high nitrates
- Thread starter kcfehring
- Start date
how often can I do water changes and in what proportion without hurting the tank? Also, when you took your biowheel out what did you change it to? We bought this already setup so we are having to make changes. I am buying a 150 wt metal halide clamp light from J.D. and I am wanting to change my power jet to one that doesn't just blow in one constant direction. If anyone has any good ideas about what kind of equipment (brand names) are best I woiuld be interested in hearing them! I am going to Aquariums next weekend so I am sure I will get some good advice there.
Kim
Kim
aaparkr
New member
Over time I have managed to get my nitrates from over 150 down to 25.
Lots to consider: what sort of load? Do you have any really agressive fish? How long has your tank been running? You may not need biowheels at all.
The biggest problem with some of the great filtration equipment is that it may inhibit the final stage of the denitrification cycle.
Fish give off ammonia as a waste product. Biowheels promote the growth of bacteria which consume the ammonia (which is very toxic to marine creatures). These bacteria produce Nitrites which are somewhat less toxic, but still bad. Thanks to the biowheels again for promoting the growth of another bacterium which comsumes the nitrite and produces nitrates in its place.
Now the fish are happier because they are very tolerant of nitrates, but corals hard and soft are not because in the ocean nitrates are also almost non existant.
Plants absorb nitrates and (more importantly) there are bacteria which consume nitrates and release nitrogen gas. These bacteria loathe oxygen and will not grow in any numbers where there is oxygen.
Biowheels are oxygen producers and that is great for the aerobic bacteria which change ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates, but those same biowheels inhibit the anaerobic bacteria which work on the final step of turning nitrates into free nitrogen.
Part of the solution is to take the biowheels out of the filter and float them in the water for a few days. The bacteria on them will migrate from the biowheels to any and all surfaces in your tank. Now you have live rock and live sand to some degree.
The last stage of the nitrogen cycle can now take place under the aerobic bacteria where the oxygen has been depleted and the anareobic bacteria will start to multiply.
This whole process takes time. In a perfect environment it probably takes a few months. It has taken a lot longer for me because of some of my tank parameters.
Overfeeding will keep the nitrates up even if you do all the other things above. Nobody was able to tell me how much to feed and I lost a few fish because I have one very agressive fish which was keeping food from the timid fish. I had to overfeed to make sure everybody got something to eat. I now feed a little to the tank and spot feed a few timid fish.
Tony
Lots to consider: what sort of load? Do you have any really agressive fish? How long has your tank been running? You may not need biowheels at all.
The biggest problem with some of the great filtration equipment is that it may inhibit the final stage of the denitrification cycle.
Fish give off ammonia as a waste product. Biowheels promote the growth of bacteria which consume the ammonia (which is very toxic to marine creatures). These bacteria produce Nitrites which are somewhat less toxic, but still bad. Thanks to the biowheels again for promoting the growth of another bacterium which comsumes the nitrite and produces nitrates in its place.
Now the fish are happier because they are very tolerant of nitrates, but corals hard and soft are not because in the ocean nitrates are also almost non existant.
Plants absorb nitrates and (more importantly) there are bacteria which consume nitrates and release nitrogen gas. These bacteria loathe oxygen and will not grow in any numbers where there is oxygen.
Biowheels are oxygen producers and that is great for the aerobic bacteria which change ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates, but those same biowheels inhibit the anaerobic bacteria which work on the final step of turning nitrates into free nitrogen.
Part of the solution is to take the biowheels out of the filter and float them in the water for a few days. The bacteria on them will migrate from the biowheels to any and all surfaces in your tank. Now you have live rock and live sand to some degree.
The last stage of the nitrogen cycle can now take place under the aerobic bacteria where the oxygen has been depleted and the anareobic bacteria will start to multiply.
This whole process takes time. In a perfect environment it probably takes a few months. It has taken a lot longer for me because of some of my tank parameters.
Overfeeding will keep the nitrates up even if you do all the other things above. Nobody was able to tell me how much to feed and I lost a few fish because I have one very agressive fish which was keeping food from the timid fish. I had to overfeed to make sure everybody got something to eat. I now feed a little to the tank and spot feed a few timid fish.
Tony
aaparkr
New member
I have a 75 and I change 11 gallons once a week. That is sort of high according to the books (most recommend a 10% water change around once a week), but it allows me to feed a little more so the timid fish get enough.
In my quest to lower nitrates I have changed as much as 25 gallons (33%) at one time.
I also have plants in the sump and in an external tank which is part of the filtration.
I have 5 maxijet 1200s on 2 natural wave controllers (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AS4111) that keep the water moving to my satisfaction. You can get a wavemaker controller that will cycle 3 pumps (like the maxijets) and it will keep the water moving without having it move in one direction continuously.
Tony
In my quest to lower nitrates I have changed as much as 25 gallons (33%) at one time.
I also have plants in the sump and in an external tank which is part of the filtration.
I have 5 maxijet 1200s on 2 natural wave controllers (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AS4111) that keep the water moving to my satisfaction. You can get a wavemaker controller that will cycle 3 pumps (like the maxijets) and it will keep the water moving without having it move in one direction continuously.
Tony
Last edited:
Serra
New member
I change 20% of my water weekly. I feed heavily so need to. Make sure the temperature and salinity of the new water match the tank water. The "good" bacteria is already all over your tank in the rocks so the wheel is not needed.
Add a refugium and lots of chaeto algae and it will bring the nitrates down. The fug can be as simple as a plastic container as long as you have lighting over it.
Add a refugium and lots of chaeto algae and it will bring the nitrates down. The fug can be as simple as a plastic container as long as you have lighting over it.
Kim,
I asked what filters you had, but was pretty sure you had a biowheel. Firstly, many people relatively new to the hobby have those filters and secondly- well you had high nitrates.
Heres the first step.
Remove the wheel itself. Take it out and drop it in the tank.
Leave it there for 2 weeks. If you can, wedge it behind a rock.
All of the oxygen loving bacteria coating it will now migrate to the rocks, forming a barrier to the bacteria underneath which do not like oxyegen.
Now...ammonia is broken to nitrite and nitrate by the oxygen lovers. Immediately below them are the oxy haters and they break nitrate to nitrogen which dissolves into the water and esscapes from the tank.
Thats a very simplistic explanation....
Now....with a biowheel, it is so efficient at supplying oxygen the oxy lovers grow crazy and make nitrates. But there are no oxy haters on the filter. There are not many on the rock either due to all the oxy lovers being on the filter (so no protective layer).
does that make sense to you?
So when you drop the filters in the tank the bacterial population will reestablish.
If you have any other forms of sponge filters, or stuff like that....i would laso consider removing them. I would just have the carbon filters in the hang on biowheel filter case.
I would still use the filter as it agitates the surface.
Do your normal water change regime and the nitrates will drop.
Paul.
I asked what filters you had, but was pretty sure you had a biowheel. Firstly, many people relatively new to the hobby have those filters and secondly- well you had high nitrates.
Heres the first step.
Remove the wheel itself. Take it out and drop it in the tank.
Leave it there for 2 weeks. If you can, wedge it behind a rock.
All of the oxygen loving bacteria coating it will now migrate to the rocks, forming a barrier to the bacteria underneath which do not like oxyegen.
Now...ammonia is broken to nitrite and nitrate by the oxygen lovers. Immediately below them are the oxy haters and they break nitrate to nitrogen which dissolves into the water and esscapes from the tank.
Thats a very simplistic explanation....
Now....with a biowheel, it is so efficient at supplying oxygen the oxy lovers grow crazy and make nitrates. But there are no oxy haters on the filter. There are not many on the rock either due to all the oxy lovers being on the filter (so no protective layer).
does that make sense to you?
So when you drop the filters in the tank the bacterial population will reestablish.
If you have any other forms of sponge filters, or stuff like that....i would laso consider removing them. I would just have the carbon filters in the hang on biowheel filter case.
I would still use the filter as it agitates the surface.
Do your normal water change regime and the nitrates will drop.
Paul.
