats good old regular water changes.

 

[Stuart60611]

A little vodka dosing also can help out quite a bit with both nitrate and phosphate.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I don't know about getting those predators drunk & even more aggressive! I prefer Vitamin C for lowering nitrate in my tanks, in addition to all the other benefits it does for my fish & corals. And.... I don't have to send them to rehab.

 

[Got Sharks?]

why not use a dinitrifier instead?

just curious, I have had great luck with mine. I have (2) sharks over 20", (1) grouper about 10", (2) rays about 8" across and a few tangs and foxface's for color...

They are in a 210 with about 200lbs of live sand and 300lbs of lace rock. Been running the denitrifier for 8 months, no water changes and zero nitrates.

 

[SkinnyPete]

Well, for me, cost. I've always been okay with nitrates and usually I'm under 10, always under 20 so at this point I can't justify buying a denitrifier. But, yeah, down the road if messy eaters become a problem and I can't control nitrate levels then yes that's justification for a denitrifier.

So, 'Got Sharks?', we have the same size tank - what denitrifier are you using?

 

[Got Sharks?]

I have the Natureef model 3 w/phosphate and trace feeder options. I currently do not use the phospha-gone or trace feeders, but I was told the options could not be added later so I ordered it that way new in case my tank layout changed over time. The setup cost me about $1K all said and done. It took about 90 days to get it on a normall cycle but the hard work is well worth it. I was tired of doing bi-weekly water changes to keep up with the messy eaters.....

Now no need for water changes, but I learned the hard way that some trace feeders are helpful for sharks and rays.

 

[SkinnyPete]

Yeah, see that's just going a completely different route altogether.

I don't want to send this thread into another direction but I actually enjoy water changes. I spent my time and money making it painless and easy and I personally like the idea of changing out water. Nitrates or not I don't like the idea of leaving water in the tank indefinitely. Admittedly, I have nothing to back that idea up, and it's working for you with your heavily stocked tank - AND I'm sure there are other threads that address this "style" - so that's cool. It's just not really my thing.

Some people like driving standards, some like automatics. Of course, I like driving automatics so that analogy stinks and you should probably just disregard it.

 

[Got Sharks?]

understand, and I used to enjoy the water changes as a "hobby" as well. But spending $150+ per month on water, and driving 30 minutes each way to get it became tiresome. Hauling around 14- 5 gallon jugs back and forth every two weeks gets old quick. If you have space/means to make your own water it is probably much less of a hassle.

My de-Nitrifier paid for itself in less than 10 months.

I should also add that changing 70 gallons of water every other week did not reduce nitrates fast enough, they were still climbing when I made the switch to the dinitrifier. Since then my fish have been growing fat and happy. I have noticed a big diffence in them since my tank stabilized at "zero" nitrates.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Silly! Get an RODI system.

 

[limitdown]

Use a filter sock and/or filter pad (yes, the old school ones we used in FW systems). I run a poly filter and it traps a ton of crap. It's so cheap that I can just toss it out once a week and replace it.

I completely agree with the above posts on denitrators. My sulfur denitrator has paid for itself many times over. Not just in terms of money, but in terms of headache, hassle and diseased/unhealthy fish. My nitrates are never detectable, which means that my fish never have to deal with even 1 single ppm of nitrates at any point between water changes.

However, having zero nitrates to me is not an excuse for not changing water, so I still religious change mine once a month. As others have mentioned before there are many things in the water that we cannot test for. With that said, however, I no longer change water because of nitrates.