NO3 off the chart!

[Kewlworm]

OK, I tested my water last night and the NO3 came to a whopping 80-100 ppm!!! Because of the crash I had 2 months ago. Been changing small % of water and everything seem to be good...fishes, soft corals, hammer, candycane, and zoas. The corals are showing growth too...small. So, I thought the water is ok...guess not.

I am going to change 80 gal (my system is about 160gal,) so it would be 50% and it would bring down the NO3 to 40 - 50ppm. And then a few more 30 gal (~20%) WC through out the wk. I am hoping after that my chaeto will start growing again and keep the NO3 down.

Are there any other ways to bring down NO3? Any media like the De-nitrate from seachem?

Thanks!
Gary

 

[macawmagic]

get another test kit and test it again. might just be your test kit because no3 that high usually doesn't happen while corals are not dieing. good luck

 

[Rogger Castells]

actually nitrates can accumulate that high with very little or no signs in the corals, they will be a PIA to get rid of them but several water changes, strong protein skimmer, lower the pellet feeding should help

 

[coralfragger101]

Water changes - temp solution.
Kick *** Fuge coupled w/regular wkly small water changes - long term solution.

 

[pedromatic]

Re: NO3 off the chart!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10946559#post10946559 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kewlworm


Are there any other ways to bring down NO3? Any media like the De-nitrate from seachem?

Thanks!
Gary

IME the various "Phosphate Sponge" media products are worthless, even in a reactor. Although frequent water changes are the best way to achieve it, adding a fuge helps reduce levels in your display. Dosing AZ-NO3 or vodka/sugar also work but there are some side affects (bacteria blooms) and you have to dose daily. There is plenty of chatter about these subjects in other threads, so I won't go into detail. Personally, I supplement my fuge with small doses of vodka (insert your joke here) nightly.

 

[roblack]

Vodka? Why vodka? Please tell me more.

 

[jeffbrig]

You need one of these super-sized nitrate reducers:

 

[Kewlworm]

Actually, I have a fuge w/ about 4" sandbed and lots of LR rubbles. All I can think of why my NO3 is so high is my chaeto not absorbing the NO3 and not growing. I just changed the light bulb too. Going to do more water change and see what happens.

 

[Kewlworm]

Time to get a clam!

 

[pedromatic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10947837#post10947837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by roblack
Vodka? Why vodka? Please tell me more.

Just go to the main RC and do a search, there's plenty of material about it.

BTW, nice denitrator there, Jeff. I used to have a large poop factory in my tank and fed it fresh clams from Publix. Well, the factory has moved offshore but there are still a few happy litle clams buried in my sand bed. They also contribute to reducing nitrates, and they're very cheap (.49 ea).

 

[ninjamini]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10947842#post10947842 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffbrig
You need one of these super-sized nitrate reducers:

They consume that much?

 

[jeffbrig]

At that size, I imagine they can take up quite a bit. That picture was taken about a year ago, and the clam nearly filled a 5g bucket back then. It probably weighs between 15 and 20 lbs, so there's a lot of mass to 'feed'.

Of course, the drawback is that it also soaks up a ton of calcium to build its shell.

 

[ReefWreak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10947889#post10947889 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kewlworm
Actually, I have a fuge w/ about 4" sandbed and lots of LR rubbles. All I can think of why my NO3 is so high is my chaeto not absorbing the NO3 and not growing. I just changed the light bulb too. Going to do more water change and see what happens.

Once your nitrates get above 30ppm or so, the cheato will actually get choked up and cannot grow anymore, so you're right, that's why it's not growing or helping at all.

Best thing is skimming and waterchanges, like others have said.

 

[db_triggerfish]

i am thinking over feeding or too large bioload. I see you have a fuge but no protien skimmer in your descriptions. Are you using carbon to help export fish waste? I am not sold on fuges period because if you don't do a lot of water changes in a system with a fuge the fuge will not make that dirty smelling yellow water go away. Now carbon and poly-filter have done magic in my skimmerless nano for the last 3 years with almost no water changes only like five or six water changes in that time frame. I am not recommending it for my new tank 75g i am starting out with a good skimmer but will invest in a better one down the line. Best of Luck.