Smallreefer Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Hi, i have been a bit slack and have only just purchased a nitrate test kit and found that my nitrate levs are way to high, like at the end of the chart. I did a water change (long over due i might add ) but levels are still about the same. What would be the best way to reduce it, every thing is healthy. I have heard of adding caulerpa is this a good method of reducing it? or should i do that and lots more water change. And i use natural sea water and i dont have an r/o unit so cannot control the amount of nitrate coming through my tap water used for toping off. I have carbon and green x in there at the moment so hope this may help a bit. Any help would be appreciated. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 What are your tank specs? Fish, feeding, size, liverock, skimmer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallreefer Posted August 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Hi, my tank is only small 90 litre. I have 2 clown fish 1 lemon peel dwarf angel fish and a blue tang. Also a coral banded shrimp and a cleaner shrimp. I have plenty of live rock and a protein skimmer, I belive the reason for my high nitrate level is because i havent done a water change for quite a while so i will step them up. Also probably partly due to the blue tang as he is quite large-would this be why?. o and i feed granules once a day and also flakes. And sometimes some frozen mysis. Cheers Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 i guess that you have answered all your question all by yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallreefer Posted August 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 yeah lol but would caulerpa help? And how big of a water change do you recomend? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 ive done 80% water changes in my isolation tank every day for 3-4 days to combat some problems (similar fish types) just make sure you match S.G. , ph and temp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Cut right back on your feeding, just keep an eye on all the fish to make sure they don't start getting skinny. And start doing more water changes, if they hasn't been setup long you should try and aim for 20% or more a week, till it settles down. Caulerpa wont help much and unless you have a sump and can keep it seperate from your display you will never be able to get it out again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 I wouldn't cut back the feeding to much, this won't solve the problem long term. I would start just doing water changes, 30 - 40% weekly. Also just give it time, sounds like its a pretty new tank, just give things a chance to settle in. Have you tested nh3 and no2?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Agree with TM here, water changes best (and easiest/most effective) for a small tank like this. Give it time. Forget about caleurpa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Cut right back on your feeding, just keep an eye on all the fish to make sure they don't start getting skinny. Why does everyone say that? Instead of cutting back on feeding, (which is hardly ever a problem) how about concentrating on exporting waste more effectively. That's the real problem, waste is building up and not being removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 its still possible that he is overfeeding. perhaps this should have been asked of first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Smallreefer I don't know how long your tank has been running, but the main rock cycle is done in about 6 weeks, that means it takes that long till ammonia and nitrite is being processed, but it can take several more months till nitrate is being processed properly. Plenty of flow will help, and all other advise given on the thread is good. Both sides of the feeding argument are "correct", proper nutrient export will deal with waste, nonetheless, if you did not feed at all, there would be no nitrate at all, so obviously feeding less will help. Many newbies discover they are feeding around double what is really needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Caulerpa wont help much and unless you have a sump and can keep it seperate from your display you will never be able to get it out again. ain't that the truth :evil: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 nonetheless, if you did not feed at all, there would be no nitrate at all Not necessarily true, what about all those nitrogen fixers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallreefer Posted August 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Hey, thanks for all the help my tank is not a new set up, its about 5 years old there has been other owners i have owned it for the past year, will make sure i do plenty of water changes. Cheers Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallreefer Posted August 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Have you tested nh3 and no2?? yes both amonnia and nitrite is 0 Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 do you have any sponges like on your pump inputs? filter wood, bio balls, cannister filters? etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Not necessarily true, what about all those nitrogen fixers? I was wondering if some know it all would say that :lol: . Even though we'd be talking tiny quantities that would be unlikely to register . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 do you have any sponges like on your pump inputs? filter wood, bio balls, cannister filters? etc Good question. If the system is 5 years old and nitrates are over 100, then somewhere there is a problem that will need to be changed. Perhaps if you could post a photo of the tank Smallreefer that might help people identify where the problem could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Even though we'd be talking tiny quantities that would be unlikely to register . That's your assumption. Nitrogen fixers are extremely important in nature both in the ocean and on land, making nitrogen available to other organisms. Not something you can really ignore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 sounds like old tank syndrome to me http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 sounds like old tank syndrome to me A sand bed phenomenom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Not necessarily. Old tank syndrome is code for 'I left my tank to fester'. That can happen with or without sand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 It can happen in rocks also, some authors advocate changing 10% to 20% of the rock annually to avoid this, once the tank gets into it's third or 4th year. But hey, that article was scary enough to make me stay with my BB ! Although I guess even a sand bed can be changed if it is suspected of causing something like that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallreefer Posted August 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 do you have any sponges like on your pump inputs? filter wood, bio balls, cannister filters? etc HI, i think the cause of the high nitrates is from the old hang on filter when i took it off to put my new protein skimmer on i found it had a whole lot of old filter wool that must of been there for years at the bottom for the filter. so i think ill just keep doing water changes until levels come down to a normal range. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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