Buffers and nitrates and gobies oh my!

[ChicoRaton]

Ok, so at work today a lady came in and said she was having lots of problems with her saltwater tank.

1) lots of hair algae
2) disappearing fish
3) high nitrates (100ppm(!!!!!!!)))

I had her list all the tank inhabitants and we looked them up in the reference book we have ther, "Marine fishes" since I'm a freshwater guy and no marine people were working. None of them were listed as being aggressive, except for her Bicolor Dottyback, which I doubt could eat a whole mandarin goby...

Anyway, I sold her some salt and told her to start doing 10 gallon water changes every couple days (55gal tank) to start getting nitrates down, and this was seconded by my co-worker. Here comes the confusing part...

He told her to do lots of water changes, and also said adding a buffer would help get nitrates down. I had never heard of this, but I didn't say anything because I don't know all that much about the reef-world. so anyway he sold her the kent marine starter pack with a buffer solution, trace element additive and ammonia detox. Is it true that adding buffer solution can help lower nitrates? I have to start reading up on marine systems so I know what I'm talking about, hehe. Thanks for your help.

 

[Gealcath]

Buffer changes PH, nitrates are the result of the end of the nitrigen cycle (bacteria breaks ammonia into nitrites, and then another bacteria type breaks nitrites into nitrate, and then another bacteria type breaks nitrates into nitrogen gas)


Its important to ask how much Live Rock is being used, if a Deep Sand Bed is being used, and what type of protein skimmer i being used. Its also important to know what type of water is being used for water changes, if its tap water it might need to be tested for nitrate and phosphorous (both are plant food, which feed algae).

 

[mogurnda]

Buffers won't do anything for nitrate. They will help with bad algae to a certain extent by keeping alkalinity up and helping coralline algae to grow.

On the other hand, kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide) will help push NO3 down. I will have to look up the chemistry again, but there is some theory behind it. After I started dripping kalk, the nitrate in my tank went from 15 to 2 ppm.

I agree with everyone else that lots of water changes will help.

In my experience, nitrate is overrated as a cause of algae. I have had blooms, but almost always in response to loss of circulation or reduction in grazers. Of course, I haven't gone to 100 ppm.

By the way, tha mandarin probably starved to death. They feed on small invertebrates on live rock, and you can't really pack enough into a 55 to support a mandarin.