Nitrate Removal

[Lucas9]

How to decrease nitrate?

Any better way than huge (50%) water changes?

 

[ppurcell]

There are a variety of ways to manage nitrates. Deep sand beds are one of the most popular right now. They can be in tank, in refugium or remote. There are also a few nitrate reactors including one that works using very low flow through sulphur beads. I think I saw one for sale last week in the RC classifieds.

There are some very good articles in wetwebmedia on NNR (natural nitrate reduction).

Link Blast:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/index.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ammoniamarart.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitritesmar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Plenums.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/denitrification.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

 

[mitlik1]

de*nitrate works pretty good too.

 

[Sullyman]

How high is your nitrate level? Not so much an issue with a fowlr, unless they'are way up there.
I've been using a sulphor reactor with great results, but you should be able to keep them at a low enough level with regular water changes. You don't have to do a 50% water change,
frequent smaller ones will be better.

 

[Lucas9]

My nitrate test scale is something link 0-5-10-20-40-80. By looking at the colors it is probably somewhere in 40-80- range. I have to admint i neglected water changes for some time (really painfull to do a water change in a condo). Maybe with regular weekly changes (10-20%) nitrate will decrease. SHould i really take out the bioballs?

 

[G13]

I've read some posts in this website about using sugar to bring down your nitrates. But a skimmer must be in use for this to work. Do a search.

 

[jun_celis]

I would say using a refugium and grow some kind of macro like chaeto. You need to keep up with the harvesting for it to be effective. My nitrate never goes up above 5ppm after I have incorporated a fuge/macro about 2 years ago.

 

[Lucas9]

I always loved sweets, but never thought they will bring down nitrates.

Anyway, I could not believe the success stories with sugar. I will try it tonight.

jun_celis: thanks for advice, but I feel better about adding sugar than having macros go sexual

 

[Teremei]

My nitrates are at zero. 3 1/2 month old tank. Here's what I do.

DSB (close 3 1/2")
>1# per 1gal of LR
Large skimmer overskim
fuge packed with many species of algae.

 

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8546747#post8546747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lucas9

jun_celis: thanks for advice, but I feel better about adding sugar than having macros go sexual

I would advise to research before you make a blind statement like that. Hardly any species "go sexual". . Hell I even have grape calerpa in my fuge and it has never done so. I have not read about this "sugar method". . But having a large variety of plantlife is a great way to reduce nitrate and phosphate and is the natural way it happens, as in, the ocean.

 

[carpediem360]

yes but slowly. Don't take them out all at once!!!

 

[jdieck]

Here is the list of methods as far as my experience goes:
a) Regular water changes
b) Good skimming
c) Controlled feeding, not excess with dry foods low in phosphates and if frozen let them thaw and rinse
d) Refugium with deep sand bed, live rock and macroalgae
e) Sugar / Vodka small additions. If bacteria has been carbon limited this will feed bacterial populations that will grow and take out additional nutrients from the water
f) Good detivore population
g) De-Nitrate Sulphur reactors
h) De-Nitrate anaerobic reactors
i) Zeovith / Polyp Labs / methods (zeolite reactors + bacterial and amino aditions)
j) Chamical reactors (Purigen)

I basically depend on a,b,c,d,f,j above and have had undetectable Nitrates since the start.