Why is Nitrate different in tanks????

T

TAZ3503

AC Members
Sep 27, 2005
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Hey guys,
I have a question that is puzzling me. I have two tanks.

60 gallon reef
corals
2 clownfish
1 sixline wrasse
hermit crabs
snails
120lbs of live rock
an inch thick of live sand
4 powerheads
remora skimmer

12 gallon nano cube
corals
1 jawfish
hermits and snails
12lbs live rock
4 inch sand bed
lots of different macroalgae







I've had both tanks for over a year now and the 60 gallon has higher nitrates, while the nano cube has no detectable nitrates. I do water changes on both every two weeks. The only major differences between the two tanks are that the 60 gallon has a skimmer and an inch of sand, but no macroalgae. The nano cube has a thick sand bad with tons of macroalgae, but no skimmer. My questions is why are the nitrates in the nano tank so much lower than my 60 gallon? Is it the deep sand bad or the macroalgae? I would like to figure this out so that I can add more sand or macroalgae to the 60 gallon tank.

Thanks ahead for any responses
Ernest
 
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i believe maroalgae is what is helping you out, if i recall correct i think they eat nitrate or was it phosphate? i guess i dunno, never heard or a deep sand bed being a culprit or nitrates, maybe ammonia but not nitrates.
 
yeah my guess would be the macroalgae. everything ive read says that macro eats up nitrates... so yeah... there ya go
 
It's probably the sand beds, but the macroalgae probably makes a difference as well. In the nano, you have a 4 inch sandbed, wich is capable of growing anerobic denitrifying bacteria. In the 60g, you only have an inch of sand, wich is not deep enough to create anerobic areas for the denetrifying bacteria.

I highly doubt the fish population has anything to do with it. per gallon, the nano has more fish in it than the 60g.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm thinking I shoud try using the deep sand bed and macroalgae. The only concern i have is that I read somewhere that deep sand beds crash after a while. I based my 60 gallon on the Berlin system which stated to use none to little sand on the bottom. If I go for the deeper sand bed how do I go about adding 3 or 4 more inches of sand without distrupting the entire tank?
 
TAZ3503 said:
The only concern i have is that I read somewhere that deep sand beds crash after a while.?
Click to expand...
ya, I did a quick a yahoo search and I found out at reef central that a DSB is merely a sponge, and will stop working over time. Ther really isn't nothing in nitrate that makes it harmfull, it is merely an indicator of dissolved organic compounds in fresh tank or tanks without a skimmer, but if you have a skimmer, there really isn't any way to get an idea of where your DOC's sit, becuase skimmers will remove the DOC's and short of buying lab grade testing equipment, you can't test for it. In short, the DOC's (what you shoiuld be worrying about) should be respectably low in your tank becuase of the bioload and the fact that you have an effective skimmer.
 
DSB wont crash if you add a cup of livesand every 2 years. what happens is all your microfauna are competing against each other, it depends on you tank, but there will be ceartain animals that out compete others and therefore some become exstinct.

By adding a cup or so every year, you are making sure that a variety of animals are maintained in the system. This helps keep the sand bed full functional and prevents it crashing.
 
Thanks everyone I appreciate all the responses. I'm gonna try the deep sand bed and algae and see if that reduces my nitrates.
 
Taz, you may consider trying these (macros, DSB, more l ive rock, whatever) in a large remote refugium/sump, that would be easy to experiment with and not disturb your display tank... just a suggestion.
Clams will also feed on/reduce nitrates.
 
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