All you people with 0ppm nitrate how do you do it?

snaza · #1 12/29/2007, 06:24 PM

Had my tank 2 years and have never got nitrate below 5ppm. usually sits around 5-10ppm. i just want to know what setup the people with 0ppm have?

my setup

110g tank
30g sump with fUGE
Reef octopus recirc skimmer
DBB in tank and fuge
35x flow
6x54w t5s
100lb live rock
9 small fish
pepp shrimp
lots of hermit crabs
maily soft corals with a couple sps
feed frozen and flakes lightly 1 x daily
use NSW
use RO/DI for topus
all other parameters are ok.

thats it i think. any suggestions how i can get it to 0?

thanks

reef / aholic · #2 12/29/2007, 06:43 PM

A reading of 0 is a dead figure, it doesn’t mean anything. So if you’re not getting a reading, then you need to work on the next reading up which is the first discernable graduation on the test. In effect, you’re going to force a reading into a range that is workable and then go backwards!!!

USC-fan · #3 12/29/2007, 06:45 PM

I have never had reading over .5 ppm. This was a lab test done at AWT, all my home kits test 0.

90 gal mix reef[SPS, clam, mushrooms, and zoas]
200+ lbs of LR
4"+ DSB[i have a bluespotted jawfish so it keep the DSB clean]
turnover= 100x-150x[75x without the wavebox]
37gal sump/fuge with 30 lbs of LR

Filtration:
Carbon reactor
Phosban reactor
uv filter
DAS EX-2 skimmer
5 gal WC 1x-2x a week
filter sock on overflow[change every 3 days]

Flow[display]
Tunze wavebox
3x k4 @ 1200gph = 3600gph
tunze nano stream modded 1300 gph
modded MJ @ 1200gph
return pump 400gph

Livestock
B/W clownfish pair
Coral beatry angelfish
sixline wrasse
bluespotted jawfish
-feed 3x a day in the display

fuge
Algea blenny and its feed once a day.

I think the biggest reason I am having good luck is that i'm "over skimming" and have A LOT of flow.

snaza · #4 12/29/2007, 08:01 PM

thanks guys.

Kentanner11 · #5 12/29/2007, 11:13 PM

Wouldnt it actually be good to have some nitrate? Same thing with a fluctuating salinity. The corals become flexible (to a certain degree) so if for some reason you cant top off or something happens and your nitrate raises it wont be as bad for them.

Carnavor180 · #6 12/29/2007, 11:55 PM

i have always had around 10ppm give or take a few in every tank i have had. dont see how people eather end up with 0ppm
i also think its not so bad to have low amounts of nitrate

badhand2222 · #7 12/30/2007, 12:21 AM

i had around 30ppm of nitrate, started using chemipure and purigen packs and it did the trick for me.

reefmaster805 · #8 12/30/2007, 12:47 AM

water changes, water changes, water changes.

Mavrk · #9 12/30/2007, 01:21 AM

did someone mention doing water changes? 10% weekly once the levels are down. You can do more if your levels are high.

That and an efficient skimmer are the main trick. Also macroalgae such as chaetomorpha helps. A DSB (remote or in the DT) can help eventually, but takes several months (at least 6 I think) to establish.

Not overfeeding helps. As does rinsing frozen food and limiting flakes.

snaza · #10 12/30/2007, 01:46 AM

Here is a pic of my tank

mixed_reefer · #11 12/30/2007, 02:11 AM

You have a great lookin tank and i would not sweat it if you have some trates.

My guess is that you have a fairly shallow DSB in the DT and it looks like you also have some areas that you can not get at with a gravel vac. The shallow sand will trap the poo and excess foods and whatnot but its having a hard time processing it and the end result is some trates. Just a theory i come up with from looking at the pic, but i cant see the bottom rim of the tank so i cant even begin to judge depth of the sand.

Seriously, the tank looks great and 5ppm is not any real concern.

snaza · #12 12/30/2007, 02:56 AM

the DSB is actually 4-5 inchs. just cant see from the photo.

jerryz · #13 12/30/2007, 07:52 AM

Water changes. 2-3% daily.

NeuroLarry · #14 12/30/2007, 08:53 AM

I had my nitrates sitting at around 5 despite a DSB and reasonably constant water changes usinga EuroReef skimmer and 300lbs LR in a 240. I added a midwest aqautics denitrator and I'm sitting pretty at 0 now.

snaza · #15 12/30/2007, 08:55 AM

are more frequent small water changes better than monthly larger ones?

should i put hermits in my fuge?

one it get it lower after water changes how do i keep it stable? just water changes? i have about 120lb (i think) of LR. should i get more?

NeuroLarry · #16 12/30/2007, 11:29 AM

If you do small frequent changes you will be exchanging less and less "old" water with each change. Larger changes are better in my opinion. It will take more than 5 10% changes to equal 1 50% change. I'm sure there is a mathematical formula someone could write to make it clearer.

Fraggle Rock2 · #17 12/30/2007, 06:40 PM

No formula, but someone (RHF) did write an article on water changes:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php

Cheers.