nitrates never go to down....

[mikejones]

I've been fighting nitrates for a couple of months now, so I decided to start making water changes more often so I started last week on Monday. I made the water change on that day then again on Thursday and in Monday I made an other water change now that's 2 water changes in a week and the nitrates never go down to 0ppm they always go down to 20ppm from whatever they are at. So my question is what else can I do to bring the nitrates to 0ppm besides water changes.

[reefturkey]

What is your setup? Do you run a skimmer? How much live rock? Do you have a fuge?

[SPSFiend]

What percentage water change are you doing?

[mikejones]

I have a 30 gallon tank, I do have a skimmer, I have about 35 pounds of live rock in the tank and about 15 pounds in the 20 gallon sump and nope I dont have fuge?

[Primetime33]

I had that the same issue until I started making my own RO/DI/Salt water. Have you tested your water you are adding/using for the changes?

[mikejones]

Well I remove 5 gallons and add about 7-8 gallons every time I do the water change.

[mikejones]

I make my own water too and always try to match with the one in the tank (salt, pH and temp.) And yes I test it before puting it into the tank so it matches.

[Scissorhand]

maybe you need a denitrator?

[glockcoma]

A FUGE WITH SOME CHEATO WILL TAKE OUT YOUR NITRATES.

[Puffalicious]

Originally posted by glockcoma
A FUGE WITH SOME CHEATO WILL TAKE OUT YOUR NITRATES.

hey, when you added your cheato how long after that till you saw a drop in your nitrates?

the cheato you gave me is good and growing, but I havent seen my nitrates drop

[mikejones]

what would be a good size fuge for my 30 g. tank keeping in mind i dont have too much space to put one.

[glockcoma]

Originally posted by Puffalicious
hey, when you added your cheato how long after that till you saw a drop in your nitrates?

the cheato you gave me is good and growing, but I havent seen my nitrates drop

Not sure, I think when it really took over my fuge it reduced my nitrates to 0ppm

it was always reading .05ppm - .10ppm, then I put in a 20g fuge and put about a softball size ball of cheato, and I really didnt notice any changes until I had about a football size.

I run the fuge light 24/7

[anthias_lover]

what would be a good size fuge for my 30 g. tank keeping in mind i dont have too much space to put one.

Do you have space for 10g? I have a 10g glass tank or a 12g acrylic + cheato + light.

[supernareg]

yes, i am a FIRM BELIEVER of fuge + chaeto.

it'll get ur nitrates down FAST and keep them at 0.

before chaeto, my nitrates were high with skimmer, lots of LR, etc. with chaeto it went down to 0.

[Puffalicious]

Originally posted by supernareg
yes, i am a FIRM BELIEVER of fuge + chaeto.

it'll get ur nitrates down FAST and keep them at 0.

before chaeto, my nitrates were high with skimmer, lots of LR, etc. with chaeto it went down to 0.

my nitrates are at 20ppm right now.... I want it below 10 or 0... I should just turn on the lights 24/7 huh? cuz right now the lights are only on 12hr/day

[mikejones]

Originally posted by anthias_lover
Do you have space for 10g? I have a 10g glass tank or a 12g acrylic + cheato + light.

Not really. What about a lil' 2.5g. tank

[jake32010]

i have the same problem

[supernareg]

well... this is what i had for a fuge.

i had a 20 long which i put in acrylic baffles and siliconed them myself.

i had in this order: the overflow drain into the skimmer / fuge with cheato + DSB with reverse light cycle (i had a regular 75watt spiral bulb found for a few bux, and it grew quick and thick) / baffles for air trapping (3 of them) / return pumps.


to help keep ur pH stable, and other things too, put ur fuge light reverse cycle of ur main. if ur main tank lights come on and off at 11am and 11pm, put ur fuge light to come on at 11pm and off at 11am.

also, the bigger the fuge, the better, doesnt matter what size display you have. more fuge = more water = more stable = better tank.

edit: and i only did water changes about once every three months... 5 gallon change off a 60 gallon system. and i'll tell you, i had one of the nicest tanks you'd see.

[UltimateFrag]

Wow! once every 3 months for water change. I would to see couple picture of your nicest tank.

[supernareg]

here's the sump



and my corals + tanks (2 tanks were integrated into same sump)









Full tank shot



and some videos





and my other tank which is integrated



and unfortnuately due to copper poisoning (my nephew thought the sump was a wishing well and dumped a load of pennies and dimes in there) i had to sell everything and salvage what i could into my 12 gal nano, which is beautiful now.

here's my acropolis hehe after it was poisoned

[nava405]

my nitrate is always between 10-15 or even higher, i tried everything to lower it, but didn't work. However, i figured that my corals still have good colors and a bit higher nitrate actully allow my corals to grown faster, so i am just leaving it alone for now.

[mikejones]

Originally posted by nava405
my nitrate is always between 10-15 or even higher, i tried everything to lower it, but didn't work. However, i figured that my corals still have good colors and a bit higher nitrate actully allow my corals to grown faster, so i am just leaving it alone for now.

good to hear that but in my case I see my frogspowns dont like high nitrates .

[mikejones]

Do you guys think any of this set ups will work?