I have read that live rock actually helps to control Nitrates... this is true correct? I have a 45 gallon tank with a little live rock in it and only 2 fish at the moment but i have had nitrate problems that i believe to be from over feeding in the past. How many lbs of live rock would you guys suggest as a minimum amount to actually work to fight the nitrates?
live rock vs nitrates question
- Thread starter RickGemme
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Aquarist007
New member
Re: live rock vs nitrates question
live rock contains three kinds of bacteria
aerobic on the outer surfaces which break ammonia down to nitrites
anerobic bacteria in the inner crevaces of the rock that take the nitrites down to nitrates
and anoxic bacteria deep in the inner core of the rock that break down nitrates into nitrogen gas, which then bubbles out of the system
you should aim for 1.5 lbs of quality live rock per gal of water
By quality rock, rock that is very porous eg figi rock
live rock contains three kinds of bacteria
aerobic on the outer surfaces which break ammonia down to nitrites
anerobic bacteria in the inner crevaces of the rock that take the nitrites down to nitrates
and anoxic bacteria deep in the inner core of the rock that break down nitrates into nitrogen gas, which then bubbles out of the system
you should aim for 1.5 lbs of quality live rock per gal of water
By quality rock, rock that is very porous eg figi rock
kfisc
Well-known member
Live rock is one part of a number of things that work together to hopefully help control nitrates. The porosity of the rock hosts bacteria and the tiny creatures that help break down the effects of feeding and waste collecting in the tank, but good waterflow, water changes, and other forms of waste/nutrient export also help keep it in check. Just adding more rock in itself won't help much, and could actually hurt, at least initially.
And don't forget a good quality protein skimmer. No, a skimmer won't remove nitrates from the water, but it removes organic compounds before they become nitrates and phosphates.
Plain old water changes can also help to bring down high nitrate levels. If the problem is due to over feeding in the past, and you're not over feeding any more, you can remove a good bit of nitrate by bumping up the size and frequency of your water changes for a while.
You might also test your water source. If it isn't RO/DI, your make-up water might contain nitrates of its own.
In terms of live rock, you might not need to go all the way to 1.5 lbs/gallon. The most common advice I've heard is a range from 1 lb/gallon to 1.5 lb/gallon.
You might also test your water source. If it isn't RO/DI, your make-up water might contain nitrates of its own.
In terms of live rock, you might not need to go all the way to 1.5 lbs/gallon. The most common advice I've heard is a range from 1 lb/gallon to 1.5 lb/gallon.
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thanks for the advice, i use tap water unfortunately as i do not have the cash flow at the moment to do RO/DI. But i have tested my tap water a few times and found it has NO nitrates in it with my saltwater test kit.... but does that kit even work on tap water?
i have cut my feeding back a good bit, much to the dislike of my two clarki clowns
and i have Remora Aqua C skimmer with an attached overflow box to skim the surface and a return box that i can put a medium into.....suggestions on the best medium to put into the box? It is about 2" deep, 2" wide, and like 8 inches tall??
The problem with getting any kind of corals is my lighting set-up, which again due to cash flow is the basic single bulb full canopy deal..... what could i look into for easy to keep corals that would help eat up the nitrates?
i have cut my feeding back a good bit, much to the dislike of my two clarki clowns
and i have Remora Aqua C skimmer with an attached overflow box to skim the surface and a return box that i can put a medium into.....suggestions on the best medium to put into the box? It is about 2" deep, 2" wide, and like 8 inches tall??
The problem with getting any kind of corals is my lighting set-up, which again due to cash flow is the basic single bulb full canopy deal..... what could i look into for easy to keep corals that would help eat up the nitrates?
BurntOutReefer
New member
according to the latest water test in CT...public water has 10ppm Nitrate....(and Uranium was kinda high aswell???)....
but dilution could the solution for you as far as Nitrate is concerned.....
but dilution could the solution for you as far as Nitrate is concerned.....
deathwater
New member
If you are short on cash, get the RO/DI water from one of those grocery store water dispencers. Its really cheap. Sooo worth it.
Rob_Zamites
New member
Tap water, no matter how good the tests state == bad.
+1 on the store water machines!
+1 on the store water machines!
Unfortunately, you can't dilute with the same water that's adding nitrates in the first place (i.e. tap water). I don't believe a saltwater nitrate test kit will work with fresh water, but I'm not certain there. As for corals, their nitrate reduction potential is minimal at best. You'd be much better off setting up a refugium with macroalgae. There are even some macroalgaes that are just fine in the display tank. Gracylaria comes to mind. It's a rather attractive red algae and doesn't anchor itself to your substrate. Of course, coraline is a very beneficial macro algae. Some other ones you might find are Pinicillus dumentosus (a.k.a. Shaving Brush), Mermaid's Fan (can't remember the scientific name), among others. . .that I also can't think of at the moment.
