Nitrates
- Thread starter edikpok
- Start date
What size tank do you have? How many fish? How many times you feed a week? How much filtration...what kind? Give us some more info about your tank.
I have a 37g tank. In it I have a wrasse bird, foxface, 2 little blue damsels, valentini puffer, and a clownfish. In term of inverterbrates, I have a peppermint shrimp, coral banded shrimp, hermit crab, 6 snails and a sea urchin.
I have an aquaclear 300 filter and 2 powerheads on both sides of the tank. I feed the fish twice a day with an ammount that is consumed in less than a minute
I have an aquaclear 300 filter and 2 powerheads on both sides of the tank. I feed the fish twice a day with an ammount that is consumed in less than a minute
Sounds like too much livestock to me. How old is the tank and what kind of filtration system do you have? Are you running a protein skimmer?
Every 3-4 weeks is not constantly changing the water, that is normal marine maintenence. How deep is the sand bed and how high is the nitrates? if you don't have a 2-3"+ sand bed, might I suggest adding a refugium with one and lots of macroalgae and a mix of live and base rock?
just so you know, "constantly" changing the water is changing it every day(many discus keepers are familiar with this, and they do 50%+ water changes), my freshwater tanks get thier water changed every week(about 25%).
just so you know, "constantly" changing the water is changing it every day(many discus keepers are familiar with this, and they do 50%+ water changes), my freshwater tanks get thier water changed every week(about 25%).
Last edited:
Instead of treating the symptom, look to the source. Your system is a bit overcrowded, more info below from my files:edikpok said:
High nitrates are more of an indicator of total dissolved organic compounds and overall system health, such as PH issues. Some species are indeed less/more sensitive than others to DOC's and nutrient/metabolite buildup. For reef/invert systems, most target less than 5 ppm and they often keep sparse fish populations in those tanks to help limit nutrient input. For more robust fish systems nitrates are less of a concern; a 20 to 40 ppm reading is common and can usually be maintained/lowered with efficient skimming and scheduled water changes. While many fish are likely not harmed by moderate or even higher nitrate levels, IMO higher nitrates almost always go hand in hand with a low PH; and PH/alkaline reserve is a much more serious parameter that requires careful attention in all marine systems.
Well the first thing you need to do is verify your readings with another test kit. Have your LFS check the water.
Providing your readings are accurate I would say:
1. Large bio filters, trickle towers, cannisters are not helping, the media is going to convert any nutrients to more nitrates. We don't need more CONVERSION here with your light bio load, what we need is more nutrient EXPORT. I would SLOWLY remove this media in both of them over the period of 90 days, a little at a time. Leave the cannisters running empty for more circulation.
2. At the SAME time, add a powerful skimmer. Also make sure your skimmer is working; should be removing dark sludge every day for you, if not then adjust it or find one that does. If one is not doing the job you can add another unit, but always start by getting one bigger than the gallon rating on the box. Choose wisely, lots of overated junk out there.
3. Tell me about your substrate; 2-3 inch crushed coral beds, dead sand beds in robust fish displays can all be nutrient sinks/adding nitrates faster than water changes can keep up. Hobby is supposed to be relaxing, after all. A properly balanced basic marine system should only require monthly water changes or less.
4. You may need to look into a deep sand bed (DSB) located inside a refugium (not in the display) there is much info available on the web for that, use your search engine. Also look into an algae filter, which can also be located in a refugium/sump below the tank. Try a big wad of chaetomorpha (not caulerpa) in a reverse lighted sump, that will serve as a great export filter for your pesky nitrates. Plants love consuming fertilizer! Be advised, you don't need zero readings for a basic FOWLR system, but agree 100 is too high.
5. Lighten the load! Less is more... less food, less waste, you get the idea. Less fuel for the fire so to speak... stop asking, "how many more fish can I have," and instead ask, "how few fish can I be happy with?" Those few carefully chosen specimens will be more healthy and even have room to grow. Best wishes for your success.
floridaboy pretty much took the cake on this one. however, i will add oen thing.
for almost all fish, you dont need to feed twice a day. And if you do, then the amount they eat in a minute is quite large. i dont know about you, but my pair of clowns can eat probably 4 cubes of formula one in less than a minute. lol. And i do agree that you have a pretty good stock size at the moment.
for almost all fish, you dont need to feed twice a day. And if you do, then the amount they eat in a minute is quite large. i dont know about you, but my pair of clowns can eat probably 4 cubes of formula one in less than a minute. lol. And i do agree that you have a pretty good stock size at the moment.
Floridaboy basically got it.
Way to big of a bioload. That bird wrasse needs at least a 100 gallon tank. Your foxface needs at least a 75 gallon and your puffer needs a 55.
Aquaclear 300 is not going to cut it.
Also, since you have such a big bioload, you would need to do at least 1 water change a week. I would recommend biweekly.
Above all, get rid of the fish that needs bigger tanks, the ones I mentioned above. I am sure they are stressed in that small of a tank. Long term stress can really hurt a fish.
Time to step up to the plate.
Way to big of a bioload. That bird wrasse needs at least a 100 gallon tank. Your foxface needs at least a 75 gallon and your puffer needs a 55.
Aquaclear 300 is not going to cut it.
Also, since you have such a big bioload, you would need to do at least 1 water change a week. I would recommend biweekly.
Above all, get rid of the fish that needs bigger tanks, the ones I mentioned above. I am sure they are stressed in that small of a tank. Long term stress can really hurt a fish.
Time to step up to the plate.
the other guy with the paragraphs probally solved your question.
i have one for you. how do those shrimp stay alive with the puffer in there?
cause my puffers will steal shrimp off my dinner plate.
i have one for you. how do those shrimp stay alive with the puffer in there?
cause my puffers will steal shrimp off my dinner plate.