Do you guys think Skimmer can lower nitrate .....?

[Tangker]

so do you guys think that skimmer can lower our nitrate to zero in heavy load tank with coral and fish in it ....some says use bigger size skimmer to skim like overskim ...want to hear from you ...?

[jacmyoung]

It will help to reduce the nitrate production since more waste is removed before having a chance to be converted to nitrate, but will not lower the nitrate level already in the tank. Nitrate is a dissolved inorganic chemical that can not be skimmed out.

Even the biggest skimmer can not remove 100% of the waste so there will always be some left to be converted into nitrate. Water change can lower it but not to zero, macroalgae and DSB can absorb nitrate to almost zero if done right.

[fishnugget]

How is that?

[JmLee]

refugium.... I my self run a sumpless system. And i am currently struggling with nitrate. How ever my tank is only 2 1/2 - 3 months old and i cured 45 lbs of LR in my tank so im a long ways from stability.....

[Tangker]

How about then tank use bare bottom system ..? how can reduce the nitrate ...?

[jacmyoung]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6669440#post6669440 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tangker
How about then tank use bare bottom system ..? how can reduce the nitrate ...?

Regular water change.

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6669440#post6669440 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tangker
How about then tank use bare bottom system ..? how can reduce the nitrate ...?
Normally oversized skimmer, often UV or ozone use [might help skimming].

[ufans]

Nitrate is typically a problem with overfeeding and under filtering. There is little that you can add to completely remove nitrates if you tank is truely overloaded. Overloaded tanks need very routine water changes, constant carbon replacement, great flow, elimination of all nitrate factories (filters etc.), and a much larger sump/fuge to help increase the water volume helping to dillute the water. DSBs are great but they take a long time to develop. Skimmers are a necessity IMHO.

[Tangker]

so if the nitrate level still not Zero level how can we have SPS ..? I know water change can reduce the level but not to Zero level ....

[robsmith32]

clams/mushrooms/zooanthia/xenia/macroalgeas all absorb nitrate.
Running Polyfilter and regularly changing it out will rid it too,
For sure, couldnt' tell ya, but my nitrate reading is .2 on a seachem testkit. yes, 2 tenths.
A properly set up skimmer is critical for this, as it gets rid of waste, BEFORE it becomes nitrates. And regular water change routine, with tested source water that arent' adding nitrates to the system.

[ufans]

Nothing alone can eliminate nitrates. If you have a heavily loaded tank then you are going to have to invest a lot of your own time to keep the nitrates down. The thrill of packing the tank full of pretty fish will soon consume you unless you devote several hours every week to maintenance.

[Tangker]

So for sure no way for skimmer to reduce the nitrate level to zero even bigger skimmer too right ...?

[HappyReefer2]

Skimmer CANNOT reduce nitrates to ZERO... you need something to export any remaining nitrates, like macro algae that is harvest regularly.

[JmLee]

yeah combination of methods will reduce nitrate. Water changes, effiecent skimming, refugiums / macroalgae, even aging of a tank. Usually the older a fish tank becomes, the more stable it becomes. Thats taking into consideration that you are practicing good husbandry. Although i dont think UV sterilizer will do much such as stated by middletonmark but i could be wrong.

[Tangker]

Have you guys heard about sulphur nitrate filter ..? is it good ..?

[exo]

I personally use micro's but In the beginning I used a denitrator cansiter which got rid of all nitrates Ie ( non detectabel )

[exo]

I personally use micro's but In the beginning I used a denitrator cansiter which got rid of all nitrates Ie ( non detectabel )

[JmLee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6676697#post6676697 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tangker
Have you guys heard about sulphur nitrate filter ..? is it good ..?

ive heard pretty good stuff about sulphur denitrifiers.

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6676568#post6676568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JmLee
Although i dont think UV sterilizer will do much such as stated by middletonmark but i could be wrong.
A UV will affect some organic molecules, and will alter at least some of these. Altered, some of these may be skimmable where before getting fried in the UV they might not.

Unless overstocked, I guess something between my clam and skimmer manage to keep me at 0 Nitrates [no DSB, no substrate, no additional anything beyond a skimmer ... and happy, colorful Acropora]. I even feed daily ...

It might not be pulling nitrates, but it's probably pulling bacteria, phyto, and other things that have adsorbed ammonia/etc ... and thus, I am exporting what would eventually be nitrate via my skimmer.

Just my opinion. I've been wrong before, and will be again :)

[Tangker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6700568#post6700568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MiddletonMark
A UV will affect some organic molecules, and will alter at least some of these. Altered, some of these may be skimmable where before getting fried in the UV they might not.

Unless overstocked, I guess something between my clam and skimmer manage to keep me at 0 Nitrates [no DSB, no substrate, no additional anything beyond a skimmer ... and happy, colorful Acropora]. I even feed daily ...

It might not be pulling nitrates, but it's probably pulling bacteria, phyto, and other things that have adsorbed ammonia/etc ... and thus, I am exporting what would eventually be nitrate via my skimmer.

Just my opinion. I've been wrong before, and will be again :)

What skimmer do you use ..? so when do you find out that your nitrate level down to zero ..? how long does it takes ..? Do you have a pic of your tank ...? would like to see ...

[MiddletonMark]

I run a Precision Marine bullet 2 on my BB SPS tank [58g] ... skimmer is sized to handle a tank multiple times the size of mine.

[when you find a good deal on one used, you take it :)]

I test with Salifert ... not that regularly, it's been a few months. But it came up `clear'/undetectable the last time I tested, and given I only clean my glass about once a week - I trust levels are pretty much minimal if detectable.

I do have a 4" Crocea clam, that can't hurt. And a low bioload compared to many [anthias, blenny, and 3 tiny gobies in my 58].

As said before, I don't think I'm full of all the answers [potentially full of something else ;)] ... but I'm a believer in the power of an oversized skimmer [along with balanced import/export, reasoned fish stocking ...].
Maybe it's not taking the direct nitrogen compounds - but IMO it's pulling a lot of stuff that likely contains those compounds.

My gallery:http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=28196&cat=500&thumb=1

--
I do note, I `understock' in fish compared to many. While I feed daily, I also run some oversized equipment on my tank ... perhaps `not the average setup'.

I would check out some of the successful BB tanks though - as they're obviously combatting nutrients [N/P] without locking into biomass or storage in the system.

I don't think BB is for everyone, certainly not for all livestock ... but a worthy method to see what people are able to export with skimmers [primarily].

I don't think there's a method I haven't learn something from [or from those that practice it] ... whether or not I run my system like theirs.
I'm not encouraging anyone to remove their substrate ... just don't rule out different systems from being able to teach us all something :)