should i use bioball to lower nitrate
- Thread starter johnvu713
- Start date
Wiskey
New member
The only way that bioballs will lower nitrate is if you put them in an anarobic envryoment, and it would take months to get started.
I would consentrate on getting your skimmer setup right, or getting a better skimmer or getting your flow so deatris gets to the skimmer.
What kind of skimmer are you using?
Whiskey
I would consentrate on getting your skimmer setup right, or getting a better skimmer or getting your flow so deatris gets to the skimmer.
What kind of skimmer are you using?
Whiskey
Keep in mind i took out all of my sand and most of my LR. At this moment I have about 10lbs of LR in my tank. I dont think i have enough LR for bacteria to set up house. I'm currently using filter sock to catch all the detritus. A RDSB can takes just as long if not longer than bioballs to function effeciently if im not mistaken. Should i go with a nitrate reactor? I do lot of WC but it's not really helping. And my water has zero nitrate using salifer test kit
shelburn61
New member
You removed the only source of denitrification (your rock). I don't see much short term option other than water changes or putting some rock back in. If you can find a big ball of chaeto that might help.
shelburn61
New member
Denitrification occurs in anaerobic (low/no oxygen) environments (like the pores of live rock).
Bioballs are actually used for nitrification. Ammonia is broken down to nitrite then to nitrate. This is an aerobic process. The bioballs just serve as a media for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize.
Bioballs are actually used for nitrification. Ammonia is broken down to nitrite then to nitrate. This is an aerobic process. The bioballs just serve as a media for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize.
XeniaMania
Active member
I don't think LR is that great of a denitrifier. If it was, most of you wouldn't need DSB or the remote bucket. I use Seachem's DeNitrate with great success.
Rendos
New member
With nitrates of 5-10ppm, why would you need to lower them. Those are already pretty low levels. Are you having a problem? Are your inhabitants looking bad or do you just want to have nitrates at zero? If you are not having problems, I don't see any reason to lower them. If you are having problems, what are your other water parameters? Cal, Alk, pH, phosphate, SG, temp, etc.??
XeniaMania
Active member
Don't forget, corals may be able to tolerate elevated levels of nutrients, but from where they come from, Phosphates and Nitrates are usually 0 or near 0.
MCsaxmaster
New member
Yeah, 5-10 ppm is pretty high for nitrate compared to a reef. Not intolerable necessarily, but unnatural (90% of reefs are <0.6 ppm nitrate, most are maybe 1/10 that value).
Agreed with above. Either do massive water changes or add something that will process nitrogen. A refugium growing algae can take-up nitrate and export it. Live rock and a dsb can provide denitrification and export N2/N2O gas.
cj
Agreed with above. Either do massive water changes or add something that will process nitrogen. A refugium growing algae can take-up nitrate and export it. Live rock and a dsb can provide denitrification and export N2/N2O gas.
cj
