Nitrates

[Butchdawg14]

How do i keep them low?? mine are a lil high?maybe due to the new fish? i dont know

but yesterday before i put him in they were zero and today they are like between 20 and 40.....

any thoughts??

thanks

 

[normanviking]

Maybe the test kit is a little off.

 

[reefkoi]

jeez where to start, it's 6 gallons, that's going to be tough. Me I'd rig a skimmer somewhere and I'd make sure I had good flow. I would throw away any kind of filter floss, or pads that hold crap and cause more nirtate. The skimmer will get rid of organics so they don't rot in there and the high flow will move detritus and stuff faster to the skimmer to get rid of it.
I'd also change atleast 2 gallons a week of water.

Probably not what you want to hear but that's what I see.

It's all about exporting nutrients changing a pad once a week or more isn't going to cut it.

I bet there are plenty of nanos without skimmers but I bet they don't have any fish or maybe 1.

 

[Butchdawg14]

ok......sounds good....

i have some fliter floss in there now....and it catches everything..but it sounds like that is not good...right?? it is just holding dead stuff which causes nitrates that correct??

 

[Butchdawg14]

or whenver i get a MH ill get a clam!! and it would take the nitrates out right??

randall told me something about that.

 

[reefkoi]

Well yeah it does, it cleans the water but on a small system I think it's a trap for nitrates. Problem is you have no other way of getting them out though do you? Unless you try to rinse the pads in the morning and night to see if it helps, I don't know short term what else to try, maybe put some extra bacteria in there, say every week and that would help maybe.

 

[Butchdawg14]

what if i just try taking out the fliter floss....

 

[reefkoi]

yeah clams need nitrate apparently, I don't think they will be that beneficial though, supposedly xenia pulls nitrate out as well.

The best natural way I know of is a Deep Sand Bed, should be 6" thick though and takes time to mature, no overnight results.

 

[reefkoi]

well like I said if you pull the floss then the crap is still in there, how else are you going to remove it? I think a skimmer is the only other way, what does Randall do? does he have fish? does he have nitrate? or has his system been established longer than your's? Maybe it just needs more time

 

[Butchdawg14]

he no need fish right now but he is getting one tomorrow.....he says he had some nitrates....but then when he put his clams in ever since there has been no nitrates....

he has no skimmer but uses fliter floss.....

if i take out the fliter floss maybe the fish can eat the stuff that keeps getting cycled........haha maybe?? no??? i dont know

 

[reefkoi]

I don't know either just change more water till you get it handled and make sure the water you use is pure so you are not adding more nitrates with the w/c

 

[Butchdawg14]

alright sounds good thanks chris....

 

[murfman]

Nitrates are not so bad, Kevin. Read up on reef chemistry by Holmes-Farley. Rinse your fiber floss as part of your weekly maint. Water changes will be fine.

 

[Butchdawg14]

oh ok alright so between 30 and 40 is fine???

 

[bigsittingrock]

corals filter water also so just pack your tank with them

 

[Butchdawg14]

lol lol ok.....